Sony introduces the Betamax video recorder.
Revolutionary for its day, the Betamax format was on its way to becoming the consumer standard until the appearance of JVC’s VHS a year later. Betamax was sharper and crisper, but VHS let you record an entire movie at maximum speed (and quality) on a single tape of 120 or 160 minutes. Standard Beta tapes maxed out at an hour.
Other theories have been floated as to why VHS emerged victorious despite the superior quality of Betamax. Besides the longer tapes, VHS machines were cheaper and easier to use. Another possibility is that if you wanted to watch prerecorded X-rated movies, you had to buy a VHS, because Sony wouldn’t license its technology to the porn industry.
There’s also a tipping-point issue. People borrowed tapes (both prerecorded and home-recorded) from friends. Once VHS established a slight edge, it had the additional advantage of offering you a larger network of friends to swap tapes with, and video-rental stores started concentrating on the larger market too. So the Betamax sector shrank quickly.
As the earlier system, Betamax was sued by the entertainment industry (with Disney and Universal taking the point). Hollywood felt threatened by consumers recording TV shows or movies. The court ruled in Sony’s favor, agreeing that consumer recording represented fair use.
Betamax enjoyed a long run as the standard for professional television and video production, and it still enjoys a connoisseur’s niche. But DVDs, DVRs, and digital downloads have rendered both Beta and VHS passé.
Sony built its last Betamax recorder in 2002.—TL