the design of Emigre issue no. 57.
It's sole purpose is to save formats
from obscurity.
This overview of Lost Formats is not
presented in any particular order and
not in any way complete. Anyone can
nominate their own beloved format
by sending a picture and specifications
to .
Dimensions: 70 x 67.5 x 5 mm
Storage Capacity: up to 160 Mb
Manufacturer: Sony
Introduced in 1991 to compete with the
popular CompactAudioCassette. It had the
advantage of recordability over the read-
only Compact Disc.
Dimensions: 5.25 x 5.25 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 1.2 Mb
Manufacturer: Dysan Corporation
Introduced in 1976 as replacement for
IBM's 8 inch FloppyDisk. Later has been
made redundant after a battle between
2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.5, 3.25, and 4.0"
formats. The 3.5" format won.
Dimensions: various
Storage Capacity: various
Manufacturer: AEG
Developed in 1930's Germany, brought
to the US and introduced by Bing Crosby
to pre-record his weekly radio show, 'in
order to have more golftime.' He would
also be the first to use Ampex videotape.
Dimensions: 12 x 12 cm
Storage Capacity: up to 8.5 Gb per side
Manufacturer: Various
DVD wasn't developed by one single
company, but when rivaling teams of
developers used different technologies,
the computer industry demanded a
standard. This was introduced in 1995.
Dimensions: 3.7 x 3.5 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 2 Gb
Manufacturer: Iomega
Large capacity removable cartridge
system, big brother to Iomega's once
successful Zip. Introduced in 1996.
Dimensions: 18.7 x 10.2 x 2.5 cm
Storage Capacity: up to 4 hrs.
Manufacturer: JVC
Introduced in 1976. Originally the only
competitor to Sony's superior Betamax,
won the battle with better marketing.
Was later developed into smaller formats,
and formats with a higher resolution.
Dimensions: 66 x 48 x 12.2 mm
Storage Capacity: 90 min
Manufacturer: Sony
In 1988 Sony came up with this 8mm video
tape in order to be able to manufacture even
smaller videocams than possible with the
existing VHS compact. Later evolved to Hi8.
Dimensions: 4 x 4 inch
Storage Capacity: probably 3.5 min
Manufacturer: Americom
Also known as 'Hip Pocket-Record'. Made
between 1966 and 1969, they were small
flexi discs to carry around in your pocket!
The best thing about it: they were sold in
vending machines for 50 cents.
Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 0.25 inch
Storage Capacity: 2 x 5 min.
Manufacturer: Edison
Although Thomas Edison was opposed to
discs, cylinders were getting outdated.
His team secretly developed the first vinyl
disc to be played with a diamond stylus.
Introduced in 1912.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: Fidelipac
Invented by George Muntz in 1963,
and was initially called FideliPac.
It was only available for custom
installed car players. Transformed
into EightTrack later the same year.
Dimensions: 95 x 62.5 x 15 mm
Storage Capacity: up to 520 GB
Manufacturer: Sony
Introduced by Sony in 1996.
Referred to by some as "the medium
of last resort". A slow but cheap 8 mm
back-up tape cartridge. Also available in
WORM (write-once read-many) format.
Dimensions: 14.4 x 12.55 x 4 cm
Storage Capacity: up to 130 min.
Manufacturer: Philips
When Sony introduced their U-Matic
system, Philips responded in 1972 with
the VCR system. Both were initially aimed
at the professional market, but in 1974
VCR was widely available.
Dimensions: 'size of a matchbook'
Storage Capacity: 40 mb
Manufacturer: Iomega
Iomega's 1997 attempt to jump in on the
small-memory-carriers-for-portable-
devices-action.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: 4 to 12 k
Manufacturer: Mattel Electronics
Introduced by Mattel in 1980,
but when the videogames market
started booming supplies couldn't
catch up. Discontinued in 1984.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: up to 96 GB
Manufacturer: unknown
It took 206 of these tapes to hold
the data of the Space Shuttle Endeavor's
eleven day mapping-the-world-in-3D-
mission of 2002. Used for digital imagery
as well as generic data storage.
Dimensions: 3.7 x 3.8 x 0.3 inch
Storage Capacity: 1.5 GB
Manufacturer: SyQuest
Introduced in 1997 as a follow-up
to the much larger SyQuest discs
and competing against Iomega's
1 GB Jaz in the heat of the High Density Removable Storage War of the 1990's.
Dimensions: 6 to 10.5 inch diameter
Storage Capacity: up to 180 MB
Manufacturer: IBM
Reel-to-reel system tape, mostly
found on mainframe computers.
Slightly vulnerable and now
completely extinct.
