PAL
1986-1990s
MII is a professional analog video cassette format developed by Panasonic in 1986 as a competitor to Sony's Betacam SP format. It was technically similar to Betacam SP: it used a metal-based tape in the cassette and recorded component video. MII is sometimes incorrectly referred to as M2; the official designation uses Roman numerals and is pronounced "em tú".
Just as Betacam SP was an improved version of its predecessor, Betacam (which was originally derived from Betamax), with better picture and sound quality, so MII was an improved version of the unsuccessful M format (which was based on VHS).
There were two sizes of MII cassettes: a larger one, which was approximately the size of VHS and offered about 90 minutes of recording time, and a smaller one, which was about half the size and allowed for about 20 minutes of recording - this was also the size in which head cleaning cassettes were shipped.
Panasonic produced desktop MII cutting and playback equipment that accepted both cassette sizes, as well as portable recorders that used the smaller cassette exclusively.
The MII format was completely analog, with four audio channels. A total of six audio tracks were recorded on the tape: two with moving heads and four with stationary heads. Unlike the M format, the MII initially enjoyed some success, but problems soon arose: poor marketing, inadequate customer service and communication from Panasonic and its parent company, Matsushita, and – and this was the biggest problem – a lack of service and repair support.
As a result, MII was nowhere near as successful as Betacam SP.