A form of magnetic tape that is suitable for use with a television camera. Simultaneous recording of the video signal from the camera and the audio signal from the microphone system is carried out on separate tracks on the tape. The signals may later be output directly to the modulating circuits of the transmission system.

Since the 1980s a form of videotape recorder has been available for use with domestic television receivers. However, the video recorder or video cassette recorder (VCR) has now been largely superseded by DVD and Blu-ray, as well as by socalled personal video recorders (PVRs) that enable users to record TV programmes onto an internal hard drive in the television.