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From: rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Bye-bye Beta?
Message-ID: <543@ihuxk.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Jan-84 15:55:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxk.543
Posted: Thu Jan 26 15:55:39 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jan-84 01:37:02 EST
References: <498@bbncca.ARPA> <681@houxm.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 15

I believe that JVC holds the original VHS licenses, not Sony.
Also, I think that JVC was a pioneer in the 3/4" U-Matic format.
As to whether VHS-HiFi will be as good as Beta-HiFi, the articles I've seen
in Video Review, indicate basically identical specs.  There WAS a rumor 
that SONY was considering dropping Beta, but this was perhaps unfounded,
and based on the true news that Zenith is converting their line from
Beta to VHS.  Sanyo is also covering their bets by selling both Beta and VHS.
It IS true that VHS-HiFi offers greater engineering challenges, due to the
shorter length of tape that is wrapped around the head drum in the VHS
format.  Time will tell if that extra challenge will be met, and if VHS-HiFi
really performs as well as Beta Hi-Fi.

Bob Schleicher
ihuxk!rs55611
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Ill.