U-matic

Sony introduced U-matic as the first video cassette format in history, and before that every video tape format used open reel to reel designs. The width of the tape in U-matic cassettes is ¾” wide and the format is often referred to as simply ¾. The U-matic format was designed for home use, but due to the high cost it was adopted heavily in the television broadcast industry in the mid-1970s. The large size of these cassettes makes them easy to identify, but one distinctive feature is that rewound tapes store the tape on the right spool instead of the more common left spool.

Share your thoughts