When it comes to the media we create or consume, the formats we utilize to do so are just as important as the content itself. As the decades have passed we’ve seen video technology evolve time and time again to better suit the needs of the current consumer. This does mean that, as time passes, formats that were once thought to be cutting edge have become defunct and thrust into the scrap heap of history. These are some examples of video formats that, for one reason or another, are now obsolete.
10. VHS (Video Home System)
When you think of antiquated video formats, among the first that people immediately think of are VHS tapes. When the format first hit the scene in the 1970s, few could’ve imagined how it would change people’s media consumption and even filmmaking. At one time, the concept of watching a full movie in your own home, let alone a copy you could own, was unthinkable but it was now a concrete reality.
In the 1980s, the home video market exploded, with video stores of all types and sizes springing up all over the place. This only continued into the 1990s, with many films seeing a second wind of revenue from their home video release on VHS. The format also allowed many filmmakers on the independent level to circumvent major studios and self-distribute their work.
However, as is the case for all the formats on this list, the reign of VHS would eventually come to an end. It wasn’t long before Digital Compact Discs, AKA DVDs, and On-Demand streaming replaced VHS tapes as the dominant home media format. Nowadays, VHS is remembered fondly by those nostalgic for a simpler time when all you had to worry about was rewinding your video rental before returning it.
9. Betamax
Whenever something becomes popular, there will usually be something hot on its heels with the intent of dethroning it. Apple has Samsung, Coca-Cola has Pepsi, and for a decent window of time, VHS tapes and Betamax were lunging for each other’s throats.
Launching in 1975 by Sony, Betamax hit the market just a year before VHS did, even boasting superior video and audio quality. By the early 1980s, Betamax had carved out a sizable market share for itself, dominating an impressive percentage of the then-booming videocassette market. However, before too long it became clear that, despite their superior audio-visual quality, there was one area in which VHS soundly defeated Betamax. That was the ability to record more content on a single videotape, making it more desirable for home consumers and amateur filmmakers.
Additionally, while Betamax was solely owned by Sony, VHS had a more open licensing model, meaning that other companies to make their own VHS tapes and players. Compounding matters was the fact that major film studios were shifting their focus to solely distributing their movies on VHS. This all eventually led to Sony shuttering the Betamax format in 1993, officially waving the white flag in their war against VHS.
8. Video8/Hi8
Keeping with Sony for another entry, let’s talk about another one of their defunct video formats, specifically Video8, later known as Hi8. Over the last few decades, the advent of home movies has only developed in terms of their technology and user convenience. However, long before you could record your child’s first day of school or a family reunion on your iPhone, you needed a consumer-grade camcorder.
This is where Video8 enters the picture, billed as a compact and affordable option for the average consumer to capture life events on video. Video8 was promoted for having a convenient size, as well as its impressive video quality, both of which were superior to other formats at the time. The format stuck around for a good while following its introduction in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but eventually began a steady decline. Sadly, Video8, as well as its successor Hi8, just couldn’t keep up with the rise of MiniDV and other digital recording formats.
The switch from analog to digital simply made things easier for video consumers, offering far more convenience and overall quality. Unsurprisingly, by the early 2000s, Sony had discontinued the production of Video8/Hi8 camcorders, making the format officially defunct.
7. LaserDisc
When it comes to disc-based video formats, the first ones people think of are DVDs with many forgetting their original predecessor. That would be LaserDisc, originally released in 1978 and advertised as the next leap forward in home media technology.
The format resembled a DVD but was the size of a vinyl record and required a special LaserDisc player for people to watch them. This larger size allowed for not only immensely superior video and audio quality when compared to VHS but also additional bonus features and director’s commentary tracks. These factors made LaserDisc a favorite of avid collectors and cinephiles of the 1990s who wanted the best possible version of their favorite films. However, while the format had many advantages, its shortcomings were simply too great to ignore, resulting in its downfall.
Unlike VHS tapes, the cumbersome size of the LaserDiscs made them rather awkward to store and easy to damage. Additionally, much like a vinyl record, if you were watching a particularly long movie, you’d need to take the disc out and flip it. All of this, plus the heftier price tag attached to them, resulted in the LaserDisc remaining as a niche product, never able to replace VHS. Nowadays, LaserDiscs are remembered only by hardcore video format collectors and by those entranced by the oddities of past decades.
6. MiniDV
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the video market was dominated by home camcorders that made use of MiniDV tapes. They were the compact tapes that one would load into a camcorder to record footage, making the video equivalent of audio cassette tapes. A favorite of amateur videographers, filmmakers, and journalists, MiniDV was popular due to its image quality and affordability.
The early 2000s was by far the peak of MiniDV, with the format being the go-to choice for independent filmmakers and filming family events. It was also one of the first formats that allowed for easy footage transfer to most home computers, making digital editing a breeze. If you dig through your attic or basement long enough, you’re bound to find a couple of dusty MiniDV tapes lying around.
However, technological progression eventually came for MiniDV, with their major death blow being camera capabilities being built into modern phones. With the like of the iPhone hitting the scene, spending additional money on tapes to film a family event was no longer necessary. Additionally, more modern cameras were pivoting over to using SD cards which could store far more footage than MiniDV. By the mid-2000s, the format’s popularity had declined immensely with the format going fully obsolete by the 2010s.
