BetaCam SP, DigiBeta and HDCAM are all still used, and while the original BetaCam cassette (which was used long after Betamax lost the format war) was technically compatible with Betamax tapes, it was discouraged because the BetaCam tapes were higher specced to be able to run faster (the signal was quite different, and much higher quality than Betamax).
We sent them what they told us they used, too, as we had equipment to dub with DVDs also. We still dubbed some giant ...I think they were called three quarter (3/4") tapes also, which are older than Beta, I believe.
"Q: Is there a particular sound or timbre on the album that you are happiest with, and how did you make it?
EOIN: If I had to pick something in particular, maybe the texture of the strings in “Semena Mertvykh.” It was performed into a dissected VHS deck with the motor running super slowly, so you can hear all the pockmarks, the dropouts on the tape. It’s mono, too, which gives it something special. More people should record in mono these days."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/arts/music/tomorrows-harve...
An art installation from floppy boxes called "Resistance to Change".
That right there should have been a red flag. A tape doesn't fit a film.....
Basically it behaved like a audio cassette.
IIRC, later players could even play both ways. But by that time the VHS was firmly entrenched.
Much like these guys do with floppy disks: http://floppydisk.com/
I remember watching the 'Beta' section at Blockbuster shrink until they finally sold off all of their Beta tapes for $5/pop (which was a steal back then). After a while, the thing was really only good for recording TV shows, as movies were simply unavailable for it.
When we finally "upgraded" to VHS some years later, the drop in picture quality was noticeable.
