|
SONY FINALLY PULLS THE PLUG ON BETAMAX
(Or: Just how do you judge success?)
When Betamax hit the scene it was a sensation. There had been trial balloons before for video recording by other manufacturers but none had gained any traction. It wasn't until Sony threw their weight behind their new home videocassette recording technology that the home video took off. It all started in 1975 and finally ended in 2002, with Sony still making Beta cassettes for the format up until 2015. Betamax is gone now and VHS didn't last much longer. So how long does a technology need to last before it is considered a commercial success? Time to check your memory and take a stroll down memory lane. Remember eight track audio tapes? Actually they were invented in the twenties but didn't become commercially available until the 60's. They were phased out of production around 1982. Even quadraphonic sound couldn't save it. So that makes twenty years of viability. Is this to be considered our benchmark? How about the audio cassettes? These small reel-to-reel sealed tapes were around from 1963 until 1988. Going way back now how about the Edison cylinder audio players? They lasted only from 1919 until 1929. You want longevity? Consider the 78 RPM phonograph records. Now were talking about seventy years. They gave way to vinyl LPs and 45s which fed the public demand for audio from 1948 well into the 70s, and now they are making a comeback. Want movies at your fingertips? Remember those big LaserDisks? Those had a run from 1978 until the mid 1990s. RCA tried movie records called CEDs (Selectavision) in 1981 but they were pulled from the market in 1984 due to poor sales. DVDs are having a good run right now. Introduced in 1996 in two variations, only one survives today. The other one being the Multimedia Compact Disk (MMCD) that lasted just three years before being trounced by the DVD. Survival of the fittest. If you search the internet you can find many attempts at winning the public over to one form or the other for storage of music, video, data or photos. Seems there is always going to be a new technology just around the corner. If we ever stop innovating and trying new things we will become pointless and inconsequential. Progress and advancement is what makes the human race what it is today, the dominant species on the planet. Betamax was just one of the many interesting journeys along the way.
SPOTTING BETA IN THE MEDIA
(Or: Does VHS get equal coverage?)
It doesn't happen a lot but it is interesting that it happens at all. Why does the Betamax show up from time to time in recent movies and the media? They aren't put their by accident. Maybe it is done to reference a technology from a bygone era. Maybe it is to place a time stamp on the subject being presented (because Betamax is a part of history). It WAS a sensation when it was introduced back in 1975. It allowed John Q. Public the luxury of recording off-the-air programming and playing it back at a later date. No longer was the TV viewer a slave to the network programming. But Sony's original vision for Betamax was to eliminate the expensive, time consuming and inconvenient chemical processing required to make home movies. Their Portable Beta recorders and cameras, and later their Betamovie, made movie making simple and easy. Instant movies and instant playback, it was a terrific breakthrough. Recording television and ;ate renting movies came along for the ride and then took over. Once Hollywood started renting their movies the "Video Revolution" began. It all became a lot bigger than Sony could have ever imagined. VCRs became a commodity. So it stands to reason that anytime Hollywood or the news media wants to make a statement about those early days of video recording, the Betamax expresses it best. Here are some movies and TV shows where Betamax has made an appearance, with a link that opens to show a relevant scene (in most cases).
In the film "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012) the tapes laying on the table when the US soldiers are confiscating evidence are of the Beta format. Looks like Osama bin Laden was into Beta. To see the scene click here. Submitted by Kasey D.
The "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" (2011) is another example. The camcorder used by Dirch Frode to record the torturing of his victims is a GCS-1 SuperBetamovie. Incidentally, the Beta equipment used in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was provided by MisterBetamax. To find out how this happened click here.
In the Disney's Pixar movie "WALL*E" (2008) when the little robot is trying to impress the robotic scout, EVE, he plays a Beta video tape of a scene from the movie "Hello Dolly".
The movie the "Real McCoy" (1993) inside Val Kilmer's trailer when Kim Basinger sees the stack of Betamax Boxes she says: "Nobody uses Beta anymore".
In the "Fly" (1986) Geena Davis uses a SuperBetamovie to record Jeff Goldblum's unsuccessful first attempt to transport a live specimen, a baboon, from one telexed transporter to another. Submitted by Joe O'Boyle
In season five of the TV series "The Fringe" (2008 - 2013) a betamax is used to play tapes recorded in the past by a Betamovie that contain instructions to help defeat the invaders that plan to exterminate all of earth's inhabitants. Submitted by Ron Hebb
> Here's another one. In the Japanese TV series "Cowboy Bebop" (1999) one of the characters receives a Beta tape with unknown information on it. Set in future of 2071 a working betamax is hard to find but they locate a Video Maniac shop with a working player and a very enthusiastic owner that is all too willing to explain the superiority of Beta format over other the formats of the past. (A translated version of this series was also aired in the USA.) Submitted by Trey Smith
In Disney's Pixar animated movie "Planes, Fire and Rescue" (2014) there is a Beta tape and VCR plainly visible when several key players are gathered together in a hanger to watch a movie. Click here to open the panel of the scene. The fork lift character opens a can on a shelf, removes a Beta tape and shows it to the others (upper left). It is labeled "Howard The Truck" on the box, but after he flips out the cassette it is actually "Ep. 25 Disco Inferno" (upper right), a movie short about fire fighting that's intended to inspire it's viewers. He loads it into a VCR that is noticeable a Beta machine (bottom of the photo).
I decided to look closer at some other Pixar animated movies and VCRs do appear in several more, besides the two already noted. In "Toy Story" (1995) there is one below a TV sitting on a cart. Close examination shows that it could be a Beta. The tapes are the right size, but the image is fleeting and not distinctive enough. In "Toy Story 2" (1999) there is a VCR owned by the villain and it is plainly visible when Woody and the gang watch B&W tapes of "Woody's Roundup". It is a VHS. Could this mean that villains use VHS and the good guys use Beta? That would be weird. But no weirder than naming the robot in Disney's Pixar "Big Hero 6" (2014) Baymax. I mean really, Baymax? How much closer can you come to Betamax? Couldn't call him Betamax because Sony owns that trademark. I'm sure they would object, as they too are in the movie business. What's up John Lasseter?
