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You already know that Betamax and Betacam cassettes are very similar. Beta machines will accept either and even attempt to play them. But that is where the compatibility ends. Insert the wrong cassette and push play and the picture will be either blank or all snow. Pause and scan doesn't help either. Try to record using a Betacam cassette in a Betamax and it will either eject the cassette or it will just refuse to comply. Same happens the other way around. Neither of these video formats will interchange. But how do they know which is which? To inform the machines as to which format tape was inside Sony placed detection holes in the bottom of the various design cassette shells. These holes tell them which type of cassette tape is inside. It is a clever method and it works well at separating and preventing format cross over. But you can defeat this system. I will tell you how but first let me clarify that nothing will allow you to play tapes recorded with opposite format in the wrong machine. What I am about to discuss only allows you to record and play back using the various Beta type cassettes. It will not convert one recording format over to the other or let you play them. Before I explain which tapes can be crossed over you need to be able to identify the various types of cassettes. Looking at the above illustration (illustration 1) notice how each tape is marked. On the lids the arrows are pointing to identifying marks that indicate the kind of format the cassette is intended to be used with. Betamax has the "B" symbol or nothing in this location and ED Beta has the symbol as shown. ED Beta is a special Betamax that can use metal formulated tape to reproduce over 500 lines of picture resolution. Outstanding performance but it also records Super
 Beta, so it is technically still a Betamax. Betacam, BetacamSP and Digital Betamax are indicated as shown. There is also another format named BetacamSX (not shown) and it is identified in the same location. Click on the picture (illustration 2) and look at the detection holes that notify the Beta machines which cassette is inside and can be recorded. In this illustration we see the two cassettes that are made for only for the Betamax format. Notice the record protection hole and tab for the Betamax cassette in the upper left. You might recognize this as the tab you remove to prevent accidentally recording over your tapes. When Sony created the ED Beta format and cassette they left this hole open. This is to from you accidentally recording using an ED Beta cassette in a standard Beta machine. It will see this open protection hole and prevent recording using this cassette, unless you cover this hole with tape before you insert the cassette. Do this and you can use the ED Beta cassettes in a standard Betamax. Is there any benefit to this? The ED Beta tapes are a special metal formula and have almost zero dropouts, but as far as improving picture performance the standard Betamax format is capable of just so many lines of resolution. The benefit from using ED Beta in a SuperBetahi-fi, Betahi-fi or standard Beta is questionable. Before we leave this illustration and go to the next check out the other detection holes in the ED Beta cassette. We are going to see more of these when we look at Betacam. The one in the center tells the ED Beta machines that the ED Beta cassette is inside. A switch extends a rod up into this hole and if it doesn't get pressed down the machine will switch its circuitry to record and play in ED Beta. Notice also that the record protection tab and hole has been moved over the right side. This tab when push inward tells the machine not to record over this ED Beta tape. It serves the same function as the left hole on the Betamax cassette, except it is now in a different location. It seems complicated but it is a good system that works well. Click on the picture and look at illustration 3. Now we see the bottom of the Betacam cassette. This one is for Digital Betacam but all of the Betacam format cassettes are similar. Let's look at this one. Notice the record protection hole on the left. This prevents a standard Betamax format machine from recording using this cassette. Want to use it in a standard Betamax? Cover this hole with tape. The record protection tab and hole for Betacam is on the right. In the center is the format detect holes. Depending on the open holes and their locations the Betacam machines identifies whether the cassette is for Betacam, BetacamSP, Digital Betacam or BetacamSX. As you might have noticed these holes and tabs appear to be located similar to the EDBeta cassette. Well, guess what? BetacamSP, Digital Betacam and BetacanSX cassettes will play just fine in an ED Beta machine. The tape formulation is even compatible. Knowing this allows you to use something besides ED Beta metal cassettes in your ED Beta machine (and they are getting harder to find these days). What about Betacam cassettes? Betacam is fine for using in a standard Betamax but will not work well in an ED Beta machine unless recording in SuperBetahi-fi, Betahi-fi or standard Beta. The reason for this is the metal formulation isn't suited for the super high fidelity image required for Ed Beta recording. Betacam cassettes are fine when being used in a Betacam machine when it travels through at 7 ½ inches per second but not good enough when slowed down to the ED Beta BII speed of .8 inches per second. Betacam tapes are fine, however, when used with standard Betamax, SuperBetahi-fi, Betahi-fi andSuperBeta. Just place tape over the record protection hole on the left and you are in business. Want to try some other combinations? Just keep in mind that you are defeating the detection system and go to town. |