Surely you'd just make the tape/cassette larger? Remember laserdisc?
I remember watching something on Betamax, possibly Star Wars but have no recollection of changing tape. My dad was a teacher and had access to a VT player on my birthday. On other occasions he would bring home a BBC Microcomputer. Quite a treat when we couldn't afford to buy our own TV even.
> Surely you'd just make the tape/cassette larger?
Originally, Betamax increased physical tape length, but cutting tape speed (like how vinyls can play at different RPMs) was a more economical way of cramming more hours onto the same tape by cutting quality.
Both VHS and Betamax went through multiple phases of this. Eventually VHS won by being cheaper.
I remember watching something on Betamax, possibly Star Wars but have no recollection of changing tape. My dad was a teacher and had access to a VT player on my birthday. On other occasions he would bring home a BBC Microcomputer. Quite a treat when we couldn't afford to buy our own TV even.
Edit, seems Empire Strikes Back was a single tape - https://ebay.us/m/Ypz8SW