Magnetic Cassette Formats
VHS
VHS or Video Home System was introduced to the market in 1976 and was a common home video format starting from the mid-80s through to the early 2000s.
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| VHS, Super-VHS (S-VHS) | 18.7 cm | 10.2 cm | 2.5 cm |
VHS-C
Created by the Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in 1982, this cassette format was typically used in consumer-grade camcorders. It uses the same magnetic tape and encoding as the more prevalent VHS, but in a smaller cassette.
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| VHS-C, S-VHS-C | 9.2 cm | 5.8 cm | 2 cm |
MiniDV
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| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiniDV, HDV | 6.5 cm | 4.8 cm | 1.2 cm |
Video8
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| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video8, Hi8, Digital8 | 9.5 cm | 6.2 cm | 1.5 cm |
Hi8
Hi8 is an extension of the Video8 cassette format which is recorded at a higher resolution and with better audio recording. All Hi8 camcorders can play Video8 video, but nearly all Video8 camcorders cannot play Hi8 video.
Digital8
In 1998 Sony made it possible to record the DV (Digital Video) standard to Hi8 cassettes, creating the new Digital8 format.
Note: Tapes recorded in LP mode may not play as well if viewed on a camera other than the one it was recorded on.
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hi8 Digital8 | 9.5 cm | 6.2 cm | 1.5 cm |
MicroMV
Introduced by Sony in 2001, MicroMV is the smallest videocassette created. It was only available on 7 camcorders, all created by Sony, and was discontinued in 2006.
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroMV | ? cm | ? cm | ? cm |
Betacam\Betamax
Beta was a short-lived video and camcorder cassette format created by Sony in 1975.
Variations: Betacam, Betacam SP, Betamax, Digital Betacam, ED Betacam, SuperBeta
Small Cassette
Width: 15.6 cm
Height: 9.6 cm
Depth: 2.5 cm
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betacam, BetaSP (Small) | 15.6 cm | 9.6 cm | 2.5 cm |
| Betacam, BetaSP (Large) | 25.4 cm | 14.5 cm | 2.5 cm |
| Betamax | 15.5 cm | 9.5 cm | 2.4 cm |
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-matic (Small) | 18.4 cm | 12.2 cm | 3.2 cm |
| U-matic (Large) | 22.1 cm | 14 cm | 3.2 cm |
| Form | Width | Height | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVCAM | 12.5 cm | 7.8 cm | 1.5 cm |