Video 2000 (V2000) was a video recording standard developed by Philips and Grundig as a competing format to VHS and Betamax. Unlike its rivals it used double-sided cassettes.

The Video 2000 cassette was slightly bigger than a VHS cassette. Special features were the possibility to record/play 4 hours of video on each side of the cassette and a piezoelectric automated system for track following, so that even still pictures were displayed perfectly.

Video 2000's predecessor was the Philips Video Compact Cassette (VCC) Format introduced in 1972. The first Video 2000 video recorder VR2000 was sold in 1979, and the last V2000 products by Philips were produced in 1988. [1]

Video 2000 was technically superior to both Betamax and VHS, but the format was introduced at a time when VHS had already established itself as the de facto home video standard, and failed to overturn its position. The position was exacerbated because Philips failed to produce a much demanded portable recorder early on in the format's life. By the mid-80's Philips had conceded defeat and began making its own VHS format machines.

Video 2000 is also the name of an early console for video games (1970s). [2]

External links

• The 'Total Rewind' VCR museum, covering V2000 and other vintage formats
• Mikey's Vintage VTR Page on V2000
• Page on Philips products, Dutch
• Video 2000 PAL site