Videotape consumption in square inches per second
Modern videotape systems use far less tape than the old Quadruplex format.  Quad machines use 750 square feet of tape per hour.  The table below shows how much less tape is used by each of the other popular formats.  For example, Quadruplex machines use 90 times as much tape (in square inches per second) as DVCPRO.

Format	Speed, ips	Width	Square inches per second	Ratio
Quad	15	2 in.	30	1
Type C, Type A	9.6	1 in.	9.6	3.125
U-matic	3.75	¾ in.	2.8125	10.67
EIAJ	7.5	½ in.	3.75	8
D1	11.28	19 mm	8.46	3.546
D2	5.19	19 mm	3.89	7.712
D5	6.584	19 mm	3.292	9.113
Betamax	1.57	½ in.	0.79	37.97
Betacam, Beta SP	4.67	½ in.	2.34	12.82
Digital Betacam	3.8	½ in.	1.9	15.79
Beta SX	2.345	½ in.	1.173	17.34
VHS (SP)	1.312	½ in.	0.656	45.73
VHS (LP)	0.656	½ in.	0.328	91.46
VHS (EP)	0.4375	½ in.	0.219	137
S-VHS, D-VHS	1.3125	½ in.	0.656	45.73
Hi-8	0.57	8 mm	0.18	166.7
Digital 8	1.14	8 mm	0.359	83.6
M-II	2.67	½ in.	1.335	22.47
HDCAM	3.808	½ in.	0.1904	157.6
DV / DVC	0.7414	¼ in.	0.1854	161.8
DVCPRO	1.333	¼ in.	0.333	90
DVCPRO-50	2.66	¼ in.	0.667	45
DVCAM	1.112	¼ in.	0.278	107.9

Document location https://akdart.com/vtr/chart2.html Updated January 28, 2006. Copyright ©2006-2025 by Andrew K. Dart All rights reserved.