VHS-C is a compact version of the VHS videocassette format, introduced by the Japanese company Victor (JVC) in 1982 and used primarily in consumer analog camcorders. VHS-C uses the same magnetic tape as full-size VHS cassettes and can be played on a regular VHS VCR with an adapter. VHS-C's main competitor was Sony's Video8 format, but both formats were eventually supplanted in the consumer market by the MiniDV digital format, which offered a smaller form factor.
Originally developed for portable VCRs, it eventually found success in palm-sized portable camcorders. The longest available NTSC tape holds 60 minutes in SP mode and 180 minutes in EP mode.
Super VHS-C, or S-VHS Compact, was developed by JVC in 1987. S-VHS provided improved brightness and color quality, and S-VHS recorders were compatible with VHS tapes.