By examining relationships between a host of national policy, domestic economic, media system, and media infrastructure factors, a study assesses possible predictors for videotape cassette recorder (VCR) penetration across 63 countries. Overall statistical results generated through hypothesis testing indicated that these factors were relatively important predictors of VCR penetration in industrialized and less industrialized countries. Specifically, findings indicated that (1) the level of gross national product (GNP) per capita provides the economic basis for VCR diffusion; (2) national TV systems with greater structural and programing freedom, but without a multichannel environment, may encourage more rapid VCR penetration; (3) the number of TV sets available to a population correlates positively with the level of VCR diffusion; (4) although newspaper circulation and telephone penetration are significantly related to VCR penetration, these correlations are largely a function of GNP per capita; and (5) radio use and movie attendance are relatively independent from the acquisition of VCRs because VCR use relies more heavily on TV penetration and its related variables. Results suggested that VCRs may penetrate TV households across nations more rapidly than any other electronic medium in the history of telecommunications. (Appendixes list the low, medium, and high income countries included in the study and provide extensive statistical data.) (JD)