2" Quad
AKA
Quadruplex,
2" open reel
Era
1956–early 1980s
Analog/digital
analog
Format
open reel
Developed by
Ampex
(Max) Capacity
60 minutes
Size
12" reels
Fun facts
- This format was the broadcast standard from its invention until the debut of 1" Type C in 1976
- This format was used by broadcast television companies to air a show at the same time on East and West US coasts
- Most video formats used helical scanning, where video is scanned diagonally, but 2" Quad is based on quadrature scanning, a method where 4 video heads scan video tape at a 90° angle