In "Everybody Wants Some" (2016) there is a discussion among the group about watching a movie on videotape. Prominently displayed in the room is a Sony SL-5600 and a number of Beta tapes stacked around in boxes. Click here to open the panel of the scene.
In the film "The Nice Guys" (2016) which takes place in the 70s there is a scene where a couple of the supporting characters walk through a room. On the right is an LV-1901 with a game of "Pong" on the screen and a Beta storage rack on top. Click here to open the panel showing the scene. Submitted by Terence Maliga
In the movie "Hands Of Stone" (2016) when Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) is discussing boxing strategy he plays a recording of a fight using a Sony SL-7200 or SL-8200. Click here to open the panel of the scene. Submitted by David Martin
When Frank and Mike of American Pickers (on the History channel) go to New York City to visit an electronics collector (2016) there is an SL-2000 and TT-2000 sitting on one of the shelves. Click here to open the panel of the scene.
In the cult classic "Videodrome" (1983) there are numerous scenes that show beta tapes and recorders. Click here to open the panel showing one of the scenes with Debra Harry holding a Beta cassette. Submitted by Terence Maliga
The movie "Under The Shadow" (2016) has several scenes where the principle character is exercising to a Jane Fonda workout tape. The cassettes and machine (Sanyo) used in the movie are Beta. Click here to open the panel showing one of the scenes.
In "Despicable Me 3" (2017) in the opening scene when the villain (who identifies with the 1980s) is foiled he shouts the line: "Son of a Betamax!". Submitted by K. K.
A couple of creative losers accidentally become big shots in the video music industry in the comedy "Tapeheads" (1988). In the opening scenes a Beta tape is inserted into a Sony SL-HF750. In a following scene a Beta tape is prominently exhibited by John Cusack. Click here to see both scenes. Submitted by Terence Maliga
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a 1986 American psychological horror crime film. Henry and a prison buddy videotape their crime spree using a Betamovie and then relive their exploits watching it on their TV using a SL-2700. Click here to see scenes showing both devices. Submitted by Kyle2000
In 1987 and on several other occasions during episodes of Married With Children there has been mentioned going to "Bob's Betas and Bellbottoms" in Milwaukee for renting movies. Submitted by Cecil Al Almed
In the opening of Saturday Night Live on 10/10/20 there was a parody of the vice presidential debate that took place on 10/7/20. During the debate a fly parked itself on the hair of vice-president Mike Pence for two minutes. This pesky insect was the star of the SNL sketch. Playing on the movie "The Fly" (see above) Jim Carry portrayed the presidential candidate Joe Biden. His face replaces Jeff Goldblum's as he enters the machine to later becomes the fly hybrid. A SuperBetamovie camcorder is seen mounted on a tripod to record the event. The Biden fly lands on the VPs head and comedy ensues. To see a shot of this SNL scene click here. The SuperBetamovie camcorder is prominently visible.
During the Jeopardy that aired October 27, 2020 in the category of Greek Letters the question was "It came to market in 1975 a year before VHS" the answer was, of course, Beta(max).
Numerous times in the past during the "Wheel Of Fortune" Pat Sejak has made a reference to his vast collection of Betamax tapes. Again in the broadcast of May 28, 2021 he made a reference to betamax after the three toss up puzzles were completed. The answers were DVD collection, CD collection and coin collection. Sejak added that: "this didn't include his vast collection of Betamax tapes". He also went on to say: "that of course he was not allowed to mention this on this network". (Which of course he WAS mentioning.) What was he alluding to?
Same goes for Drew Carry on the Price Is Right. Several time a year he mentions, tongue-in-cheek, that he still has an extensive collection of Betamax tapes at his home.
On the June 28, 2021 Price Is Right there was a prize up for opening bids that awarded the winner a large dollar amount or credit towards transferring memories over to DVD. They would convert 8mm, 16mm, Super8, photos, cards and video tape. Prominently displayed front and center was an L-750 Betamax cassette. Again on their 50th anniversary show in prime time the DVD rendering service was part of one of the final showcase offerings. These are where the big prizes are awarded. Is this going to be an ongoing thing? Is there big money in this? I do perform a good bit of repairs for establishments that are currently transferring Beta. Click here to see a couple of screen shots. A Sony L-750 Beta cassette is prominently displayed. Since this episode aired the Beta tape has made other appearances whenever this transfer service was offered as a bid item.
In the horror movie House (1986), Roger Cobb orders piles of video recording devices to try and capture on video the monster/ghosts living in his house. When the delivery truck shows up and the driver starts unloading the gear much of it is Beta format related. Click here and check out the Toshiba V-X34, V-S36 and the Betamovie camcorder. Submitted by Marty Edwards
In the animated miniseries Duckman his son Ajax is transported by hillbilly aliens to the planet Betamax. It is populated by Betamaxians and they immediately revere him as their savior. It Aired April 20th, 1996 in season three as episode thirteen. It also appears as episode 35 in the four disc DVD set. The adventure is titled "The One With Lisa Kudrow In A Small Role". Submitted by Jason A.
A recent YouTube video calls attention to the gadget coverage of todays average smart phone. While a mobile phone can play videos it isn't capable of directly accepting video tape. Bottom center is an L-500 Sony Beta cassette shown to indicate that with a little ingenuity you can load your tapes into a format that can be seen on any device. Click here to see the posted image. Submitted by Kasey D.
In the movie Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life a Betamax is mentioned in the movie segment titled "The Miracle Of Birth" as the doctors are discussing archiving the upcoming delivery. Submitted by Kyle brown
Waiting for Guffman is a 1996 American comedy/mockumentary* written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly the time frame the "documentary" is supposed to be filmed in. One of the scenes shows a Sanyo 3900 or 4400 prominently displayed in the background center with a cup and candy bowl on top of it (which is a no-no). These Betas were made between 1983 and 1984. The VCR has to have been placed there on purpose to set a time period and to add authenticity as reference. Click here and check it out. Submitted by David K.
