Beta SP

Beta SP stands for Beta Superior Performance, referring to the videotape format Betacam that originated in the early 1980s and reached a zenith with the SP iteration in 1986. Beta SP utilizes metal-formulated tape as opposed to Betacam’s oxide tape composition, and has an increased horizontal resolution of 340 lines. The larger cassette size of Beta SP enabled 90 minutes of recording time with this variety, and became the industry standard for high-end production houses and most TV stations until the late 1990s. Despite the age of the format, Beta SP remains a common standard for video post-production even today.