5. VCD (Video CD)
It should be clear by now that the 1990s was a pivotal time for the home video market, especially with digital formats quickly replacing analog ones. Various companies were racing to develop the format that would eventually unseat VHS tapes as the dominant format, resulting in some fascinating developments. We already mentioned the rise and fall of LaserDiscs, but around the same time, there was another disc-based format looking to break through known as VCD.
Video CD AKA VCD debuted in the early 1990s and could hold up to 74 minutes of video and audio. The format attained solid success in Asia mostly due to its affordability and compatibility with most CD players. The VCD format also proved to be a perfect way to distribute the music videos of various solo and group performers.
Sadly, when DVDs made their debut, the days of the VCD quickly became numbers for a litany of reasons. Whereas VCDs could only fit 74 minutes of content, DVDs could hold far more content, as well as boasting vastly superior audio-visual quality. While the format stuck around for a while, particularly in Asia, the advent of DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and online streaming proved to be the final nail in the coffin of VCDs.
4. D-VHS (Digital VHS)
A big trend on this list has been formats that failed in the pursuit of defeating and dethroning VHS tapes as the dominant video format. Another example of one of these failed formats was Digital VHS AKA D-VHS, which was built to capitalize on the growing HDTV market. The product was predicated on its ability to record HDTV broadcasts, as well as showcase movies, in their desired high quality. Unfortunately, this trait proved insufficient as soon as DVDs, and later Blu-rays, hit the scene and revolutionized the home video market.
Despite the best efforts of those behind it, D-VHS wasn’t able to keep up with the trajectory of the business and the ever-evolving tastes of consumers. DVDs simply offered better video and sound quality, as well as the ability to store more content like commentary tracks and special bonus features.
Add to that, the lack of movies available on D-VHS greatly limited the format’s appeal to consumers. There was also the high cost of the D-VHS tapes, as well as the video player itself, which made it difficult for the format to break through. Had DVDs not emerged at the end of the 90s, then the format might’ve had more of a fighting chance for prolonged mainstream success.
3. U-matic
We now turn our attention to professional and broadcast venues to discuss an oft-forgotten video format known as U-Matic. U-Matic tapes were introduced by Sony in the early 1970s and served as the next major step forward in professional video production. Due to its high video quality and portable size, the format quickly became the standard for the television industry. It also helps that the format was extremely user-friendly, as well as compatible with the editing systems of the time which greatly assisted production workflow. U-Matic tapes were also used for dallies on various films, including the first rough cut of Apocalypse Now, with the film’s raw version surviving on U-Matic tapes.
Unfortunately, once Betacam and VHS came around during the mid-1980s, U-matic tapes began their rapid descent into obsoletion. Between Betacam’s superior picture quality, as well as the affordability of VHS, the writing was pretty much on the wall for U-Matic. By the time the 1990s came around, the format had finally fizzled out, no longer the industry standard regarding television production. The U-Matic stands as yet another prime example of a video format that was eventually phased out in favor of a then-superior technology.
2. DVCPRO
Panasonic, best known for its various electronic consumer products, unleashed DVCPRO back in the mid-1990s. The format offered both high-quality video and audio recording in a sturdy tape format, making it a desirable format for those in professional video production.
Following its debut, broadcasters, filmmakers, and many others quickly adopted DVCPRO, making it the industry standard for quite a while. A major advantage of the format was how when recording audio it would prevent audio drifting, meaning the sound and viduals would be perfectly synced. Additionally, its durable quality made it perfect for outdoor filming, especially field production when it came to sports like football.
However, DVCPRO soon had competition in the form of digital recording technologies like P2 and XDCAM, both of which offered very enticing features of their own. They both benefitted from the advent of solid-state media, which is a type of computer storage media that stores data electronically and has no moving parts. This technological leap forward led to both formats boasting faster workflows, and higher capacities, making them perfect for fast-paced video production. By the time the mid-2000s came around, countless broadcasters and video production outlets had pivoted away from tape-based formats like DVCPRO, cementing its obsolete status.
1. 8mm Film
Our dive into the realm of obsolete video formats concludes by going back to the 1930s and the creation of 8mm film. Introduced by Eastman Kodak, the format’s compact size and user-friendly quality made it the definitive choice for small productions and capturing family events on film. From there, 8mm film became the gold standard, even developing new and improved versions along the way, like Super 8mm.
Subsequent updates like this offered improved sound quality and enhanced image quality, promising only the best for capturing birthdays, vacations, and everyday moments. Bear in mind, this was long before the average person had a camera phone or even a disposable camera in their pocket. However, as we’ve learned throughout the list, no format can remain on top forever, especially as technology evolves and consumer demands change.
Case in point, when VHS and consumer camcorders came around in the 1980s and 1990s, formats like 8mm were quickly becoming obsolete. It’s not hard to see why, as VHS and other formats simply offered more convenience for users and higher audio-visual quality. When the early 2000s arrived, 8mm was largely defunct, only utilized in niche markets by filmmakers and artists looking to capture an old-school aesthetic.