Assessing The Relative Merits Of Beta Max And VHS
| Field | Selecting a Home Video Player or Recorder |
| Went Obsolete | 1981 |
| Made Obsolete By | JVC's VHS Format Won the Market War |
| Knowledge Assumed | Technical Specs of Both Formats |
| When useful | When deciding to watch an old recording from 1976 - 1981 |
In the mid 1970s, Sony introduced its Beta format, adopting its industrial video standard to consumer use. JVC introduced the rival VHS format. What followed was very much the prototype of the Blu-Ray/HDDVD war. By 1981, VHS had captured seventy percent of the market, and in 1988, Sony abandoned Beta as a consumer product and began producing VHS equipment.
Generally, Beta machines were more expensive than VHS machines and few companies made Beta machines other than Sony. There tended to be more options on a Beta machine, such as freeze frame when pausing a tape and early stereo sound. Rewind and fast forward were slower on a Beta machine than on VHS because they kept the tape engaged against the heads. However, the start up on a Beta machine was faster. The color was more stable on a Beta recording and the picture - on average - tended to be clearer than a VHS recording.
The Beta tapes were smaller in size than VHS tapes. They tended to record less time in comparable quality “modes”. “SP” on a general VHS tape (called a “T-120”) recorded about 2 hours of material. In “Beta I” on a general tape (L-450), you could only record an hour and a half. Through the mid 1980's, movies were released in both VHS and Beta formats, though large chain rental stores tended to carry a smaller selection of Beta tapes (if they carried them at all).
