magnetic tape
Reel-to-reel medium
Magnetic tape is a thin plastic ribbon coated with magnetic particles, used to store audio, video, or digital data.
Information is recorded by magnetizing the coating in patterns that can be read back by a tape head.
Once dominant for music (cassettes), video (VHS), and computer backup, tape has been largely displaced by digital formats, though it remains in use for archival storage where capacity and cost matter more than speed.
Magnetic audio cartridge
- reel-to-reelTape threading between spools
- cartridgeSealed container for supplies
- spoolCylinder for winding material
- recordingCaptured audio or video
analog · digital · audio · video · data · backup · archive · track
Analog tape format
- VCRTape-based video recorder
- camcorderPortable video recording device
- 8-trackMagnetic audio format, 1960s-80s
- DATDigital audio cassette
DCC · miniDV · Betamax · compact cassette · microcassette · NTSC · PAL · tracking
No longer in use
- vintageQuality from past eras
- retroEvoking recent past
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- rewindReturn to beginning
fast-forward · mixtape · bootleg · deterioration · preservation · digitization · transfer · restoration
cassette
Magnetic audio cartridge
- reel-to-reelTape threading between spools
- cartridgeSealed container for supplies
- spoolCylinder for winding material
recording · analog · digital · audio · video · data · backup · archive · track · read-write
VHS
Analog tape format
- VCRTape-based video recorder
- camcorderPortable video recording device
- 8-trackMagnetic audio format, 1960s-80s
DAT · DCC · miniDV · Betamax · compact cassette · microcassette · NTSC · PAL · tracking · home movies
obsolete
No longer in use
rewind · fast-forward · mixtape · bootleg · deterioration · preservation · digitization · transfer · restoration · archive
- tape musicsplicing, electroacoustic, looping, editing
- vintage computingFORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, ENIAC, UNIVAC
- audiosound, headphones, audio track, volume control, sound recording
- audio equipmentspeakers, microphone, headphones, amplifier, amplifiers
- analog technologyanalog clocks, analog clock, analog computers, film cameras, analog meter
- audio mediavinyl, LP, CD, cassette, 8-track
magnetic tapeoptical disc
Laser-read data storage circle
compact disc · DVD · hard disk · floppy disk · solid-state drive
magnetic tapecloud storage
Online data preservation service
streaming · flash memory · SSD · solid-state drive · digital download
tape, magnet, magnetic, taper, taped, tapes, magnetism, taping, tapestry