Betamax seemed better quality...
2006-10-06 02:00:33 · 19 answers · asked by phil_maquim 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
Totally right. Betamax was far the better platform. The reason it failed was due to the tremendously successful marketing campaigns behind VHS.
2006-10-06 02:02:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sony introduced the Betamax, the first consumer video cassette recorder, in 1975. It quickly developed a loyal consumer base. JVC of Japan came out with a rival, the incompatible VHS system, the next year, but Betamax was widely regarded as the superior technology. But JVC aggressively licensed the VHS system to other large electronics companies. While Sony continued to be first with new advances, like hi-fi recording, the VHS companies always caught up.
By 1977, VHS machines usually cost less than Betamax machines. Sony's share of the VCR marketplace fell swiftly. Video magazines began to note that software choices, in this case, prerecorded movies, were broader for VHS.
By 1987 Sony's market share had fallen below 5 percent. Sony threw in the towel and began making VHS video recorders in 1988. It repositioned the Betamax as a high-end technology for the niche markets of television and video production, where it remains popular...
2006-10-06 02:15:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The VHS format's defeat of the Betamax format became a classic marketing case study, now identified with the verbal phrase "to Betamax", wherein a proprietary technology format is overwhelmed in the market by a format allowing multiple, competing, licensed manufacturers. Sony's confidence in its ability to dictate an industry standard backfired when JVC, and parent Matsushita, made the tactical decision to forego Sony's offer of Betamax in favour of JVC's VHS technology. They felt that it would end up like U-Matic deal: Sony dominating, and they get the scraps. By 1984, forty companies utilized the VHS format in comparison with Beta's twelve. Sony finally conceded defeat in 1988 when it too began producing VHS recorders.
However, Sony may be said to have had some small consolation in this saga as its Video-8 small-format videotape is essentially a scaled-down version of the Betamax, and Video-8 dominated the home camcorder format for the next 15 years with the rival VHS-C format only gaining a small market share before both formats were rendered obsolete by the digital MiniDV standard.
The real reason for the success of VHS is RCA, who asked Matsushita for a 4 hour VHS machine. RCA had earlier discussed this with Sony during Beta's development phase, but Sony's engineers felt that by slowing the tape speed from 4 to 2 cm/sec and narrowing the video track, picture quality would be too poor. Matsushita, despite protests from JVC, delivered Long Play, exactly what RCA wanted. RCA in turn would offer their 4 hour VHS decks at a suggested retail of $995. RCA's pricing and marketing of their 4 hour mode VHS machine would be crucial.
2006-10-06 02:08:38 · answer #3 · answered by WarWolf 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dad had a Betamax my brother swopped a VHS for it.Your right Betamax is the best,my brother swopped it before I had a chance to get it off him.
2006-10-06 02:09:09 · answer #4 · answered by Ollie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because Sony the owner of betamax, wanted huge royalties, VHS was a more open platform.. everyone made copies of VHS, no one copied Betamax becuase it was too expensive to license....thanks to Sony's greediness.....
Not a smart move by Sony.
2006-10-06 02:02:52 · answer #5 · answered by Paul A 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Betamax was so expensive when they came out that a lot of people couldn't afford them. VHS was much more affordable. I think that's why VHS became so much more popular.
2006-10-06 02:03:55 · answer #6 · answered by Marenight 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Beta was definitely the better format. It produced better picture, audio, etc. The equipment was more complex but the resultant video/audio was worth the complexity.
Why did VHS win? Better advertising due to more money backing the format.
More money... go figure.
2006-10-06 02:04:26 · answer #7 · answered by credo quia est absurdum 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because VHS convinced more studios to release their films on VHS than BETA MAX, so better selection, smaller and an easy acronym to spell, that's why they cornered the market!
2006-10-06 02:04:45 · answer #8 · answered by Robakai 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just saw something on this. It was due to how much recording you could get on each. The VHS format allowed longer recording time, so it was more versatile and became the format of choice.
2006-10-06 02:03:41 · answer #9 · answered by The Iceman Cometh 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What is betamax?
2006-10-06 02:07:00 · answer #10 · answered by EvanescenceLover 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