*QED addition: mockumentary - noun: a motion picture or television program that takes the form of a serious documentary in order to satirize its subject. Other examples are the movies Surf's Up, This Is Spinal Tap and The Blair Witch Project.
In the Nov. 3, 2022* installment of Young Sheldon (the spinoff of the popular CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory) a Sony SL-8200 Betamax is prominently displayed inside the video store that is attached to Me-maw's (Annie Potts) coin operated laundromat/gambling establishment. This seems purposely done to set the time period. Click here to see pictures. How do I know this should be an SL-8200 and not the SL-7200? Both look identical. The SL-7200 only recorded and played in the  (Bx1) speed and almost all pre-recorded Beta movies were recorded in  (Bx2). Since this surely ids a prop and not an operational VCR it could be either. But it is interesting that for the series they decided to show a Betamax and not a VHS machine. Was it because Betamax was iconic and made a statement about the times. Or was it because this VCR was just more recognizable? Since this episode aired the Betamax has made several other appearances whenever the inside of the rental store is shown. Submitted by C. J. Kooper.
Footnote: I know of only one studio movie that was released using the original speed. It was "The Man Who Fell To Earth" starring David Bowie released in 1976 through British Lion Films. It was 138 minutes long and required two cassettes. One L-500 for 60 minutes (originally called the K-60) and a new length, the L-750 that recorded 90 minutes.
*Nov. 3rd is supposed to be national Godzilla day (see the date for the Young Sheldon episode).
In the popular long running series "Murder She Wrote" starring the late Angela Lansbury a Betamax is one of the central players. The episode originally aired on Sunday, February 15, 1987 (and now in reruns). A recording made using a Betamax is used in the story to identify the killer. The VCR is visible several times and looks to be an SL-100. This model hit the streets in 1986 which would put the time frame in the right neighborhood. I selected two scenes, although there are more, that show the machine enough so that it can be identified (prominently displaying the VCR). The pictures have been sharpened to show more detail. Click here to see the examples. Submitted by Kyle Brown.
On Disney+ if you go to the series "Behind the Rides" using the Betamax is mentioned as being one of the possible candidates for exhibiting the multi-plane visual effects used for the for the Millennium Falcon experience. It turned out to not be suitable because a more powerful medium was just around the corner, laserdisc. Submitted by G-man.
In a Jack In The Box commercial their front man and friends dance to a video made in the 70s being played on a SL-8200 Betamax. Click here to see some screenshots of the commercial. Submitted by Kyle Brown.
In the motion picture Koyaanisqatsi a billboard can be plainly seen advertising the Betamax. It explained that you can record it now and watch it later with the Sony SL-8600. To see the example click here. Submitted by Kyle Brown.
In the motion picture Nothing In Common Tom Hanks is an executive for an advertising company. In a scene in the boardroom where he and his coworkers are reviewing a new commercial there is a SuperBetahi-if SL-HF600 in plain sight (in the center below the monitors). There is also another Betamax to the right of this one. It is the SL-20. Later in the film the young son of his boss wants to videotape a treasured stallion pairing up with his prized mare. He attempts to use a Betamovie to record the event but is quickly hauled away by his mother. To see these scenes click here. Submitted by CMK.
During the Simpson aired on 10/27/24 Abe Simpson is recalling a time gone by when he was walking down the boardwalk in Springfield. One of the stores in the background is the VHS VILLAGE (tape rental) store which is noted as FORMERLY THE BETA BARN. To see the scene click here. Submitted by K. Kinch.
It seems the Betamax is not going to go away when it comes to its relevance in history. There are other appearances out there. Do you know of one to add to the list?
WHERE DOES THIS CARD GO?
(Or: How to do you un-solve a problem?)
When Sony introduced the Slimline design Betas (also called the E-Z Betas) a new feature was added to some of the higher end units called Auto-On. This characteristic was carried over to later units as well. It operated like this. When a tape was inserted into the cassette compartment the VCR would automatically turn itself on and take the tape inside. For a while Sony made units that had Auto-On and some that didn't. This seemed to create a problem. Some owners were expecting their Betas to turn on automatically when they didn't. And they were also cramming the cassette in too hard and breaking the loading mechanism. Sony's solution was to place a fold-over card in the front of the cassette compartment for machines that didn't have Auto-On. To see its placement click here. This card cautioned first time users that they needed to turn on their machine before inserting a cassette, and to avoid using excessive force when pushing it into the compartment. It also warned in big bold letters to remove the card before operating the machine. This ended up only trading one problem for another. Many owners simply ignored the card altogether and pushed it inside the machine along with the cassette. This caused the VCR to jamb and spit the cassette back out, leaving the card stuck inside. It also stopped future tapes from being accepted. Not a good PR move. Sony quickly stopped shipping machines with this warning card. The problem went away when all the newer units featured "Auto-On" and the cassette receiver was redesigned to better protect itself.
KEEPING
TABS ON YOUR TABS
(Or: What is this thing stuck to my tape?)
When Betamax first arrived all the video
cassettes were made by Sony. There were only two lengths available, thirty
and sixty minutes (the only speed then was Beta I). They were labeled
the K-30 and the K-60. When slower speeds were introduced the names changed
to L-250 and L-500 and two more lengths were added, the L-750 and L-830.
The cassette shells themselves didn't differ much over time. This is because their size, shape
and internal components had to meet Sony's stringent compatibility requirements.
But there were two internal items that were changed after several years
of manufacture and I want to bring the old design to your attention because
they are beginning to cause some serious aggravation. This information will
be very important to you if you have any of these early cassettes. I wish
I could give you some production dates or codes to identify the guilty
cassettes but those aren't available so we will have to go at this the hard
way, by internal inspection. Taking you through this is going to require
some pictures for parts identification and repair steps, so this discussion
will continue in a special panel that you can open by clicking here.
