Why the Betamax failed vs. VHS...despite being a better product

[csalvato]

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[CarrieW]

I HAD ONE OF THOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also remember wanting a laser disk

that is an awesome video. rep plus!!

 

[oldscool]

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

Betamax wasnt a better product!
VHS
Lighter weight
longer recording Tape time
Better relationship marketing with rental tape retail industries/ big box stores distributors
lower cost product

 

[AllenCrawley]

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

Betamax wasnt a better product!
VHS
Lighter weight
longer recording Tape time
Better relationship marketing with rental tape retail industries/ big box stores distributors
lower cost product

All true BUT betamax had the far superior picture quality.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[tafy]

I thought that Sony wouldnt let the porn industry use their tapes so they all went onto VHS and then the rest was history.

 

[AllenCrawley]

I thought that Sony wouldnt let the porn industry use their tapes so they all went onto VHS and then the rest was history.

That's been highly speculated. No real data to back up that claim.

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q...as-the-pornography-industry-in-the-format-war

http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/03/05/betamax-didnt-lose-to-vhs-because-of-adult-films/

 

[csalvato]

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

Betamax wasnt a better product!
VHS
Lighter weight
longer recording Tape time
Better relationship marketing with rental tape retail industries/ big box stores distributors
lower cost product

I probably should have titled it "despite being first to market"...but it was a better product in some ways as well. I mean, look at the tape caddy!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RogueInnovation]

I still use my betamax, don't you guys??? (this message was typed on a dvorak keyboard)

I think betamax was just less relateable and overthought and made some mistakes and oversights that were huge blunders in hindsight.
Then vhs just had a way clearer goal and idea of the market

Tapes were terrible tech though, I'm glad they are gone.
VHS was just a transitional bridge that got us to a better place.
No one cares about quality, when the solution is poor.

Cr#p vs cr#p with a smooth eject tray and half the record time
Simple cr#p in that case wins, cuz why care? At all... xD


Lesson, don't think you are an innovation just cuz you do something new.

 

[DeletedUser12]

CD's have better sound quality than mp3's, but most people prefer convenience / lower cost over quality.

 

[Magik]

CD's have better sound quality than mp3's, but most people prefer convenience / lower cost over quality.

True, but vinyl sales have tripled over the last 5 years. Jack White just broke the record for most vinyl sales of a single record in one week. Neil Young's Pono will launch this year, making it the first true hi fi digital player. There is a shift happening. The CD will die and almost everything will be either streaming like Spotify (if the government continues to allow it) or high quality music purchases. The best of both worlds.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Magik]

I also remember wanting a laser disk

My dad had a laser disc player. What a cumbersome technology that was, which is why it never took off. Too expensive to make, took up tons of shelf space, expensive players, a pain to load in the player and flip the disc halfway through.