June 7, 2007 - Betamax Trivia

Today is Betamax Day! On this date, June 7th, Sony introduced the Betamax video recorder.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

In what year was the Betamax videocassette recorder introduced for sale to the public?

TRIVIA ANSWER:

1975.

Sony introduced the Betamax home video system in 1975 with the LV-1901 Trinitron/Betamax console. It was the most popular video format in 1983, gaining almost a third of the video recorder market, while Sanyo's VTC5000 was the top selling video recorder. By 1985, however, the market had turned sharply towards VHS.

1975: Sony Betamax Combination TV/VCR Released in the U.S.

Three Sony Betamax VCRs built for the American market. Top to Bottom: (1982) SL-2000 portable with TT-2000 tuner/timer 'Base Station', (1984) SL-HF 300 Betamax HiFi unit, (1988) SL-HF 360 SuperBeta HiFi unit.

Sony's ability to dictate an industry standard backfired when JVC, and parent Matsushita, made the tactical decision to forego Sony's offer of Betamax in favor of JVC's VHS technology. 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, until 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.

Despite the sharp decline in sales of Betamax recorders in the late 1980s and subsequent halt in production of new recorders by Sony in 2002, the format is still being used by a small number of people, most of whom are collectors or hobbyists. New cassettes are still available for purchase at online shops and used recorders are often found at flea markets, thrift stores, or on internet auction sites.


Congratulations to Theo, N6ZZK for getting the correct answer to tonight's question. here's the list of folks who checked in and their answers to the Trivia Question.

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

* WB6A - Pat - 1985
* AC6AJ - Lee - 1958
* WB6ATV - Ron -
* W6CWM - Jim -
* KE6CZH - Robert - 1976
* KG6DBL - Bill - 1978
* W6DTS - Ted -
* K6FCC - Khalil - 1977
* KF6GKR - Terry - 1965
* N6HY - Ernie -
* KB6IS - Madeline -
* KD6JEV - John -
* N6KAS - Andy -
* KG6KTC - Leon - 1979
* NY6L - Jay - 1976
* K6LMN - Roger - 1976
* KE6MSS - Thomas - 1979
* N6NGU - Lee - "No Idea"
* KD6NIW - Oliver -
* W6NVY - Gary - 1977
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 1974
* KD6OBM - Jason - 1978
* KF6PIH - Scott - 1979
* K6QVZ - Joe - 2002
* KG6RDA - Sidney - 1975
* KG6TRR - Bob -
* AD6UP - Louie - 1971
* WA6USL - Murray - 1970
* KF6YBM - Henry - 1982
* KF6ZQM - Harry - 1975
* N6ZZK - Theo - 1975
* KA6LUI - David - 1978


73. de N6CIZ.