Understanding the Different Types of VHS Tapes
With many innovative ways to capture memories, recording everything around us is a great go-to for many. In today’s day and age, recording devices are just about everywhere, making them accessible to almost anyone.
But for a time, the only way people could record their precious memories was through the use of VHS tapes. They were helpful for recording just about anything, from movies on your favorite TV channel to your child's fifth birthday party. But what are VHS tapes, and what were they used explicitly for? Here is a lesson in understanding the different types of VHS tapes.
What Is a VHS Tape?
VHS, which stands for Video Home System, is a videocassette recording technology developed and put on the market in 1976. VHS tapes included a magnetic tape that was a half-inch in width and was friendly for any consumer. It was a breath of fresh air for those who didn’t want to wait up for a scheduled program and gave them the ability to watch back their favorite shows anytime they wanted.
There were many types of VHS tapes to choose from that were made for specific purposes and qualities. The design itself was to prevent unspooling while using beginning and end-of-tape sensors to avoid damage to the magnetic tape itself, such as tearing and breaking. It was also incredibly thin yet relatively durable in comparison to other standard magnetic tape manufacturers.
What Are VHS Tapes Used For?
VHS tapes were commonly used by average home consumers but also were incorporated into professional production. Some studios prefer VHS tapes such as Betamax because some engineers initially believed it was higher quality than standard VHS. Additionally, Betamax offered a more direct path through the recording and playback features, being quicker and more convenient.
However, Betamax didn’t offer the best wear protection compared to standard VHS tapes. VHS cassettes came in many different varieties and lasted significantly longer than Betamax tapes. They also had a higher capacity for recording, too. So, by using VCR technology and VHS tapes, home consumers could easily record their favorite shows straight from their television without breaking the bank.
Types of VHS Tapes
Movies and videos come in all varying kinds of media. Therefore, it's important to understand the different types of VHS tapes, especially if you want to start a collection of your own.
Standard VHS
VHS cassettes were the most commonly used tapes for video recording. The size of a standard cassette was about 18.7 cm by 10.2 cm—or 7.4 inches by 4.0 inches. When purchasing a blank VHS tape, the lengths of tape were well-defined and were labeled with a letter “T” followed by a recording time number.
Depending on where you live, the letter presented is different; “T” for NTSC or “E” for PAL or SECAM. They represented the country originally manufactured and were standards for country-only compatibility. So, conversion was required to have the ability to view a non-originated tape. There was an additional variation of the VHS called the VHS-C, which was a compact version. It was created in 1982 and was made for portability while gaining popularity for VHS camcorders. You would need an additional adapter cassette to be played on a regular VCR. Their average recording time was roughly 60 minutes.
Hi-8/8mm
Before talking about 8mm or Hi-8 cassettes specifically, it’s good to talk about the Video 8 format. Video 8 cassettes were the first line of 8mm video formats and increased the resolution of the recording itself. It was developed in 1984 as a rival to the VHS-C format and even competed against S-VHS.
Both Video and Hi-8 are analog video formats, which means each frame of luminance and chrominance alongside the picture itself. Hi-8 tapes themselves were manufactured to store more information per video frame and recorded up to 120 minutes in SP mode and 240 in LP mode.
S-VHS
While VHS had lesser quality, the S-VHS format was considered an improvement. It was made with professional-grade equipment and aimed at the industrial and educational markets. The tape itself provided an improved horizontal resolution, offering better color and tape quality.
Despite their physical similarities, VHS and S-VHS have a few differences to tell them apart. The "S" stood for "Super" and contained a high-density oxide-tape formulation while enabling the tape to accommodate high-frequency signals. As VHS had 240 lines of horizontal resolution, S-VHS offered 400 lines of horizontal resolution.
Betamax
A tape worth mentioning is the Betamax, a consumer-level analog-recording and cassette format. It was created in 1979 and was used to record television shows. However, the use of at-home recording was a threat against the entertainment industry for infringing on their copyright. At the end, after many court battles, the jury allowed for at home recording.
The recording process was simple; the machine grabbed the tape, dragged it forward, as a silver drum begins to spin rapidly. The drum consisted of two electromagnetic heads arranged on opposite sides of the drum, reading the magnetic information on the tape. From there, it used only the tape for compact recording.
Their Lifespan
While VHS cassettes are still present in society, they aren't as popular as in their peak period. The reason behind their decline in popularity varies, such as the introduction of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. After these significant releases, major movie studios stopped releasing movies on VHS tapes.
Additionally, with the lack of VHS tapes, VCR technology has also faded into the background. Home consumers now record their entertainment by DVRs, which incorporate a hard disk drive to record the programs they want. It's a more versatile and convenient way of saving their favorite entertainment shows and news, not to mention the improvement in television quality.
VHS Collections
With the change in technology, VHS tapes have fallen off the market. However, there is a niche market of VHS collectors. The reason these collectors exist is due to both nostalgia and the value of the tapes. With vintage collections, there are rare and often limited-edition VHS tapes that are hard to come across. So, these collectors find the vintage VHS tapes and perverse them. The rare tapes can often run for a large value, due to their production and the media that is preserved on the tape.
So, if you have a collection of tapes you wish to convert, visit us at DiJiFi. We offer videotape conversion services and many other kinds of media conversion solutions for your needs. We specialize in converting old films and tapes and into a disc or drive. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us today.
