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From time to time one sees the kind of comparison seen above linking Betamax with historical failures. To the uninformed, Beta seems like an easy target when placed against the commodity that became VHS. But one has only to look just below the surface to find the real story. Whether it was recording the local news, a sporting event or editing content every video professional knew that Beta that was the better format. So did the rental store owner, video historian and the rabid videohaulic. The list is long and impressive of how Sony's Betamax, Betacam, BetacamSP and Digital Beta formats impacted the professional video industry. An industry where quality, versatility and durability were the defining factors. Beta in the consumer marketplace is gone now (as is VHS) but the beta design, the system at the heart of the technology, still lives on in Hi-8, Digital8, DV, DVCam, and others. It is used in these formats because of its superior operational performance and tape handling characteristics. Don't mourn Beta. If you own one and that fact comes up in conversation, you might get a strange look from someone. So What? Just take comfort in the knowledge that you own the legend. The one that started the revolution in video that continues until this day. With such a powerful history, can Beta really be classified as a flop? ©Misterßetamax go to homepage |