Video 2000 was a videotape format developed for domestic use by Philips and Grundig, replacing their VCR/SVR formats. It was released in 1979 and production ended in 1988. It was only available in Europe, Brazil and Argentina.
Philips used the name Video Compact Cassette (VCC) for the tapes, to compliment their Compact Cassette for audio, but the format was marketed as Video 2000.
Unlike Betamax or VHS, Video 2000 cassettes could be recorded on both sides (like an audio cassette) so doubling the capacity of each cassette, and the tape was entirely covered when the cassette was outside the machine to protect it. In theory, no tracking control was required due to the Dynamic Track Following (DTF) technology.
Towards the end of production, Philips introduced V2000 XL, using half-speed mode to increase recording capacity to 8 hours per side.
The tapes are roughly the same size as VHS, and use ¾ inch chromium dioxide tape. There is a switch on the tape edge for write protection, and holes along the tape edge were used to indicate the tape length to the player.
By the time Video 2000 came to market in the UK, Betamax and VHS had already established themselves, and so despite Video 2000’s technical superiority, it lost out in the videotape format war. It was however more popular in Europe, particularly Holland, where a wide range of pre-recorded titles were available in the 1980s.