Video Tape Formats

Information on the most common video tape formats

Tapes we can remaster in HD/UHD

We can digitally remaster all of there’s tapes from PAL/NTSC or SECAM

Betamax Tape

BETAMAX AND SUPERBETA TAPES

1975 saw the release of Sony’s Betamax tape, followed in 1985 by the superior SuperBeta.
Tape lengths: L-125 32 min, L-250 43 min, L-500 130 min, L-750 195 min

VHS Tape

VHS AND SUPER VHS (SVHS) TAPES

In 1976 JVC gave us The Video Home System (VHS), followed by higher-quality S-VHS in 1987.
Tape lengths: upto 4 Hours SP / 8 Hours LP

Video 2000 Tape

VIDEO 2000 (V2000)

1979 saw the less popular Philips Video 2000 tapes which could be recorded on both sides (like an audio cassette)
Tape lengths: upto 4 Hours per side

VHS-C AND SVHS-C TAPES

VHS-C is the compact VHS videocassette format introduced in 1982. The format is based on the same video tape as is used in VHS, and can be played back in a VHS player with an adapter.
Tape lengths: 30 or 45 minutes SP

Hi8 Tape

VIDEO 8/Hi8 AND DIGITAL8 TAPES

Video8 (8mm video format) was launched in 1985. This was followed by Hi8, a version with improved picture resolution. Digital8 was introduced in 1999.
Tape lengths: upto 135 minutes in SP

MiniDV Tape

MINIDV AND HDV

DV is a format for storing digital video. It was launched in 1995. HDV launched in 2003 is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape.
Tape lengths: upto 60 minutes in SP

MicroMV Tape

MICRO MV

MicroMV is a proprietary videotape format introduced in October 2001 by Sony. This video cassette is physically smaller than a MiniDV. In fact, MicroMV is the smallest videotape format.
Tape lengths: upto 60 minutes

U-Matic Tape

U-MATIC TAPE

1971 saw the release of Sony’s U-Matic tape, U-Matic saw success from the television broadcast industry in the mid-1970s.
Tape lengths: U-Matic (Lo-Band) 74 mins, U-Matic (Hi-Band) 60 mins

Betacam Tape

BETACAM AND BETACAM SP TAPE

The original Betacam format was launched on August 7, 1982 by Sony. In 1986, Betacam SP was released and became the industry standard for most TV stations.
Tape lengths: up to 194 minutes

Digital Betacam Tape

DIGITAL BETACAM TAPE

Digital Betacam, AKA Digibeta or D-Beta, was introduced by Sony in 1993 as a replacement for the analog Betacam SP format.
Tape lengths: up to 124 minutes

Betacam SX Tape

BETACAM SX AND MPEG IMX TAPE

Betacam SX was introduced in 1996. MPEG IMX is a 2001 development of the Digital Betacam format.
Tape lengths: Betacam SX up to 194 minutes, MPEG IMX up to 220 minutes

HDCAM Tape

HDCAM TAPE

Introduced in 1997, is a high-definition video digital videocassette.
Tape lengths: up to 124 minutes

DVCam Tape

DVCAM AND DVCPRO TAPE

DVCPRO is Panasonic pro version of DV introduced in 1995. DVCAM is Sony version of DV introduced in 1996
Tape lengths: DVCPRO up to 128 minutes, DVCAM up to 185 minutes

Order Form
PHOENIX 5K

New for 2023, our Phoenix 5K full frame scanner gives us our most significant camera system update ever, offering next-level image quality in a 16-megapixels frame scan. Our scanner takes individual photographs of each cell of your film from 8mm all the way up to 35mm film. You can have your film scanned in 2K, High Definition, or 4K Ultra High Definition. AI technology is then used to remove dust, remove harsh noise while recovering real detail, restore colours and create an artefact-free perfect 24fps movie.

Alive Cloud
ALIVE CLOUD

Alive Studios AI Movie hosting is free for 14 days.
 Log in via your computer, or download the free APP to your phone or tablet so you can take your memories with you wherever you go. Automatic AI indexing of your videos, Search for words, car, dog, person and more.

Log in online to make changes to the titles of your movies, create multiple user logins for all your friends and family so they can share the experience too. from £24/year

Terms and conditions.

General
Alive Studios is a trading name of The Good Life Studios Ltd.

