Video Formats

Section Headings

This section summarises the domestic video tape formats that exist now and some of the more major historial formats (now obsolete).

Format	Scan Lines	Speed	Max Playing	Tape
Format	/Colour	Speed	Time/Tape	Width	Composition
VHS	525/NTSC	SP	160 mins/T-160	½" (12.5mm)	Ferric Oxide
		LP	320 mins/T-160
		EP	480 mins/T-160
	625/PAL	SP	300 mins/E-300
	625/PAL	LP	600 mins/E-300
	625/SECAM	SP	300 mins/E-300
	625/SECAM	LP	600 mins/E-300
SuperVHS	525/NTSC	SP	160 mins/ST-160	½" (12.5mm)	Ferric Oxide
	525/NTSC	EP	480 mins/ST-160
	625/PAL	SP	240 mins/SE-240
	625/PAL	LP	480 mins/SE-240
Beta	525/NTSC	Beta I	100 mins/L-830	½" (12.5mm)	Ferro-Chrome
		Beta II	200 mins/L-830
		Beta III	300 mins/L-830
	625/PAL	N/A	215 mins/L-830
	625/SECAM	N/A	215 mins/L-830
SuperBeta	525/NTSC	Beta I	100 mins/L-830	½" (12.5mm)	Ferro-Chrome
		Beta II	200 mins/L-830
		Beta III	300 mins/L-830
	625/PAL	N/A	215 mins/L-830
ED-Beta	525/NTSC	Beta II	120 mins/EL-500	½" (12.5mm)	Metal Particle
ED-Beta	525/NTSC	Beta III	180 mins/EL-500	½" (12.5mm)	Metal Particle
Video 8	525/NTSC	SP	120 mins/P6-120	8mm	Metal Particle
	525/NTSC	LP	240 mins/P6-120
	625/PAL	SP	90 mins/P5-90
	625/PAL	LP	180 mins/P5-90
	625/SECAM	SP	90 mins/P5-90
	625/SECAM	LP	180 mins/P5-90
Hi-8	525/NTSC	SP	120 mins/P6-120ME	8mm	Metal Evaporated
	525/NTSC	LP	240 mins/P6-120ME
	625/PAL	SP	90 mins/P5-90ME
	625/PAL	LP	180 mins/P5-90ME
Video 2000	625/PAL	N/A	480 mins/VCC-480	½" (12.5mm)	Ferric Oxide
LaserDisc	525/NTSC	CAV	30 mins per side	12" (30cm) Diameter	PMMA substrate Aluminium
	525/NTSC	CLV	60 mins per side
	625/PAL	CAV	37 mins per side
	625/PAL	CLV	72 mins per side
LaserVision	625/PAL	CAV	37 mins per side	12" (30cm) Diameter	PMMA substrate Aluminium
LaserVision	625/PAL	CLV	68 mins per side	12" (30cm) Diameter	PMMA substrate Aluminium

Notes:

SECAM SuperVHS, Hi-8 and LaserDisc are all recorded on tape/disc as PAL signals and are converted to SECAM on playback by those machines sold in SECAM markets.
LaserVision (analogue sound) and LaserDisc (digital sound) are different formats in PAL because it was not possible to retain the analogue soundtrack when the digital audio signal was added. Since LaserVision is now considered obsolete, not all PAL or Dual standard LaserDisc players still support the replay of PAL analogue sound LaserVision discs.
Video 2000 had a Long Play variant that allowed 8 hours per side of a VCC-480 tape.

Format	Scan Lines	Tape Size	Max Playing	Tape
Format	/Colour	Tape Size	Time/Tape	Width	Composition
U-Matic	525/NTSC	Large	60 minutes (KCA60)	¾" (18.75mm)	Ferric Oxide
	525/NTSC	Small	20 minutes (KCS20)
	625/PAL	Large	60 minutes (KCA60)
	625/PAL	Small	20 minutes (KCS20)
U-Matic SP	525/NTSC	Large	60 minutes (KSP60)	¾" (18.75mm)	Metal Particle
	525/NTSC	Small	20 minutes (KSP20)
	625/PAL	Large	60 minutes (KSP60)
	625/PAL	Small	20 minutes (KSP20)
Betacam SP	525/NTSC	Large	90 minutes (BCT90)	½" (12.5mm)	Metal Particle
	525/NTSC	Small	30 minutes (BCT30)
	625/PAL	Large	90 minutes (BCT90)
	625/PAL	Small	30 minutes (BCT30)
1" C-Format	525/NTSC	10½" reel	94 minutes	1" (25mm)	Ferric Oxide
1" C-Format	625/PAL	10½" reel	94 minutes	1" (25mm)	Ferric Oxide
MII	525/NTSC	???	???	½" (12.5mm)
MII	625/PAL	???	???	½" (12.5mm)

Format	Tape Size	Compressor	Compression Ratio	YUV sampling	Running Time
DVCAM	6mm	DV25	5:1	4:1:1 NTSC 4:2:0 PAL	184 mins
DVCPRO	6mm	DV25	5:1	4:1:1	183 mins
DVCPRO 50	6mm	DV50	3.1:1	4:2:2	90 mins
Digital S	12.5mm	DV50	3.1:1	4:2:2	124 mins
Digital Betacam	12.5mm	Sony	3:1	4:2:2	94 mins

Bevis King <B.King@ee.surrey.ac.uk>

26th May 1999