This tab
problem is found only in the early tapes manufactured by Sony. But unfortunately
this means it also includes tapes that they made under other brands names
like Sanyo, Toshiba, NEC and Zenith. So all older Beta tapes are suspect
and as you now know the situation is ugly. I wish I had better news but
this is the way it is and the problem is out there.
IS THE BETAMAX MAKING A COMEBACK?
(Or: What about those prices lately on ebay?)
Have you seen the prices that some of the Beta units are commanding lately on ebay? Are there really that many people that wanting to convert their Beta tapes to DVD that it would drive prices so high? I'm sure that this accounts for some of the interest but it can't explain all of it.
Consider this, to most peoples minds all you need is just your basic unit for converting tapes yet some of the highest priced auctions are for units that have features that are clearly are not just for playback. The Sony digital units (SL-HF810D, SL-HF840D, SL-HF860D and SL-HF870D) are doing very well. They are somewhat rare, and this may be a factor, but it could mean they are being snapped up for other reasons. Like their collectivity or for their entertaining special effects. The feature laden SL-HF750, SL-HF900 and SL-HF1000 also have a good following. The last units Sony made are also do very well. These are the SL-HF2000, SL-S600 and the SL-HF2100. Even the professional units, that have no tuners or timers, are being gobbled up. But selling the best are the low end units. The ones being used just for transferring tapes to DVDs. Some of these are auctioning off for more than they cost new (not allowing for inflation, but still impressive).
I'm sure one big factor for this activity is because the source for good reliable beta units is very limited. Finding something dependable can be a bit dicey (through sources other than my Website). The tested and well promoted Betas are doing better than the "as-is" or unknowns. Naturally those being sold for parts go for cheap, if at all.
This new attention will surely fade. But for now the used Beta business seems to be holding its own. Could Beta make a comeback? Stranger things have happened. Take the new interest in vinyl recordings that is developing. Once thought to be totally dead Sony just announced the opening of a new pressing plant for making LPs, citing a resurgence of demand for tunes pressed in plastic. Audiophiles claim that recordings in vinyl have a better sound than digital and they are even willing to pay more for them. Turntable sales, almost nonexistent a few years ago, are also picking up. Could this happen with Beta? Maybe if people rediscover how friendly it is to use and how smooth playback is compared to DVDs (or VHS)? It is very doubtful. Only time will tell. For now Beta fans will have to satisfy their hunger for their format by shopping for used or refurbished machines. (For more information on transferring Beta to DVD see the first question in the "Ask MisterBetamax" section.)
THE FAMOUS SONY BETAMAX LAWSUIT
(Or: Is this battle ever going to be over?)
Before the famous Betamax case, when Sony was sued by Universal Studios, The Disney Company, et. al. over movie rights, things were much simpler. There were movies, but the public has no easy way to own them, store them or copy them. So the main weight of copyright protection was centered around the music industry, music was easy to record.
Two main associations took on the responsibility of insuring that songwriters, composers and publishers were paid for the use of their talents. One was BMI (Broadcast Music,Inc.) and the other was ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). Royalties from records and sheet music was pretty straightforward but things became a little dicey when it came to the playback industry (ie: jukeboxes, radio stations, concerts). Jukeboxes were supposed to tabulate how often a certain record was played. The system was never accurate so a blanket payment plan was formulated to cover the gray areas.
Concerts would be figured according to ticket
sales. Radio airplay was totaled using sampling. Two weeks out of every
year a radio station was required by the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters)
and other industry groups to monitor or keep a playlist log of each
song played over the air (even if used as the background in a commercial).
From this information computations were made for charging the radio station royalties
that could be distributed to the various artists and talents involved. These same
association also monitored and produced similar results for the television
industry.
Everything was going along swimmingly until
Sony came up with the Betamax and made it possible to record television
programs and movies. Now there was a new threat. This was an area where
laws hadn't been decided and no one played by any set ground rules. Before
video recording movies had been especially hard to duplicate using film,
so pirating was a rarity. So it wasn't the media people they didn't didn't
trust, they had rounded them up years ago, it was the common people, the
public (and the supposed black market of pirated content that they thought
might develop) that was going to keep the entertainment moguls up at night.
At the very first it didn't matter. Recording
off of TV was a curiosity. Kind of a magic trick. But a company calling
itself Magnetic Video went to several studios and asked if they could sell
video taped movies (and give them a kickback). They said yes and it was
opened a whole new can of worms. To everybody's surprise the tapes began to sell.
Suddenly the studios putting out the movies had to make excuses to the others
that hadn't said it was okay. They hadn't agreed to release any of theirs movies
and they weren't making any money off this deal. The stock answer by the
studios selling tapes was: we didn't think
anyone would actually buy any of these things. Who would want to see old
movies anyway, selling tickets for today's films is what we are all about. Whoops!
Hold the phone! These video tape recorders can make copies of our movies
and we will lose a sale and money. Didn't see that one coming. We
have got to stop this right now. Who invented this recorder thing, anyway.
Sony, they're the ones, let's sue them and make them either a) stop making
them or b) make their units so they won't record our movies. And while were
at it, let's get a decision on just what these recorders can and can't legally
record. It will all be good, after we nail Sony the other maker(s) will also
follow suit. Two birds with one stone. (At this time Betamax was
the big seller and VHS was just sitting in their lair, sort of like a spider.)
