Digital Betacam, introduced in 1993, is a digital version of the Betacam format that offers 2:1 compression in a component format. Commonly known as "DigiBeta," this low compression digital format is currently considered the preferred choice for preservation masters. This format provides a superior quality video image without generation loss of content when re-mastering from Digital Betacam because it is an exact digital clone of the original.

Betacam SP (commonly called Beta SP) was introduced by Sony in 1986, and remains an excellent format for cinematic screenings or theatrical environments. Betacam SP (for "Superior Performance") increased horizontal resolution to 340 lines over the early Betacam's 300 lines. Beta SP was the industry standard for most TV stations and high-end production houses until the late 1990s. Typically only larger institutions can accommodate presentations on Beta SP due to the relatively high cost of the playback equipment. Betacam SP is also a professional/industry level product. It is an uncompressed analog format that is very durable, reliable, and, through migration, able to maintain a maximum level of information compared to other analog tape stocks. However, inherent to being an analog stock, there can be generation loss on subsequent tapes made from this master. Beta SP was the industry standard for most TV stations and high-end production houses until the late 1990s.