What is u matics?

U-Matics is a type of videocassette format developed by Sony in the 1970s. It was the first analog recording videocassette format to use a cassette with a half-inch wide tape within a closed system, which allowed for higher quality recording and playback. U-Matic tapes were popular in the broadcast industry for recording and editing television programs and commercials.

U-Matic tapes were large and bulky compared to later formats such as VHS and Betamax, but they were widely used in television production due to their high quality recording capabilities. U-Matic tapes were eventually replaced by newer digital formats such as DVCAM and Betacam in the 1990s.

Despite being obsolete, U-Matic tapes are still used by some archival institutions and collectors to playback historical television recordings.