Imagine an audio format with the nostalgia of cassette, but the pristine sound quality and convenience of CD. It existed in the form of DAT -- so why didn't it catch on?

Sources:
7-Pin Bible: http://www.core-sound.com/7-pin-bible...
Japanese DAT catalog pages: http://www.video-koubou-topaz.jp/SONY...
DIY digital cable pinout: http://www.rockpark.com/d7/8_build.txt
Home Taping is Killing Music image: http://i.imgur.com/CezxJ9c.jpg
Popular Mechanics, June 1987
Headline News story on DAT from 1990:    • Headline News on Sony's DAT - June, 1...  
Prerecorded DAT tape image: https://i.imgur.com/mBW7vXd.jpg
Broadcast studio DAT deck image: https://wgls.rowan.edu/_images/tour_p...
U-Matic deck image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
PCM adaptor image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
U-matic cassette image: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/col...

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Music: "FBS", "Grey Skies", "Azurite", "Born in the 90s", "Call Waiting" and "Cafe Mornings" by Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com).
Additional music: "Seaside" by Dan Mason (https://danmason.bandcamp.com).
Intro music by BoxCat Games (http://www.box-cat.com).