Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellzAll's subject for July is Betamax Tapes
Today, it is very easy to watch your favorite movie or television show in the privacy of your own home. You can view the movie or program on your television. If your favorite show is not on television when you desire to watch it, you can always use a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) player or a VCR (Videocassette Recorder). Now you can even download your favorite programs and movies onto your home computer. DVDs, VCRs, and computers are relatively modern inventions. Before the invention of these items, how did people in the past watch their favorite programs if the shows were not currently on television?
One of the first ways to record television shows and movies in your own home originated in 1975. First sold on May 10, 1975, Betamax was the first successful home-recording system. The Sony Corporation developed Betamax, naming the video system after the Greek letter "beta" and adding the word max, which implied "greatness." Betamax tapes, cameras, and players became instantly successful. People throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia purchased Betamax systems, making Betamax the most popular form of video recording in the world during the late 1970s.
In 1976, JVC (Victor Company of Japan, Limited), one of Sony's competitors, developed VHS (Video Home System) videotapes and players. Today, VHS tapes and equipment are much more popular than Betamax ones, but initially, most people preferred Betamax products over VHS ones. There were several reasons for this. First, the Betamax tapes were smaller (156 X 96 X 25 millimeters compared to 162 X 104 X 25 millimeters), making them easier to store. Due to the smaller tapes, Betamax cameras were also smaller, making them easier to use. Betamax tapes also originally provided better pictures and sound than VHS ones.
Betamax dominated the home video industry until the early 1980s. By this time, JVC had made significant improvements to the picture and sound quality of its tapes, causing some consumers to purchase JVC's VHS products. Another advantage for JVC was that Sony's Betmax tapes could only record approximately one hour of footage, while VHS tapes, soon after their development, could record for nearly four hours. Many people found the longer VHS tapes much more desirable, especially as JVC improved the tapes' sound and picture quality.
By 1985, VHS surpassed Betamax in popularity. Today, some people still prefer Betamax, but Sony no longer manufactures Betamax products. Other manufacturers now produce Betamax tapes, and consumers can only purchase used Betamax cameras and players.
