The C Format Photographed
Audio 2 Track
Audio 1 Track
Audio 3
Sync
Control
Composite video 'slices'
- one slice or track
contains 312.5 horizontal
video lines (or 262.5
lines in NTSC) of the
television field (picture).

The regular patterning
nicely shows that colour
bars are recorded on this
particular tape.
The image below is of a 'developed section of C Format video tape by Bob Smith.
As Bob remarks:
'Ferrofluid(tm) produces a reflection diffraction grating , the particles align with the magnetic domains on
recorded tape making the recording visible, with careful developement and critical lighting, different
colours show the frequencies on tape corresponding to the various levels of the pal colour bar waveform,
sync tip, black level and white level. Developement of the recording enable measurements to be made to
ensure compatibility between machines and conformity to the published specification.'

An interesting image which nicely shows the various magnetic tracks on a C Format videotape, thanks
Bob.