U-matic

U-matic logo

U-matic logo

U-matic

AssortedENGTapeFormats

Umatic-cassette-(back)

Sony U-Matic SP tape recorder (6498645805)

U-matic is an analog recording videocassette format first introduced by Sony in 1971. It was among the first video formats to contain the videotape inside a cassette, as opposed to the open-reel formats that were common at the time. U-matic was widely used in the television industry, particularly for news gathering and production.

History

The U-matic format was developed by Sony and was initially intended for the consumer market. However, due to its high cost and the advent of more affordable consumer formats like VHS and Betamax, U-matic found its niche in professional and industrial applications. The format was named "U-matic" because of the shape of the tape path, which resembles the letter "U".

Technical Specifications

U-matic tapes are 3/4 inch (19 mm) wide and come in two sizes: standard and small. The standard size tapes can hold up to 60 minutes of video, while the small size tapes can hold up to 20 minutes. The format uses helical scan recording, where the video heads are mounted on a spinning drum that records diagonal tracks on the tape.

Video Quality

The video quality of U-matic tapes is generally considered to be lower than that of later formats like Betacam and Digital Betacam. The format supports a resolution of approximately 250 lines, which is lower than the 400 lines offered by Betacam.

Audio

U-matic tapes can record two audio tracks, which are recorded longitudinally along the edge of the tape. This allows for stereo sound or two separate audio channels.

Variants

Several variants of the U-matic format were developed over the years, including:

• U-matic S: A smaller version of the standard U-matic cassette.
• U-matic SP: An improved version with better video quality and longer recording times.

Usage

U-matic was widely used in the television industry for electronic news gathering (ENG) and electronic field production (EFP). It was also used in educational and corporate video production. The format was eventually phased out in favor of more advanced formats like Betacam and DV.

Legacy

Despite being largely obsolete today, U-matic played a significant role in the development of video technology. It paved the way for future cassette-based formats and set the standard for professional video production in the 1970s and 1980s.

See Also

• Betamax
• Betacam
• VHS
• DV
• Video tape recorder

Related Pages

• Sony
• Helical scan
• Electronic news gathering
• Electronic field production