VHS, to avoid all this controversy, just up and put a special chip in their
machines. One that would prevent recording if the tapes included a recording scheme called "Copyguard" This was so the newly invented protection system would stop their
machines from recording content that was copyright protected. Recording stuff off
the air was sort of okay, but copying movies was out with VHS. They were
happy to just sit this one out and watch all legal posturing. Sony on the
other hand was now going to do battle with Universal Studios and the Disney
Company. This lawsuit thing had now turned into something beyond the movies
(partly because of Copyguard) now it was about the right to record ANYTHIING
(except home movies of the family). Sony, in defiance, did not put a Copyguard
chip in their machines. They didn't think they had done anything wrong,
besides the issue hadn't been decided. Of course, After a long fight Sony
won us the right to record anything we wanted, so long as it is for our
own private use. By then all the movie studios used Copyguard so VHS was
locked out from dubbing recorded motion pictures (as a concession they made
to garner Hollywoods favor). We, the public, in turn weren't actually allowed own the
movies. Every DVD and factory movie tells tell you this at they very beginning
of every copy ad nauseam. Nobody in the entertainment industry cared too much
for this arrangement because they had lost control, but the public now had
permission to record what they wanted without fear of the VCR police. (To see a cartoon that was a sign of the times click here.) The
public, in turn, rewarded Sony for this legal triumph by promptly making
their competitor the number one selling video format. Beta was killed off
and VHS lived on. One side note: Sony seemed to come out it okay. They purchased
Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures for 3.4 billion in 1989. After that
they started putting a Copyguard chip in their Beta models. After all, they
were in the movie business now, baby.
COMPARING SONY TO APPLE
(Or: Is there a lesson in here, somewhere?)
What good is knowing history anyway? Can we really learn from it and apply what has happened in the past to what will come in the future? Is there something to be learned from Sony's grief at the loss of Beta at the hands of VHS? Or Apples tenacious crewing away at the windows/PC market. Certainly one thing Sony learned was don't sell what you think is a flawed and clunky recording system to a hungry competitor. Almost everybody that visits this Website knows that Beta VCR production ended in 2002. Sony finally gave in to VHS saying that Beta sales numbers no longer justified keeping it around. And VHS, too, is now gone. Looking back it seems that a company with the resources of Sony could have stuck it out up until the end. Maybe their might have been a market for a Beta to DVD unit? Especially when one considers that many people accepted the Beta format (early on) as their choice for recording those special moments with their children, loved ones, family and friends. The Beta format, because of its compact size and ease of use, aggressively went after the consumer home recording market. Portability, low cost per hour and editing capabilities were used to promote video recording over 8mm film, and then later on over the inferior VHS format (from Beta's point of view). It was true and it worked best, and they sold a lot of Beta units. But this is now and the people that bought into this marketing concept have a narrow range of options should they want to relive and preserve those precious moments recorded on Beta. They no longer have the option of purchasing a new unit to play them on. The MisterBetamax Site is repeatedly approached by people who just want something, anything to play back their memories (their unit no longer works or is gone). It seems sad now that their options are so limited. Even though I make it possible for many folks to view their old recordings (through my repair services and refurbished units), it would be much better if Sony still made Beta VCRs. It just seems that a company as formidable as Sony could have taken a more passionate approach and at least continued to make one or two units for old times sake, for the folks that still had archives of memories on Beta tape and wanted a machine to play them on. Would this have hurt their bottom line very much? From a PR standpoint would it of hurt or helped their image? Here's another thought. Would Sony have decided to end Beta if Akio Morita, the champion of Beta, had still been around in 2002?
So how does this compare with Apples situation? There are some interesting similarities and just as many interesting differences. This is a company that really fell from grace and was virtually wiped out when the windows operating system exploded onto the scene. It wasn't so long ago that Apple was all but washed up. Just like with the Beta format the people that took them seriously were the ones that loved them. Sony never suffered as a corporate icon as did Apple. (There was a time when you could scoop up Apple stock for less than five bucks a share. It sells for many, many, many times that now.) It is now the worlds largest and most successful company. But the extreme rise from oblivion for Apple illustrates what can happen when you know your the best, make the best and don't abandon your die hard supporters. I know it seems like I'm being pretty hard on Sony here but I knew their format was better. Not only did I know it, but so did virtually everybody serious about video recording. Broadcasters used Beta. The United States government used Beta. Schools, municipalities, the surveillance and records keeping industry, the automobile industry, and corporations and businesses used Beta. Even the public knew it was better. It was looked upon as the choice of the shrewd consumer. But there was soon to be more to video than recording. A huge rental industry was born and tape recorders exploded into the marketplace and into the homes of almost everybody. VHS would end up victorious because it was cheap and easy to make. (And the choice of the adult movie industry, if you believe the general scuttlebutt.) And that is a winning combination in the marketplace. The VHS operational design made it very simple to make. Loading tape only requires two moving levers. They carry two blocks inward with pins on them. These withdraw the tape from the shell and presses it around the video drum. Over simplified? Yes, but the system required less parts and less precision than Beta did. Beta wraps the tape around drum in a half circle and uses fewer sharp angles. This design has less friction so the tape can stay inside the machines tape path during all functions. The biggest downside to VHS is the tape can't remain in the path. Searching for something on a VHS tape is a nightmare, with the constant back and forth threading. But this objection didn't matter much if all your were going to do was watch a movie, ballgame or soap opera. Because VHS was mechanically less complicated it was easier to license and make. This made for a lot of manufacturers and that made VHS very available, and very cheap. Beta had the features and the quality, but that didn't do much to slow down VHS. Early on the rental industry offered Beta, because it was already well established when rentals first became available, but soon they would only offer VHS (then finally DVDs). Sony promoted Beta strongly at first and stuck with it for a long time. To their credit they produced (and still produce) some of the most innovative products in the world for video recording. Much of it over the heads of the people buying the majority of the recorders and tapes.
There is a similarity of sorts between Sony and Apple. With Apple it was having the bulk of the computer world go over to the windows platform. Like Sony, Apple stuck it out. They plugged away and continued to please their customer base. They innovated with new products relating to their core business of making great products and providing an excellent operating system or platform. It took some time but it eventually paid off handsomely for Apple. Sony isn't doing too bad either. But they were never beaten down as bad as Apple was. Sony built their consumer business on game stations, color television, radios, Watchmans, Walkmans, along with the Betamax and Betamovie. Apple went from computers, to laptops, to ipods, to itunes, to iphone, ipads and more. Many successes. But giving up on unpopular products is not new to either of them. (Newton and Lisa for Apple, DAT and Video 8 for Sony). But they are big companies and they keep moving forward. But Apple has gotten a lot bigger lately. Is this their reward for sticking to your guns when you know you have a good thing? Maybe so. Beta was supposed to be the better format and Apple is supposed to be preferred by those that want to enjoy computing. But there's more to Sony than Betamax, and now there's more to Apple than a computer and an operating system. But when Apple almost went down the tubes it was struggling for it's very existence. When Beta died Sony only lost its market share.
