Video cassettes offer three recording speeds, which let you balance quality against tape length.
Video cassette technology gives users some flexibility about how they use the space on their tapes. Many users choose the options that allow for the most recording hours, but these options also have some disadvantages.
It's a Matter of Time
Video cassette tapes are generally set up with three recording speeds. These are standard play (SP), long play (LP) and extended play (EP) or super long play (SLP). SLP and EP are just different terms for the same thing. SP mode allows users to record two hours' worth of footage. LP allows four hours of footage, and SLP allows for six hours.
Poor Quality
Video tapes are set up with an audio and video track. In order to cram more footage onto a smaller amount of tape space, SLP mode actually causes those tracks to overlap slightly. This means they bleed into each other. The end result is footage that looks and sounds worse.
Less Durable
Video cassettes don't last forever, and SLP mode is particularly prone to degradation. Over time, the audio and video tracks will gradually start to bleed into each other. Eventually the video will be full of static and the sound will start to hiss and pop.
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