Betacam SP

Betacam SP is an analog videotape format developed by Sony in the mid 1980s as a higher quality replacement for the 3/4” U-matic cassette. It was widely adopted for video production, editorial, and broadcast until the late 1990s, and is still in limited use for those purposes today.

Available in two sizes (30 or 90 minute capacity), Betacam SP consists of a 1/2”-wide magnetic tape spooled across two reels and housed in a cassette shell. This format offers four discreet analog audio channels and a time code track. Only audio channels one and two may be laid back after the initial video dub is complete, however, as channels three and four are FM audio tracks embedded within the video track.

This Sony Betacam SP machine can play or record to both sizes of Betacam SP cassettes.