I have a Mac and a PC sitting here in my work area and I use them both. And of course I use Beta for all my recording, and I do a good bit. But I can't help but wonder, couldn't (shouldn't) the outcome for Beta have been different? I'm not saying that Sony should still be fighting for market share but instead maybe shifted their position to one of providing a product for people who would still like to use Beta. Beta wasn't like eight tracks or mini cassettes. It wasn't like the bubonic plague. A lot of people believed in Sony and preferred Beta over VHS. Nothing better has come along. The newest recording methods are technically better but awkward. They require several devices plus software to perform a simple recording task. I know that's a slight exaggeration, but you know... my Beta just sits there waiting for me to pop in a tape and press play. What could be easier?
THE HISTORY OF BETA I, II AND III
(Or: Which speed is really best?)
Ever since the first Beta was introduced in 1975 there has been a ongoing debate among Betaphiles about which speed is the best to record in order to produce the best picture results. Audio doesn't seem to be as big an issue but in this article we will also take this into consideration, but to a lesser degree.
A little history please. The first consumer Betas where the LV-1901A and the SL-7200, in that order. Both recorded only in one speed (which is approx. 3 3/4 inches per second) and only for one hour. They were primitive by today's standards but a miracle to people that wanted to time shift television. These two consumer home recorders had large video heads designed to record a scan meant only for the Beta x1 speed. The reason for the large heads was the technology wasn't developed at that time for making smaller ones. Tape wasn't as really that good back then either and the wider video heads meant that many of the tape imperfections (dropouts) would have less of an impact on picture performance. Soon after Sony introduced LV-1901A and the SL-7200, which were in short supply (as was the tape), RCA started selling a two speed VHS "SelectaVision" recorder (the VBT200 came out October 1977). A new manufacturing method for Improved (smaller) video heads now made this possible. This unit would record up to four hours on one (larger than Beta) cassette. Sony countered this move with a two speed unit of their own, the SL-8200. It had heads optimized for Beta x2 and handled both speeds, Bx1 and Bx2. Next came a single Bx2 speed portable, the SL-3000 and the only single speed deck ever made, the Bx2 SL-8600. Both handled the renamed speed. It ran at half the speed of Beta x1 (now designated as ). The heads in these units were half the width of those in the SL-7200. A longer cassette, the L-750 was soon released which allowed up to three hours of recording in . So how was the picture of the SL-8200 in ? Judging from the improvements to come later, not that good, but still better than VHS and nearly as good as the SL-7200 due to improvements in tape and smarter electronics. From now on Sony was playing catch up in the time/speed war. The battle between Beta and VHS turned on the hope of more recording time, than it did about quality. Sony did make a big deal about how Beta produced a superior picture but we all know how that turned out. Shortly after these units hit the market came the  speed. The tape travel was reduced again and so was the head size. Picture quality was degraded some. But it was still the best, speed for speed. Each time the tape was dropped down the audio quality would also drop, as would picture stability and tracking interchangeability. VHS was now marketing units with a six hour capability in the XLP, EXP or SLP mode (their slowest speed). It helped that tape continued to improve and become more refined. Smaller magnetic particles allowed the tiny heads to record a denser signal. was to be the last Beta speed reduction. Sony gave up on trying to beat VHS on recording time and settled on hyping picture quality, sound improvements and superior features. Something Beta surely had in it's favor until the very end. So which Beta speed triumphs as the preferred compromise for yielding the best performance? SuperBetahi-fi in would get my vote. Super Hi-Band s is the best but it yields less recording times. still renders a great picture, good sound control and running stability. seems to be a little bit fussy so I don't use it. Plus the machine has to be it top condition to run it with confidence. So I can only rely on what others have told me on and that is this: It still beats the slowest mode in VHS.
SAVING THOSE MEMORIES TO DVD
(Or: Is there any way to hold on to these?)
Here's a question that will keep an archivist
up at night. How does one store valuable information so it's accessible,
always safe and always viable? All across this nation millions of tons of
paper resides in record rooms, evidence lockers and private homes. Paper
remains the primary way memories of our past existence are recorded and stored.
From the present day info of court records, IRS files, corporate minutes
and the like all the way back to Roman times we have relied on paper to
record and store information. But paper is not forever. The burning of the library at Alexandria
shows that irreplaceable history can disappear in a matter of minutes when
it's stored on paper (papyrus or vellum). Our own Declaration of Independence is fading
away. So how about stone for information storage? It offers a pretty stable
platform for record keeping. The Rosetta stone held up pretty good over
the years but even stone carvings, if left to the elements, fall into dust
(it does take a good while). Besides, sending the IRS a 1040 carved in stone
would be impractical and hard for the employees to handle. Imagine the muscle
bulk necessary for Postal workers, sorting clerks and tax agents to deal
with stone tablets. Funny to imagine. What about digital. 1's and 0's stored
on a magnetic disk. Digital, is this the best way to go? As long as the
disks don't encounter a strong electromagnetic disturbance they should do
fine, right? No one knows for sure because it is difficult to know exactly
how things hold up over a long time. Time study requires, well, a lot of
time. Can't speed time up very easily. So how about storing digital information
on a disk using a laser that burns ones and zeros (as tiny pits) on an optically
sensitive surface. Now you're talking! Compact, stable, durable and able to
store massive amounts of information. But how do CDs and DVDs hold up relative
to time? It depends on many factors but as of this writing the ones pressed
from a master (such as factory made music, movies and software) do pretty
well. That is to say manufactured digital media seems to last indefinitely,
as long as it isn't scratched, broken or burned. The recordable CDs and
DVDs may not do as well. It seems the same light that stores the information
can destroy it as well. Recording a DVD uses special light coming from a laser,
but there are components in ordinary light that can adversely affect recordable
DVDs. So, store them in the dark? That's better, but still not a perfect
answer. Not all light is visible to the eye and light rays are not the only
rays flying through the air that can trouble recordable DVDs. Since the
medium sandwiched inside the plastic plate is a light sensitive dye, even
playing the disk can be a problem. The laser must strike the dye (where
those ones and zeros reside as open pits) in order to read it and over an extended
amount of time damage can be done and information can be lost. It may take
years, but we are looking at archiving information for the long haul. So
it would seem that one may need to make several copies and then place them
in several temperature controlled lead vaults away from any light, to insure
their ultimate survival. Let's also include a stable, humidity controlled
environment with no pressure or mechanical stress. Would we then have the perfect
time capsule? If our precious information were upgraded each time
a new storage method came along could it last forever? Only time would tell.
