Tape manufacturers

This list is dedicated to the tape stock companies and their customers.

Customers

 * Buena Vista Home Video
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video/Columbia TriStar Home Video
 * Fotomat Video
 * Magnetic Video Corporation/20th Century Fox Video/CBS/Fox Video
 * MCA Videocassette, Inc./MCA Home Video
 * MGM/CBS Home Video/MGM/UA Home Video
 * Paramount Home Video
 * Thorn EMI Video/Thorn EMI/HBO Video
 * Time-Life Video
 * WCI Home Video/Warner Home Video

How to tell

 * On some tapes, especially early ones, the Scotch logo is engraved in white on the tape guard.
 * Mid 1980s-Early 1990s tapes may have the Scotch logo engraved as part of the tape nominal information above the record tab.

Customers

 * MGM/UA Home Video
 * United Home Video

Customers

 * Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
 * Fotomat Video
 * Magnetic Video Corporation
 * MCA Videocassette, Inc.
 * MGM/CBS Home Video
 * Paramount Home Video
 * Time-Life Video
 * WCI Home Video

Customers

 * Lionsgate Home Entertainment
 * Artisan Entertainment (1987-2004)
 * Vestron Video (1987-1992)
 * Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-2007)
 * Video Treasures (1986-1998)
 * Burbank Video (1987-1995)
 * Jenal Entertainment (1987-1991)
 * Troy Gold (1987-1989)
 * MNTex Entertainment (1987-1998)
 * Strand Home Video (1989-1998)
 * Starmaker Entertainment
 * Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (1987-2007)
 * Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (1994-2007)
 * Sterling Entertainment Group
 * UAV Corporation (1985-1998)
 * VidAmerica, Inc. (1987-1992)
 * Paramount Home Entertainment (1994-2007)
 * Warner Home Video (1987-2007)
 * MGM Home Entertainment (1987-2007)

How to tell

 * Tapes manufactured after 2001 have "TTGNIC" moulded on the back of the cassette, usually next to the supply reel.
 * Tapes manufactured prior to 1990 would have the safety notice on the tape guard engraved in white, while tapes manufactured after would have it moulded in a cheesier font.

Customers

 * Astral Video (Canadian)
 * Magnetic Video Corporation
 * Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (Canadian)
 * Thorn EMI Video
 * Time-Life Video
 * Buena Vista Home Video (Canadian)
 * Walt Disney Home Video

How to tell

 * Tapes manufactured prior to 1990 may have the Fuji name on the tape guard.
 * During the 1990s, some tapes had dark ink code information, including the day-year code:
 * For example, if the code reads "8 200 91 1311", then that means that the side of the tape is labeled 8 and that the tape was manufactured on the 200th day of 1991, or July 19, 1991, at 01:11 PM.

Customers

 * Allied Artists Video
 * Magnetic Video Corporation
 * Media Home Entertainment

How to tell

 * Very early tapes would have the text, "DON'T TOUCH TAPE INSIDE - KEEP CLOSED", written on the top of the tape guard.

Customers

 * 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment
 * CBS/Fox Video
 * 20th Century-Fox Video
 * Fotomat Video
 * MGM/UA Home Video
 * Paramount Home Video
 * Columbia/TriStar Home Video
 * RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
 * PBS Video
 * Thorn EMI Video
 * Time-Life Video
 * VCI Home Video
 * Buena Vista Home Video
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * Touchstone Home Video
 * Warner Home Video
 * Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-2007)
 * Video Treasures (1988-1998)
 * Burbank Video (1988-1995)
 * Troy Gold (1987-1989)
 * Starmaker Entertainment

How to tell

 * Tapes manufactured after the early 1990s would have a safety notice written in a Helvetica-like font on the tape guard that says, "Insert this side into recorder -- Do not touch the tape inside," while tapes manufactured before would have the up arrow below the tape guard instead of into the tape guard, and no safety notice anywhere.

Customers

 * Anchor Bay Entertainment (1995-1996)
 * Video Treasures (1990-1996)
 * Burbank Video (1988-1995)
 * Troy Gold (1987-1989)
 * Starmaker Entertainment (1990-1996)
 * Buena Vista Home Video (1987-1994)
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * Vestron Video
 * Warner Home Video
 * HBO Home Video
 * Allied Artists Video
 * Sony Music Entertainment (1991-2003)

How to tell

 * Some 1987-1998 tapes have “Made in U.S.A.” or "MADE IN U.S.A." moulded on the back right of the cassette.
 * Some 1987-2003 tapes have dark ink code information, including the day-year code.
 * For example, if the code reads "8 322 90 2211", then that means that the side of the tape is labeled 8 and that the tape was manufactured on the 322nd day of 1990, or November 18, 1990, at 10:11 PM.

Customers

 * CBS/Fox Video
 * Family Home Entertainment
 * RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video

Customers

 * Magnetic Video Corporation
 * MGM/UA Home Video
 * VCI Home Video
 * WCI Home Video
 * Buena Vista Home Video
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * Touchstone Home Video

Customers

 * HBO/Cannon Video
 * MGM/UA Home Video
 * RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
 * Buena Vista Home Video
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * Warner Home Video

How to tell
For VHS, either small round depressions in the front shell of the cassette, or a large grid of squares along the entire front area thereof.

Customers

 * Magnetic Video Corporation/20th Century-Fox Video/CBS/Fox Video
 * MGM/CBS Home Video/MGM/UA Home Video
 * Paramount Home Video
 * Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment/RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
 * Fotomat Video
 * MCA Videocassette, Inc.
 * Time-Life Video/Vestron Video
 * Thorn EMI Video/Thorn EMI/HBO Video
 * U.S.A. Home Video
 * Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company
 * Walt Disney Home Video
 * WCI Home Video/Warner Home Video

How to tell

 * The TDK logo can be found above the record tab.