so you just bought a Betamax...
The Beta format is similar to many other domestic
videocassette formats. Basic operation of a Beta VCR is
very similar to a VHS or other format VCR.
Tapes are single-sided and are recorded and played from
the left spool (usually visible on most tapes) to the
right spool (usually hidden).
On the bottom of the tape towards the left hand side is
the record-protect tab. The VCR will check if this tab
is present before it will allow you to record. On a
commercially released tape or a blank tape that has been
protected it will be broken off. If you want to record
over a tape that has had its tab removed, simply stick a
section of tape over the hole, avoiding the hunged
cassette lid.
In the upper right corner of the botton of the cassette
is the release for the cassette lid. Pressing the small
lever inside the slot will release the lid and allow it
to be opened. Opening the cassette lid also releases the
two ratchets that hold the reels in place, unlike on
VHS. The tape inside runs over a guide protruding from
the top of the cassette.
In NTSC regions like North America and Japan, Beta could
be recorded at three different speeds. The original
speed, referred to as Beta I (or, on old equipment, X1),
was only available to consumers on very early decks and
is seldom seen on home recordings, but continued to be
used on industrial Betamax recorders. If you have known
Beta I recordings that you need to play back, almost any
80s Sony Beta VCR will play Beta I (but will not record
in regular Beta I). Beta VCRs from Toshiba or Sanyo
generally can not play back Beta I. The vast majority of
Beta tapes you will find will be recorded in Beta II or
Beta III, which any Beta VCR from the 80s (bar a few
strange ones) will be able to play (and record).
In PAL territories, Beta generally only ever ran at one
speed which was similar to NTSC Beta II. A tape recorded
in PAL will not play on an NTSC machine or vise-versa,
however, some multi-standard machines do exist. Some
multi-format machines like the SL-T9 which could record
in PAL and SECAM and also play back NTSC in NTSC 4.43
did offer a longer recording mode.
Like VHS, Beta also offered HiFi (
High
Fidelity)
sound on many VCRs. HiFi sound is recorded by the
spining head drum like the video signal, unlike the
linear audio track which is recorded and played like a
standard audio cassette. Playing back HiFi sound
requires a deck equipped with a HiFi processor, however,
a properly recorded HiFi cassette will still have a
backwards-compatible linear track recorded as well. As a
side effect of the recording method of Beta HiFi, Beta
VCRs from the 70s may produce a noisy picture. In
general, using a 70s Betamax for digitizing cassettes is
not recommended - just about any deck from the 80s will
produce a nicer picture. HiFi decks will generally say
front and center that they support HiFi.
A much less common sound recording mode on Beta is
linear stereo. Typically, the linear audio head on Beta
VCRs is monophonic and records only one audio track.
More common on Japanese recorders, some recorders
offered stereo linear recording. The sound quality of
linear stereo was generally subpar and it was not
particularly popular. Higher-end Beta HiFi machines will
sometimes also have stereo linear audio heads and can
play back a linear stereo recording.
Beta also offered a few picture enhancement modes. The
first and most backwards compatible mode is SuperBeta.
SuperBeta recordings can be played back on most 80s
non-Super decks, but some, as well as earlier decks from
the 70s, may produce what look like tape dropouts. Most
SuperBeta decks also support HiFi audio, though not all
do. In Japan this system was called Hi-Band. SuperBeta
decks will generally say right on the front that they
support SuperBeta.
For almost all recordings you will find, a SuperBetaHiFi
deck from Sony will be able to play them back, but a
handful of other recording standard existed for Beta.
Super Hi-Band or SHB recordings increased the bandwidth
available for recording to first 5.6 and later 6MHz but
only at the old Beta I speed. These recordings are not
compatible with the original Beta I, and the recording
speed is called Beta Is to differentiate it. Only a few
machines ever recorded either of these modes, even fewer
the 6MHz variant, all but one were from Sony, and few of
them were exported outside of Japan, however, I have
found a few American Beta Is 5.6MHz off air recordings.
Like the other advanced modes, Beta VCRs will generally
say right on the front if they support these advanced
recording modes. Some ED Beta VCRs (see below) will play
back 5.6MHz SHB recordings.
ED or Extended Definition Beta was Sony's last big Beta
improvement. ED Beta recordings required metal particle
tapes. ED Beta VCRs support S-video output and can play
back almost everything but 6MHz Super Hi-Band
recordings. One "endgame" NTSC Betamax VCR is the top of
the range ED Beta VCR, the EDV-9000.