(1) To record a live event on a cellphone or dedicated video camera. Although videotape is long gone, many people still use the term to mean "record a video." The term "film" is also used. For decades, "let's go to the videotape" referred to a recorded version of a scene. See
film.
(2) A magnetic tape used to record a live event for some length of time. After Ampex made the first videotape recorder for broadcast television in the 1950s, many videotape formats emerged. The most widely used format for consumers was the 1/2" VHS cassette, which was employed for both entertainment and training. After DVDs became popular, VHS was obsoleted. See
VHS,
Ampex and
video format.