How to Identify Your Old Video Tapes
VHS
VHS (Video Home System)
Large cassette tape
Most common home video format
Used in VCRs and full-size camcorders
Popular from the early 1980s through the mid-2000s
VHS-C
VHS-C (Compact VHS)
Smaller version of VHS
Used in compact camcorders
Can be played in a VHS VCR using an adapter
Popular from the late 1980s through early 2000s
Video 8
Video8 (8mm Tape)
Small cassette tape
Used in camcorders in the late 1980s and early 1990s
Analog video format
Hi8 / Digital8
Hi8 and Digital 8 used very specific designations on the Tape itself to determine what recording or playback device could use it.
Hi8 Tape
Same size as Video8
Higher quality version of 8mm
Popular in the 1990s
Digital8 Tape
Same size as Hi8 and Video8
Records digital video instead of analog
Popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s
MiniDV
MiniDV Tape
Small rectangular cassette
Digital video format
Very common in camcorders from the late 1990s through the 2000s
MicroMV
MicroMV Tape
Very small cassette
Sony camcorders only
Early 2000s
U-Matic 3/4”
U-matic Tape (3/4 inch)
Large professional video cassette
Used by schools, TV stations, and businesses
Popular from the 1970s through the 1990s
Betamax
Betamax
Medium-sized cassette tape (smaller than VHS)
Developed by Sony
Competing format with VHS in the late 1970s and 1980s
Less common than VHS but still found in some homes
Not Sure What You Have?
If you're not sure what type of tape you have, bring your tapes to SnapCache in Mason City and we can identify them for you and explain your options for converting them to digital.
