, ▁Mem ore x ▁Corporation , ▁and ▁Private ▁Label ▁Store ▁Br ands ▁joined ▁in . ▁Oper ations ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁when ▁Fun ai ▁ordered ▁the ▁ch ass is ▁mechan isms ▁from ▁Sh int om , ▁while ▁assemb ling ▁V HS ▁players ▁and ▁record ers ▁for ▁several ▁O EM ▁customer ▁br ands . ▁This ▁business ▁account ed ▁about ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁Sh int om ' s ▁total ▁re venue , ▁since ▁Fun ai ▁was ▁their ▁largest ▁customer . ▁Sh int om ' s ▁original ▁ch ass is ▁mechanism ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁industrial - grade , ▁high - re li ability ▁standards , ▁since ▁demand ▁for ▁r ental ▁video ▁c ass ette ▁players ▁sky ro cket ed ▁during ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁although ▁most ▁units ▁ended ▁up ▁sold ▁for ▁consumer ▁use . ▁Sh int om ▁was ▁also ▁cred ited ▁for ▁developing ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁ge ared - dri ven ▁V CR ▁dual - id ler ▁wheel ▁system , ▁which ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁need ▁of ▁a ▁rub ber ▁t ire ▁found ▁in ▁earlier ▁V HS ▁machines . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Sh int om ▁began ▁to ▁market ▁its ▁own ▁brand ▁of ▁V HS ▁players / record ers ▁line up ▁and ▁other ▁electronic ▁devices ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁other ▁makes , ▁along ▁with ▁industry ' s ▁first ▁ 2 - week , ▁ 6 - event ▁timer ▁recording . ▁A ▁new ▁North ▁American ▁head qu arter ▁opened ▁in ▁United ▁States