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From: 5121cdd@houxm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Bye bye Beta?
Message-ID: <682@houxm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Jan-84 16:25:23 EST
Article-I.D.: houxm.682
Posted: Mon Jan 23 16:25:23 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jan-84 06:18:40 EST
References: <196@iwu1c.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 18

The reason that VHS VCRs have the largest share of the video market is that
initially, VHS machines were significantly cheaper than Beta machines.  As
well, VHS VCRs offer longer playing times (with significantly lower quality)
than Beta VCRs.  This started the ball rolling so that more movies were
released on VHS (since VHS had the lion's share of the market initially)
and, then, people now continue to argue that VHS is better because there
is more program material (some call it "software"?!).  So we have the
chicken and egg paradox, it seems.

What is interesting is that, initially, Beta was clearly a better system
(however, the gap has closed significantly in the past few years),
however, the market was not necessarily interested, it seems, in picture
quality, etc. but long playing times and a cheap getting-started price
instead.

Craig Dory
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Holmdel, NJ