U-matic, Sony's name for the format, became one of the most successful formats of all time. The cassette mechanism enabled it eventually to be easily used for news acquisition, which until that time had primarily been gathered on 16mm film. As the name suggests, U-type video recorders thread the tape in a "U" pattern around the head drum. It plays at a tape-transport speed of 3.75 ips and initially had a 240-line resolution but increased as more development was undertaken.