A Picture Guide to Old Audio & Video Tapes and Film

Name: Betacam

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Sony, 1986

Common Brands: Sony, 3m, Ampex, Fuji, Maxell

Popular: mid 1980s to 2010

Length: 30 minutes (S) and 90 minutes (L), other lengths from 5 minutes

Description: Consumer film reels were replaced digital record devices in the 1980s; Theater film reels are in process of being phased out with digital cinema packages.

Name: Betacam SX

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Sony, 1996

Common Brands: Sony, Fuji, Maxell

Popular: mid/late 1990s to 2010

Length: 62 minutes (S) and 194 minutes (L)

Description: Digital version of the Betacam SP, popular with newsgathering operations

Name: U-Matic

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Sony, 1971

Common Brands: Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Ampex, 3M, others

Popular: 1970s to 2000s

Length: 20 minutes (Small) and 60 minutes (Large)

Description: Analog tapes were used for professional, educational and broadcast use, and also for professional audio mastering purposes. An early video format housed in a cassette versus open reel. The tape is 3/4 inches (19mm) wide.

Name: U-Matic SP

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Sony, 1986

Common Brands: Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Ampex, 3M, others

Popular: 1970s to 2000s

Length: 20 minutes (Small) and 60 minutes (Large)

Description: The U-matic SP (Superior Performance) was also primarily used for industrial and broadcoast purposes. Same sizes as U-matic 3/4″ wide tape.

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Sony, 1996

Common Brands: Sony

Popular: mid 1990s to 2000s

Length: 12 to 252 mninutes

Description: Digital video launched for professional and broadcast use

Name: DV Cassettes (DVC)

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Panasonic , 1995 & 1997

Common Brands: Panasonic, Fuji, Maxell

Popular: mid 1990s to 2000s

Length: 6 to 126 minutes

Description: Digital video launched for professional and broadcast use, the DVC Pro50 is a higher definition version

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: 1965 (A), 1976 (B&C), Ampex, Bosch, Sony

Common Brands: Ampex, Scotch, Kodak, Sony

Popular: mid 1970s to mid 1990s

Length: Up to 120 minutes

Description: Reel to reel broadcast tapes, Type A from 1960s is rare, most common formats are Types B & C from mid/late 1970s through mid 1990.

Name: Digital Betacam

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Consumer, Professional

Launched: Sony, 1993

Common Brands: Sony, BASF, Fuji, Maxell

Popular: mid 1990s to early 2000s

Length: S tapes up to 40 minutes, L tapes up to 124 minutes

Description: Commonly referred to as DigiBeta, D-Beta, DBC or simply Digi.

Name: D-2

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Professional

Launched: Ampex, 1989

Common Brands: Ampex, Sony, Maxell

Popular: 1989 to early 2000s

Length: 32, 94 or 208 minutes (S, M, L)

Description: 3/4 inch (19mm) tapes, for broadcasting applications including commercials to long form programming

Name: VHS

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1976, Victor (JVC)

Common Brands: JVC, many others

Popular: late 1970s to early 2000s

Length: typically 45 to 120 minutes, extended length versions up to 200+ minutes

Description: Short for Video Home System, was an early standard for consumer analog video recording

Name: S-VHS

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1987, JVC

Common Brands: JVC, many others

Popular: late 1980s to early 2000s

Length: typically 45 to 120 minutes, extended length versions up to 200+ minutes

Description: Standard for Super VHS (Video Home System), extended bandwidth verus regular VHS

Name: VHS-C

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1982, JVC

Common Brands: JVC, Maxell, TDX, Panasonic, Fuji, Kodak, Sony

Popular: mid 1980s to early 2000s

Length: 30 and 60 minutes

Description: Used primarily for analog recording camcorders and played back in standard VHS VCR with an adapter

Name: Betamax

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1975, Sony

Common Brands: Sony, Maxell, Poloroid, Fuji, Kodak, Apex, TDK, BASF

Popular: mid 1970s to late 1980s

Length: Typically 2 hours, but versions up to 5+ hours

Description: Also called Beta, eventually lost the format war to VHS in the US

Name: 8mm (video 8)

