1″ Type C is an open-reel format using 1″ wide tape. Lacking a catchy name, it was commonly referred to as simply “one inch”. Pictured here are the most common reel sizes, a 60-minute reel and a plastic “spot reel” that held a few minutes of tape depending on the diameter. Spot reels were an inexpensive way to distribute commercials and other short-form work as a 60-minute reel could be cut up to make many smaller spot reels. Larger 90-minute reels were also available.

1″ was in common use in the 1970’s and 1980’s, with many videotaped shows utilizing an all-1″ workflow to maintain high quality as compared with 3/4″ cassettes. Compared to its open reel predecessor, 2″ quad, 1″ offered excellent picture quality, fewer picture artifacts, and the ability to see the picture in pause and search modes as well as special-effects playback like slow-motion and freeze. It supported 3 channels of linear audio, but typically channel 3 was only used for timecode. Several portable models were available as well but the machines were very large, and only portable in the academic sense.

WDLN.tv has two Sony BVH-2500 1″ decks for the best quality transfers to digital files.