Dimensions: 12 x 12 cm
Storage Capacity: probably 650 mb
Manufacturer: Kodak
Kodak launched its system to supply
digitally scanned images of photographic
exposures in 1992. This was before the
digital camera-revolution.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: 64 k
Manufacturer: GCE
Introduced in 1982, but didn't survive
the big 1984 video game crash, when
consumers massively opted for pc's.
Dimensions: 4 x 2.5 x 0.4 inch
Storage Capacity: 60, 90 and 120 min.
Manufacturer: Norelco (Philips)
Introduced in 1966 as a convenient way of
recording and playing music in home and car.
In 1982 it overtook the LP's dominance after
Sony's popular Walkman was introduced, but
was surpassed by Philips' CD in 1993.
Dimensions: 45 X 37 X 0.76 mm
Storage Capacity: 16 to 128 mb
Manufacturer: Toshiba
Initially called Solid State Floppy
Disk Cards, but that probably didn't
sound right. Mostly used in digital
camera's and MP3-players.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: 3 games
Manufacturer: Coleco
1978. Contained one of the early pong games,
and came with a triangular console containing
pong-like paddle knobs, a steering wheel with
shift lever and a gun!
Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 5.2 GB
Manufacturer: 3M
Launched in 1985, this is a hybrid
of laser- and magnetic technology,
the same later used in Sony's MiniDisc.
Also available in 5.25". Larger capacity
MO discs are still being developed.
Dimensions: 3.88 x 3.83 x 0.39 inch
Storage Capacity: 200 and 235 Mb
Manufacturer: Syquest
Follow-up for the SyQuest EZ, with a
capacity of 135 mb. Never a serious
competitor to Iomega's Zip, probably due
to lack of consumer trust after serious
problems with earlier SyQuest systems.
Dimensions: Various
Storage Capacity: 80 columns
Manufacturer: IBM
Being able to store 80 characters per card
programmers would try anything to economize
use of card space, including shortening dates
to their last two digits. Thus responsible for Y2K.
Used from 1890 to the 1970's.
Dimensions: 14.6 x 93 x 72 mm
Storage Capacity: up to 1.6 GB
Manufacturer: 3M
According to some the best thing to say
about it is that it's cheap. According to
others it should not be used in critical
applications, and that critical kinda
means, "if you want to recover your data".
Dimensions: 8 x 8 inch
Storage Capacity: 10 min.
Manufacturer: Telefunken/Decca
A floppy grooved PVC Disc inside a
paper caddy could store 10 minutes
of black & white video, needing 12
disc changes for a 2 hour movie.
Introduced in 1975.
Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.08 inch
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 10 inch
Storage Capacity: about 3 min
Manufacturer: John Baird/Columbia
There are only six Phonovision discs
known to exist. These one-sided wax discs
contained 30-line moving images. in 1927!
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inch
Storage Capacity: 2 x 60 min.
Manufacturer: RCA
CED was a lubricated (!) pvc videodisc in a
caddy. The caddy was inserted in a machine,
the disc was unloaded and the empty caddy
ejected. Worked with a diamond stylus with
titanium electrode. 1981>1986
Dimensions:19 x 14 x 3 cm
Storage Capacity: 41.25 MB
Manufacturer: SNK
Introduced in 1990. At its time the largest
cartridge in any videogame system, but due
to the high quality, price and exclusivity
new games appeared troughout the nineties,
and well into the naughties.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 0.25 inch tape reel
Storage Capacity: 2 x 15 min.
Manufacturer: NEVC
In order to record television broadcasts on
ordinary two-track tape, the TelCan recorder
ran the tape along its recordingheads at a
speed of 11 km/h (10 feet per second).
Introduced in 1963.
Dimensions: 5.25 x 4 x 0.9 inch
Storage Capacity: 80 minutes
Manufacturer: RCA
William Lear (of Lear Jets)
built FourTrack players into his
jets. Dissatisfied with the
technology he further developed
it into the EightTrack format.
Dimensions: 12 x 12 cm
Storage Capacity: 74 min
Manufacturer: Sony/Philips
After the development of DiscoVision,
(LaserDisc), it was a small step to an optical audiodisc. In conjunction with Sony the CD was introduced in 1980. The centerhole got it's size from a 'dubbeltje' (Dutch 10-cents piece).
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inch
Storage Capacity: 2 x 45 min
Manufacturer: CBS
LongPlay record, aimed at an audience for
classical music, movie soundtracks and show
tunes, but became a much larger success
than anticipated.