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1985. Kodak & Sony

Common Brands: Sony, Maxell, TDK, Fuji, Kodak, RCA

Popular: mid 1980s to early 2000s

Length: 60, 120 minutes

Description: Short for Video 8, original 8mm tape version, same size as Hi-8mm and Digital 8 tapes

Name: Hi8

Format: Analog video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1989, Sony

Common Brands: Sony, Maxell, TDK, Panasonic, Fuji

Popular: late 1980s to early 2000s

Length: 60, 90 minutes

Description: Short for high-band Video8, same size as 8mm (Video 8) and Digital 8 tapes

Name: Digital 8

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1999, Sony

Common Brands: Sony, Panasonic

Popular: late 1990s to early 2000s

Length: 60, 90 minutes

Desription: Called Di8 for short, digital version(and same size) as predecessor analog versions 8mm and Hi8mm

Name: Mini DV

Format: Digital video tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: late 1990s, Sony, Panasonic

Common Brands: Maxell, Panasonic, Canon, Fuji, Sony, JVC

Popular: late 1990s to 2000s

Length: 60, 90 minutes

Description: Smallest magnetic video tape format

Format: Analog tape (plastic, gelatin, silver emulsion)

Audience: Consumer, Professional

Launched: late 1800s

Common Brands: Various

Popular: 1910s to present (professional), to 1990s (consumer)

Length: Typical theater reel up to 11 minutes, sometimes up to 16 minutes

Description: Consumer film reels were replaced digital record devices in the 1980s; Theater film reels are in process of being phased out with digital cinema packages.

Format: Analog magnetic audio tape

Audience: Consumer, Professional

Launched: 1920s

Common Brands: Akai, Tascam, Technics, Quantigy, ATR, Ampex, Scotch, 3M, BASF

Popular: 1930s to 1980s

Length: Various

Description: Open reel recording not permanently mounted in a cassette casing. Professional recordings peaked in 1960s, eventually replaced by cassette casing and other formats. Recent revival.

Name: Digital Audio Tape (DAT)

Format: Digital magnetic audio tape

Audience: Consumer, Professional

Launched: 1987, Sony

Common Brands: Ampex, Maxell, BASF, TDX, Sony, JVC,Panasonic, Quantigy

Popular: Late 1980s to early 2000s

Length: Typically up to 120 or 180 minutes

Description: Never gained widespread consumer use. Data storage versions also released by HP, IBM and others.

Name: MiniDisc

Format: Magneto optical disc (audio)

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1992, Sony

Common Brands: Sony, Fuji, Memorex, BASF, TDK, Sharp

Popular: Early 1990s to mid 2000s

Length: 60, 74 or 80 minutes

Description: Limited pre-record albums released on mini disc, this format was used more for recordings and mix tapes, for walkman and other small players. Eventually replaced by mp3 players and ipdd.

Name: Cassette tape (a.k.a. compact cassette, audio cassette)

Format: Analog magnetic audio tape

Audience: Consumer

Launched: 1963, Phillips

Common Brands: Many, including TDK, Phillips, BASF, Fuji, JVC, Memorex, Scotch

Popular: 1970s to early 1990s, with a retro comeback in the past decade

Length: Typically 30 or 45 minutes per side (60 minutes of 90 minutes total)

Description: Dominant audio form factor in the 1980s, with many player types, including stereo component, stand alone players, boom boxes, car players

Name: Microcassette

Format: Analog magnetic audio tape

Audience: Consumer, Professional

Launched: 1969, Olympus

Common Brands: Olympus, Phillips, Maxell, Sony, TDK, Sanyo

Popular: 1970s to early 2000s

Length: 10 to 90 total minutes, most typical 30 or 45 minutes per side

Description: Most common applications were dictation machines and answering machines, sometimes for computer data storage and to record music.