Leader tape
We edit out as much unused film as possible including the leadertape at the start of each reel. Whilst we cannot remove everything without charging for a full edit, we do endeavour to remove as much unused film as possible.

How long does it take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a single video/reel to a room-full, so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have seveal weeks of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need :)

Damage, Loss, Post & Insurance
Orders are accepted on the basis that the liability of Alive Studios for any lost or damaged material shall be limited to the replacement with an equivalent amount of new blank stock. This is due to the unavailability of General Insurance cover for work of undefined value. When returning material to you we will use the post office services or a courier for larger items. We respectfully remind customers to retain a safety copy or take out Specialist Insurance Cover where appropriate.

Film Format
Our DVDs are region-free and play in PAL. DVD’s are normally DVD-R, but we may use DVD+R or Dual-layer discs where required.

Framing and TV Cropping
In standard definition, some film types do not fit modern TV formats, so we may re-size to fit for the best viewing pleasure. You should also note that some TV set apply their own cropping to a picture as well. By agreeing to these terms, you accept this information.

Damaged Film
Whilst we don’t generally charge extra for poor/damaged/dirty film, we reserve the right to do so if we feel it is required, but will always agree it with you before starting work.
Where splices break, we repair them without charge. If a film is temperamental and doesn’t want to go through we will always try it in several machines to make sure it’s had it’s best shot at a transfer. Where sprocket holes are punctured or torn, we will still transfer the film, often with no visible problems. However, some sprocket damage prevents a steady image from being obtained, in which case we transfer the whole film, then edit out any sections which ‘jump’ or drag because of the damage. This way we keep as much film as possible, and with careful editing you don’t even notice any is missing.
information.

Dust and Hairs
We employ a very good dry-cleaning system which catches most of the dust and hairs commonly found on cine film. It is inevitable however that there will still be dust and hairs present, as it’s impossible to remove them completely with a dry-clean system. It is also common for the dust/hairs to be imbedded into the emulsion making them impossible to ‘blow’ away, so you should expect a small amount to be visible in any transfer. The demos on our website give you a very realistic example of what you can expect.

Content of film
By signing our terms you are stating that you own or have permission to copy the material provided, and indemnify Alive Studios against any action including copyright infringement. If we feel the material to be of an indecent or illegal nature we reserve the right to refuse to continue and no refund will be offered.

Mistakes/Backups
We aim to keep your film footage on our editing suite for 30 days after completion to allow us to correct mistakes, after which time all footage is deleted. You must report any problem with your order within 14 days of receipt. We will retain a backup file of your DVD/Blu-ray for 60 days after completion to allow you to order extra copies. After 60 days, you would need to return your original disc if you wanted us to duplicate it for you. Due to the instability of data storage devices, this backup service is not guaranteed, and whilst every effort is made to retain your files for these periods, we cannot be held responsible for hard-drive failure resulting in us not being able to access your job. For very important projects, we suggest you order a digital copy on a hard-drive for your own security.

Delivery/Collections
We return orders via signed delivery with royal mail, or courier. This courier demands that items delivered damaged are reported within 24 hours of receipt, so it’s essential that you contact us immediately if your parcel is damaged.

Cancellation Policy
You can cancel your order by email any time up until we begin physical work on your job.
If no work has been started, we will refund you in full (less any costs we have incurred in taking your order shown below).

Cancellation fees
If we arranged a free courier collection, you will need to pay for this at £8.50.
If we processed a card payment, we will have incurred a handling fee which will be deducted from your refund. If we have to return your material to you, we will deduct £8.50 for the courier fee.
We will deduct £2.50 admin fee in handling the paperwork involved with a cancellation.

Refunds
Orders paid for by card will be refunded to the card.
Orders paid by cheque or bank transfer will be refunded by bank transfer.

Faults/Returns
You must notify us of any damage to your parcel or missing items within 24 hours of receipt.
You must notify us of any errors or faults with your transfer within 14 days of receipt.

Order Cancellation
In the unlikely event that you cancel your order, we reserve the right to charge a fee to cover admin/postage/bank fees we may incur.
Credit card payments are refunded subject to 1.197% charge.

Misc
We reserve the right to demonstrate our abilities by showing examples of work undertaken for our clients on our website, brochure, DVD and other advertising or promotional activities.