VHS    
Dimensions:  7 3/8 x 4 1/16 x 1  Tape Width: ½ inch
Description:  VHS videotape was designed to be a consumer format used mostly for playback and recording on home VCRs.  Its main advantage over similar tape formats is its maximum record time.  Because of the popularity of VHS machines in the marketplace, it is has always been the videotape format of choice for distribution.  However, the video and audio quality of VHS tape does not lend itself for professional production or post-production.

Super-VHS (S-VHS)     
Dimensions:  7 3/8 x 4 1/16 x 1 
Tape Width: ½ inch
Description:  Super-VHS is an improvement on video and audio qualities of the VHS format and was designed primarily for the acquisition of video footage by professionals who could not afford expensive production equipment.  Many S-VHS decks will record and playback regular VHS tapes – however, S-VHS tapes will not playback on VHS decks. Note that S-VHS and VHS video cassettes are the same size and have similar appearance.

VHS-C
Dimensions:  3 5/8 x 2 5/16 x 7/8          
Tape Width: ½ inch
Description:  Similar to VHS, VHS-C (C for compact) is housed in a smaller shell than VHS in order to accommodate palm-sized consumer camcorders.  A VHS sized shell-adaptor is required to playback VHS-C videotapes in a standard VCR player; otherwise a VHS-C camcorder is needed to view VHS-C tapes.

8mm, Hi8mm, and Digital 8     
Dimensions:  3 11/16 x 2 7/16 x 9/16     
Tape Width: 8mm
Description:  8mm is a consumer format which was introduced for palm-sized camcorders.  8mm is highly susceptible to video drop-outs and requires an 8mm camera or deck in order to view the videotapes.  The maximum record time for 8mm tapes on standard play is 120 minutes. Hi-8 is an improvement on the 8mm format and was introduced primarily for industrial customers that could not afford expensive, ‘broadcast-quality’ equipment.  Since its introduction, Hi-8 has become an extremely popular as a consumer format.  Digital 8 video is recorded on Hi-8 tapes except that the video information is digitally compressed before being recorded to tape. Note that 8mm, Hi8mm, & Digital 8 video cassettes are the same size and have similar appearance.

Mini-DV           
Dimensions:  2 9/16 x 1 7/8 x 7/16         
Tape Width: 6.35mm
Description: DV is the first ‘high-quality’ videotape format available to the consumer market.  This format digitally compresses each video frame to allow video information to be stored on a very narrow tape. The Mini-DV tape enclosure was designed to work in palm-sized digital camcorders.  Mini-DV is very popular as the consumer
DV format.