(Editors Note: Be sure to read the first question in the "Ask
MisterBetamax" section.)
MR. BETAMAX HAS PASSED AWAY.
(Not me, the man responsible for promoting Betamax in the USA.)
From the New York Times May 2008: The Sony boss who doubled the size of the outfit's US operations, despite championing the failed Betamax video recording system, has died at the age of 80. Harvey Schein, was one of the first 'Europeans' to be a top name in a big Japanese company. He was recruited by Akio Morita, the visionary co-founder of Sony, who believed that Sony's American subsidiary needed an American chap in charge. Schein led Sony America from 1972 to 1978. He was famous for being highly successful while his rule was stormy. The fact that his management style was described as 'abrasive' and 'colorful' might have had something to do with this. In 1975, Sony introduced Betamax, a video cassette recording system superior in almost every way to VHS. It still ended up losing the home recording market. Schein became involved in the legal battle with Disney and Universal that ended up allowing people to make home recordings of television shows and which sparked the home video boom. According to available financial information, during his term Schein increased Sony's annual sales from $300 million to $750 million. However he was often at war with Tokyo which didn't like him chasing a fast buck in favor of more longer-term thinking. After leaving Sony he went to Warner Communications and later became president of Polygram Corp.
FROM
BETAMAX TO BLOCKBUSTER by Josh Greenberg
(Is this book really about Betamax?)
If
your curious about the video rental revolution that took place after the
introduction of the VCR, then Joshua Greenburg's new book "From Betamax
to Blockbuster" offers up some interesting reading. In it he chronicles
the steady progression of consumer video (after the introduction of the
Betamax) from a small cluster of videophiles all the way up to the video
rental business. Many of us lived through this revolution and will find
this book interesting reading. What isn't in the book is the story of
how Betamax came to be, what the Universal vs. Sony lawsuit meant to the
general public, and how Sony lost out to VHS in the long run. He does go
into detail about how the rental business made the content more important
than the device it was played on, which in turn contributed to the demise
of Beta (promoted as the format for the quality conscious). This progression of
the public's adoption of the VCR as a movie playing instrument instead
of a time shifting device is the books main subject. The complete story of the development, struggle and eventual demise of
the Betamax will require another look.
BETAMAX vs VHS by Giulia Lucarelli
(A competitive format battle study)
Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject of business economics - In 1975 Sony introduced into the marketplace the Betamax video cassette recorder (VCR). This was the main actor of an interesting competitive battle in the consumer electronics industry. In detail, this industry was at its early stage, and standards were not defined yet. Apparently Sony built a valid and good strategy that was supposed to win the standard war against its main competitor VHS, a VCR format once made by Sony and later developed by Matsushita. However, Matsushita obliged a different strategy that eventually made it the market winner. Even if Sony's strategy was to make well-built and better devilces, it lost this standard war due to other unpredictable factors such as market and technological uncertainties. This paper aims to analyze these factors in detail, with a complementary diagnosis of the rationale beyond Sony's strategic choices, and a consequential identification of the strategic choices that it could have done differently. Furthermore, rationale beyond Matsushita's strategic choices are studied as well, and the competitive battle is analyzed also from the technology point of view. Hence, it's interesting to observe how these two firms adopted such different strategies, in alignment with the firm corporate strategy, and how they focused in different product attributes. (See study available online.)
MADE IN JAPAN (Biography of Sony) by Akio Morita
(Or: How Sony rose from the ashes of WWII.)
Akio Morita was the mentor for Japanese manufacture and a true artisan in the 20th century. This book is like a memoir for Akio as he not only tells the story of the career he had at sony but also his earlier memory in Japan post WWII, This is fascinating to read as it unveils a truly different world from the one we are living in today.
Review From Publishers Weekly:
Co-founder and chairman of Sony Corporation, Morita, who personifies Japan's postwar technological ascendancy, ascribes his interest in everything electronic to his mother's love of her Victrola* recordings of European music. With the help of Time magazine's Tokyo bureau-chief Reingold and Japanese journalist Shimomura, he traces the development of his multinational firm, starting with a primitive tape recorder he built amid Tokyo's wartime rubble. Determined to change the image of Japanese goods to one of quality in foreign markets, especially in the U.S. where he established a subsidiary, he was gratified that Sony products were soon copied by global competitors. While retaining the mental discipline of his native education, Morita adopted the features of the Western world. He contrasts the Japanese familial, long-term concept of employee relations and other business practices with those of the U.S., which he criticizes for its litigious, hasty and often uncompromising attitudes. Liberalization of trade on both sides, he avers, would be a positive step in solving the worldwide economic crisis.
*Victrola is the brand name of a type of phonograph that played 78 rpm records.
