Tape manufacturers

This list is dedicated to the tape stock companies and their customers.

3M

Customers

• Buena Vista Home Video
  • Walt Disney Home Video
• Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video/Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Fotomat Video
• Magnetic Video Corporation/20th Century Fox Video/CBS/Fox Video
• MCA Videocassette, Inc./MCA Home Video
• MGM/CBS Home Video/MGM/UA Home Video
• Paramount Home Video
• Thorn EMI Video/Thorn EMI/HBO Video
• Time-Life Video
• VCI Home Video
• WCI Home Video/Warner Home Video
• 3M

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Columbia Pictures Videocassette Services
• Technicolor Video Services
  • AstralTech
  • The CBS/Fox Company

How to tell

• Tapes manufactured prior to the late 1980s would have the text "Load this way - Do not touch tape" either engraved in white, or moulded, on the tape guard.
• On some tapes, especially early ones, the Scotch logo is either engraved in white, or moulded, on the tape guard.
• Mid 1980s-early 1990s tapes may have the Scotch logo engraved above the record tab.
• On Scotch VHS VCR Head Cleaner tapes, the title of the product is written in white on the tape guard.

Agfa-Gevaert

Customers

• MGM/UA Home Video
• United Home Video

How to tell

• The Agfa logo can be found above the record tab.

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Ampex

Customers

• Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
• Fotomat Video
• Magnetic Video Corporation
• MCA Videocassette Inc.
• MGM/CBS Home Video
• Paramount Home Video
• Time-Life Video
• WCI Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
• Technicolor Video Services

BASF

Customers

• Lionsgate Home Entertainment
  • Artisan Entertainment (1987-2004)
    • Vestron Video (1987-1992)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-2007)
  • Video Treasures (1986-1998)
    • Burbank Video (1987-1995)
      • Jenal Entertainment (1987-1991)
      • Troy Gold (1987-1989)
    • MNTex Entertainment (1987-1998)
    • Strand Home Video (1989-1994)
  • Starmaker Entertainment
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (1987-2007)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1994-2007)
• Sterling Entertainment Group
  • UAV Corporation (1985-1998)
  • VidAmerica, Inc. (1987-1992)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1994-2007)
• Warner Home Video (1987-2007)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1987-2007)
  • Orion Home Video

Known duplicators

• Allied Digital
• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Video Technology Services
• Mirror Image Duplication Services
• Premiere Video
• Technicolor Video Services

How to tell

• Tapes manufactured after 2001 have "TTGNIC" moulded on the back of the cassette, usually next to the supply reel.
• Tapes manufactured prior to 1990 would have the safety notice on the tape guard engraved in white, while tapes manufactured after would have it moulded in a cheesier font.
• Tapes are duplicated using thermal magnetic duplication, which requires chromium dioxide tape (a BASF exclusive). Many are branded under license as 3M, Agfa-Gevaert, Memorex, PDM Magnetics, Sony, and TDK, among others.

Fujifilm

Customers

• Astral Video [Canadian]
• Family Home Entertainment
• Magnetic Video Corporation
• Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video [Canadian]
• Media Home Entertainment
• Paragon Video Productions
• Thorn EMI Video
• Time-Life Video
• Buena Vista Home Video [Canadian]
  • Touchstone Home Video
  • Walt Disney Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Columbia Pictures Videocassette Services
  • Video Technology Services
• Media Home Entertainment
• Technicolor Video Services
  • AstralTech
  • The CBS/Fox Company

How to tell

• Tapes manufactured prior to 1990 may have the Fuji name on the tape guard.
• During the 1990s, some tapes had dark ink code information, including the day-year code.
  • For example, if the code reads "8 200 91 1311", then that means that the side of the tape is labeled 8 and that the tape was manufactured on the 200th day of 1991, or July 19, 1991, at 01:11 PM.

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JVC

Customers

• Allied Artists Video
• Magnetic Video Corporation
• Media Home Entertainment

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
• Media Home Entertainment
• Technicolor Video Services
  • The CBS/Fox Company

How to tell

• Very early tapes would have the text, "DON'T TOUCH TAPE INSIDE - KEEP CLOSED", written on the top of the tape guard.

Kodak

Customers

• Congress Video
• Paramount Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment

Konica

Customers

• Active Home Video
• Roadshow Home Video [Australian]
• Video Gems

Known duplicators

• Roadshow Home Video [Australian]
• Video Gems

Maxell

Customers

• 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment
  • CBS/Fox Video
    • 20th Century-Fox Video
• Fotomat Video
• MGM/UA Home Video
• Paramount Home Video
• Columbia/TriStar Home Video
  • RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
• PBS Video
• Thorn EMI Video
• Time-Life Video
• VCI Home Video
• Buena Vista Home Video
  • Walt Disney Home Video
  • Touchstone Home Video
• Warner Home Video
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-2007)
  • Video Treasures (1988-1998)
    • Burbank Video (1988-1995)
      • Troy Gold (1987-1989)
  • Starmaker Entertainment

Known duplicators

• Allied Digital
• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Republic Pictures Home Video
• Full Perspective Video Services
• Technicolor Video Services
  • The CBS/Fox Company

How to tell

• Tapes manufactured after the early 1990s would have a safety notice written in a Helvetica-like font on the tape guard that says, "Insert this side into recorder" and "Do not touch the tape inside," with an up arrow between the two prompts while tapes manufactured before would have the up arrow below the tape guard instead of into the tape guard, and no safety notice anywhere.

