tape reel
Magnetic ribbon spindle
A tape reel is a spool that holds magnetic tape for audio or video recording.
Before digital storage, tape reels were standard in recording studios and broadcast facilities—the iconic spinning reels visible through glass windows on old equipment.
The format survives mainly among audiophiles and archivists: We found boxes of old tape reels in the attic.
- spoolCylinder for winding material
- magneticAttracting iron or attention
- filmMovie or coating
- recordingCaptured audio or video
- woundCoiled, or an injury
playback · audio · sound quality · projector · spinning · bobbin · splice · film editing · track · vintage · old school · analog · threading · deck · recording studio · master · studio · oxide
- reelsnewsreel
- storage mediablank CD, CD, DVD, floppy disk, Blu-ray
- retro computingApple II, ENIAC, IBM PC, Commodore, Atari
- tape recordingcassette recorder, cassette player, cassette deck, rewind, fast forward
- VHSVHS, videotape, VCR, rewind, fast forward
- winding deviceswinch, windlass, capstan, spool, bobbin
tape reelstreaming
Real-time digital delivery
digital download · streaming media · streaming audio · MP3 · cloud storage
tape reelcassette
Magnetic audio cartridge
cassette tape · cartridge · 8-track · VHS tape · compact cassette