Review From Library Journal:
This volume provides a biography of the legendary co-founder and chairman of the Sony Corporation, Akio Morita. Beginning in the waning days of World War II and spanning to the present, Morita deftly comments on a variety of topics ranging from the post-war reconstruction of Japan to his views on world trade. Of special interest to managers will be Morita's chapter "On Management," which unlocks some of the issues he believes to account for Japanese economic success. Items of discussion here include the Japanese philosophies of lifetime employment, job rotation, long-run orientation, and quality control.
HOW ABOUT SOME SUKIYAKI?
(Or: The song that helped pave the way.)
Sukiyaki was a song originally recorded by Kyu Sakamoto in his native Japanese. It was first released in Japan in 1961 where it became a huge hit. The song also topped the charts in over ten countries, spending three weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. It became one of the world's best-selling singles of all time, foreign or otherwise. Selling over 13 million copies worldwide. And one of the most covered songs recorded by other artists in history. So what does this have to do with Betamax? Let me explain. This lovely, lilting tune conditioned the world population to the realization that Japan was returning to the global scene despite the devastating consequences of WWII. It was a year after in 1964 the Olympics were going to be held in Tokyo and signaled that Japan's economy was expanding globally. This and the pretty song from across the pond helped paved the way for their wave of futuristic electronics that changed our world. Before this in America (and around the world) home electronics was not expected to be from Japan in any big way. If you wanted a good reel-to-reel audio recorder the best was going to come from Germany and had names like Wollensak or Grundig, for cameras it was Leica or Praktika. But once the general public soften its opinion of Asian culture through song, harmony and the games the flood gates opened and some now familiar Japanese names rapidly gained fame. Sony was one of those companies and their drive to be the best helped fuel the Japanese rebirth and paved the way for Betamax. Had the industrial climate not improved the home video revolution could have been delayed half a decade or more. The really weird thing about the Song is the story about how it became so popular and how it began to take on a life of its own. Lots of information on Sukiyaki (the song phenomenon) and the traditional vegetable stew, can be found by searching the internet. But briefly the song was first released in 1961 in Japan under its true name, which was "Ue o Muite Aruko" and it was written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and with music by composer Hachidai Nakamura. It became an instant hit. The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall, with the verses describing his memories and feelings. Rokusuke wrote the lyrics while walking home from a Japanese student protest against the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan. He was expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts. However, the lyrics were purposefully generic so that it might refer to any lost love. The English-language version recorded later by the girl signing group 'A Taste of Honey' is not a translation of the original Japanese wording, but instead is a completely different set of lyrics arranged to the same basic melody. To really understand the song you would have to know Japanese. But that didn't really matter. It became an international hit after an executive for Capitol records, in Japan on business, heard it, liked it and arranged for the international releasing rights. The title was changed to make it easier for Americans to remember. So here you have a Song sung in Japanese to a pretty melody with a title that has nothing to do with the lyrics; which basically sprung from and expresses the depression felt after a failed protest. Well, it was one wild ride to get there but thanks to some Sukiyaki, America (and the world) formed a warmer attitude towards the Japanese Islands.
OH! THE POOR LITTLE OCTOTHORPE
(Or: Now what does this have to do with Betamax?)
The octothorpe, also know as the pound sign, hash, hashtag, hashmark, bang, shebang, hex, sharp (music), number sign, character above the "3" on the QWERTY keyboard or just plain #, has an interesting history. One that kind of ties into what is going on right now with Betamax. It's a stretch but worth the ride so read on. First, about the four lined symbol. History tends to favor the theory that the poor little octothorpe was invented by the Bell Telephone Labs (Western Electric) in 1968. Seems they needed a keypad marker (symbol) to occupy a space to the right of the zero key on their newly designed 12 button touch telephone keypad. The left side of the zero was to be occupied by the asterisk sign (which they called the sextile). Both would be used in the future to produce certain actions when making their own dedicated dual tone. Like entering special phone numbers or entering data. History was made but it took a good while for the # to really come into its own. The proper name for # was created (so the story goes) by combining the Latin octo, meaning eight to the proper name Thorpe. The eight refers to the points on the ends of the four lines. The Thorpe came from Jim Thorpe, an Olympic medalist. No, really. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing in 1964 but # ended up being helpful later with languages that had a hard time pronouncing the "th" sound (called a digraph). The octothorpe was adopted in the English speaking world but never became a big part of the language. It was just a character and relegated to the rather mundane task of showing up in phone numbers, weight measurements and computer functions. But that has changed. The internet came along and the lowly octohorpe suddenly gained great popularity. Now it is hashtag this or #text that. The little symbol has become one of the most popular players in social media, next to the imoji. Betamax has had a similar journey. It was the ground breaker in video access then almost disappeared when new technology replaced it. It earned a place in history as the forerunner to a television/movie revolution. But something is happening to Beta now. Like the octothorpe its star is rising. It's gaining some popularity. Check out the online auctions, there's an undercurrent there. Look at the Sites that post everything for sale. Beta listings are growing. The buyers and sellers are not just the veterans that remember how great Beta was, many are newbies. Have they become fascinated with the seductively smooth performance that Beta is famous for? And they are commanding impressive prices too, even when listed as-is. What an anomaly when you consider that not too long ago these things were being tossed into dumpsters. That is why good ones are somewhat rare now. And their cost reflects this. If you decide to dive into Beta today you are going to want to be careful. You will want to protect your invest and purchase in a restored unit. But it will cost you. So both parties (Beta and #) have gained new fame. One is surely by a small group of followers. The other, the octothope, now runs everything we do, along with its buddies: '', . ( ) ; : / , & { } and others. It has rose to fame and become a necessary character used billions of time a day in communication and coding. But Beta isn't doing bad either, enjoying some love even at this late date.
Do you have a story, comment or know of an article pertaining
to the Beta format that you would like to share? If you think other Beta
enthusiasts would enjoy reading about it, send it to me. Supply the information,
publication or link and I will check it out. If it fits the formula for
"The Beta Format News" then I will publish it in this column. To open
an easy to use submission form click here.
Thank you for your interest.
|