Memorex

Customers

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-1996)
  • Video Treasures (1990-1996)
    • Burbank Video (1988-1995)
      • Troy Gold (1987-1989)
  • Starmaker Entertainment (1990-1996)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1987-1994)
  • Walt Disney Home Video
• Vestron Video
• Warner Home Video
  • HBO Home Video
  • Allied Artists Video
• Sony Music Entertainment (1991-2003)
• ADV Films

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
• Full Perspective Video Services
• MediaCopy, Inc.
• Scenewise, Inc.
• Technicolor Video Services

How to tell

• Many 1979-1998 tapes have one of four distinct shell designs, the most memorable being one with the top and bottom of the front having squares of horizontal bevels going across the surface. Since 1983, many such tapes have a white release button instead of the standard black release button. Some tapes duplicated by RVSA/Deluxe since the '90s alternatively have a green release button.
• Some 1987-1998 tapes have “Made in U.S.A.” or "MADE IN U.S.A." moulded on the back right of the cassette.
• Some 1987-2003 tapes have dark ink code information, including the day-year code.
  • For example, if the code reads "8 322 90 2211", then that means that the side of the tape is labeled 8 and that the tape was manufactured on the 322nd day of 1990, or November 18, 1990, at 10:11 PM.

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  This is an example of what the dark ink code on a Memorex tape looks like. In this picture, the code reads "8 003 89 2130", which means the side of the tape is labeled 8 and the tape was manufactured on the 3rd day of 1989 (January 3, 1989) at 09:30 PM.

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  This is another example of what the dark ink code on a Memorex tape looks like. This time, the code reads "2 332 90 0313", which means the side of the tape is labeled 2 and the tape was manufactured on the 332nd day of 1990 (November 28, 1990) at 03:13 AM.

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  Front of a Memorex tape.

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  Back of a Memorex tape. In this picture, "MADE IN U.S.A." is moulded on the back right.

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  Front of a Memorex tape.

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  Back of a Memorex tape.

Panasonic

Customers

• CBS/Fox Video
• Family Home Entertainment
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Video Technology Services
• Technicolor Video Services
  • The CBS/Fox Company

RCA

Customers

• Magnetic Video Corporation
• MGM/UA Home Video
• VCI Home Video
• WCI Home Video
• Buena Vista Home Video
  • Walt Disney Home Video
  • Touchstone Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
• Technicolor Video Services
  • The CBS/Fox Company

Sony

Customers

• HBO/Cannon Video
• MGM/UA Home Video
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
• Buena Vista Home Video
  • Walt Disney Home Video
• Warner Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Video Technology Services
• Technicolor Video Services

How to tell

For VHS, either small round depressions in the front shell of the cassette, or a large grid of squares along the entire front area thereof.

TDK

Customers

• Magnetic Video Corporation/20th Century-Fox Video/CBS/Fox Video
• MGM/CBS Home Video/MGM/UA Home Video
• Paramount Home Video
• Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
• Fotomat Video
• MCA Videocassette, Inc.
• Time-Life Video/Vestron Video
• Thorn EMI Video/Thorn EMI/HBO Video
• U.S.A. Home Video
• Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company
  • Walt Disney Home Video
• WCI Home Video/Warner Home Video

Known duplicators

• Deluxe Media Entertainment
  • Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
  • Video Technology Services
• Media Home Entertainment
• Technicolor Video Services
  • AstralTech
  • The CBS/Fox Company

How to tell

• The TDK logo can be found above the record tab.
• Tapes manufactured from 1978 to 1987 may have a year-week code printed above the record tab.
  • The first number is the last number of the year the tape was manufactured, and the last two numbers indicate the week.
    • E.G. if the code reads "AKAF413", it could mean the tape was manufactured on the 13th week of 1984.
  • On Betamax tapes, the code may be printed on the bottom spine.

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  An example of the TDK logo and a year-week code found above the record tab. The code shown on this image reads "AKAD423", meaning it was manufactured on the 23rd week of 1984.

Unknown tape manufacturers

See also information on other tape manufacturers that are currently unknown.

Notes

• The first companies to provide tape stocks for the physical media industry were the larger manufacturing companies, including those that invented the media formats and accessories.
  • 1930 - 3M invented the Scotch Tape under their then-formed sub-label, Scotch.
  • 1935 - TDK invented iron-based magnetic material during their establishment.
  • 1961 - Memorex invented the computer tape.
  • 1975 - Sony invented the Beta format.
  • 1976 - JVC invented the VHS format.
  • 1987 - An improved version of the VHS format was developed by JVC, called S-VHS. In the meantime, the VHS format has won the war that it once had with the Beta format. As a result, VHS gained more popularity than Beta did.
  • 1988 - Sony began making VHS players/recorders.
• The last companies to provide tape stocks for the industry were a soda and chemical manufacturer named BASF and a battery company named Maxell.