DBWI: VHS defeats Beta in the Format War

I don't really see how this could even happen in the first place, considering that Betamax was in every way superior to VHS.
 
I doubt the VHS would overtake the Laserdisc the way Beta did, nor do I think it could go toe to toe with DVD the way Beta did. I remember buying movies on Beta until like 2007 or 2008.
 
Beta was also first so they established the standard, VHS tried to go the cheaper but good enough route and it failed miserably.
 
The First Format War was Sony's to win or lose. If Sony had chosen to cheap out and cut the size and length of the cassette to less than 145 minutes at max detail, gouge on entry level VCRs, and/or alienate the studios by buying any of them up and/or only allowing companies to rent, rather than buy cinema-grade Betamax cameras, that could alienate enough of them to make the format as niche as Laserdisc.
 
I think we are ignoring the major factor that doomed VHS.

Their attempt to be the family friendly format.

VHS, forbid anything that was harder then PG 13 from being used on their platform, and PG 13 movies and TV shows had to cleared. I think that decision was what really destroyed their chances against Betamax instead of the other stuff.
 
I think we are ignoring the major factor that doomed VHS.

Their attempt to be the family friendly format.

VHS, forbid anything that was harder then PG 13 from being used on their platform, and PG 13 movies and TV shows had to cleared. I think that decision was what really destroyed their chances against Betamax instead of the other stuff.

Good point, in addition to missing out on R rated movies, they completely underestimated how much money there is in porn.
 
I actually had an aunt and uncle get divorced over this. She wanted to buy a VHS because it was cheaper and they were on a fixed income. He absolutely insisted on BETA and spouted off about better quality and all of that. She finally relented and two months later she found his massive collection of porno flicks.
 
I actually had an aunt and uncle get divorced over this. She wanted to buy a VHS because it was cheaper and they were on a fixed income. He absolutely insisted on BETA and spouted off about better quality and all of that. She finally relented and two months later she found his massive collection of porno flicks.

that story has happened more then once, and theres a reason why the religious right loved VHS.

But that market wasn't nearly large enough to save them.
 
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