Dimensions: about 3.5 inch
Storage Capacity: 7 pics in stereo
Manufacturer: Sawyers, later Fisher Price
Introduced in 1939. Viewmaster was a
stereoviewer which used paper reels with
little slides. Viewers were available with
back illumination, there were projectors
and there was even a 'talking' variety.
Dimensions: not yet available
Storage Capacity: 2 x 1 hr
Manufacturer: Philips
Albeit superior to VHS and BetaMax,
Philips' Videosystem just came too late.
Although some say that their reluctancy
to allow porn being distributed on the
format hasn't helped it either.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 8 5/8 x 5 3/8 x 1 3/16 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 60s min.
Manufacturer: Sony
Launched in 1971, and mostly aimed
at the professional market. It quickly
became the industry's standard and
remained so for the next 25 years.
Dimensions: 3 x 2.8 x 9.5 inch
Storage Capacity: 30 min.
Manufacturer: Sears/MGM
Endless tape loop similar to 4Track
and 8Track, but this was a 2Track
Cartridge, meant as replacement
for a transistor radio. Only produced
between 1967 and 1968.
Dimensions: 43 x 36 x 3.3 mm
Storage Capacity: 16 mb to 1 gb
Manufacturer: SanDisk
One of many, but many say
the best small memory card.
Introduced in 1994, it was based
on the popular PC Card but soon
became the most popular card.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 155 x 95 x 25 mm
Storage Capacity: 120 min
Manufacturer: Sony
From 1974. In 1976 Universal Studios
filed a lawsuit against Sony for copyright
infringement, stating that home taping
off-the-air was illegal. Sony won, but
BetaMax lost the battle against VHS.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: 8 x 8 inch
Storage Capacity: 2 x 30 min.
Manufacturer: MCA/Philips
Replay-only video optical disc system,
first demonstrated in 1972. MCA and
Philips were both developing a very
similar format, and decided to join hands.
Same as (and later became) LaserDisc.
Dimensions: 5 x 2.1 x 0.2 cm
Storage Capacity: 4 mb - 1 gb
Manufacturer: Sony
From Sony's introduction in
1998: 'Attention Humanoid:
I am the Memory Stick.
I am the Future. Enter my
World of Infinite Connections.'
Dimensions: 2.25 x 1.5 x 0.3 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 90 min
Manufacturer: Olympus
Not to be mistaken with the MiniCassette
which is slightly larger. Later joined by
the PicoCassette. As seen in dictaphones
and answering machines.
Dimensions: not yet available
Storage Capacity: 60 min
Manufacturer:not yet available
In 1982 this much smaller VHS tape tried to put
an end to the ridiculously huge videocamera's.
With an adapter they were made compatible with
normal VHS players.
Dimensions: 2.4 x 3.1 x 0.5 inch
Storage Capacity: up to 7 gb
Manufacturer: Iomega
After the success of its Zip and Jaz,
Iomega came up with this Backup Tape
in 1995. Otherwise exactly the same as
Quarter Inch Cartridge.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Introduced in 1889 by Valdemar Poulsen
after an invention by Oberlin Smith. First
Practical Use: 1900, the Telegraphone,
a telephonic answering machine!
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inch
Storage Capacity: 2 x 1 hr.
Manufacturer: Matsushita (Panasonic)
Visc was a vinyl (video) record, developed
in 1978. It was never launched, possibly
due to the development by JVC, Matsushita's
partner, of the more sophisticated CED/
SelectaVision system.
Dimensions: various
Storage Capacity: 200.000 20-digit numbers
Manufacturer: IBM
Predessesor to all of the modern day
tape systems, which themselves
are almost obsolete. Wouldn't have
helped the 'paperless office' anyway.
Dimensions: 4 x 2.5 x 0.4 inch
Storage Capacity: 45 to 105 min.
Manufacturer: Philips
First seen in the fall of 1992, it was meant
to be a replacement for analog tapes. As
it turned out, DCC could not compete with
MiniDisc and DAT.
Dimensions: 12 x 12 cm
Storage Capacity: probably 650 mb
Manufacturer: Philips/Sony
Interactive CD format that came with its own
hardware and software operating system,
hooked up to a television, which was praised
for its ease-of-use.
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dimensions: unknown
Storage Capacity: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
The holy grail of formats since
polaroid started researching 3-d
holographic data storage in the 60's.
IBM took over and promised it to be
ready for home use by 2003...
Wax Cylinder, VidiCord, Silvatone,
Quadraplex, V-Cord, CartriVision,
AcuTrack, MavicaVideoCard, DataPac,
PolygramoVision, SparQ, Bernoulli,
PocketRocker, SecureDigitalCard,
MicroDrive, ChromaDisc, OptiDisc,
Elcaset, SoundTape, Tapette.