How VHS Ultimately Defeated BETA
The Story of the Original Format War
Over the years there have been many format and console wars including Nintendo/Sega, Playstation/Xbox, Apple/Android, Kelly/Topanga but there was one format war that ruled them all…
The VHS vs Beta format wars which started in the late 1970s would stretch into the ’80s. As video players became more affordable, the battle would continue to grow with the VHS format ultimately winning out and leading to the end of Beta.
My grandpa was one of those early adopters. Anytime new technology came out, he would be all over it. When I was younger, I remember he had the first compact disc player I had ever seen. He also went to digital cassettes before they were even a big thing.
He had the first big-screen TV on his street and loved any new technology. According to my dad, he also had the first color TV in their neighborhood and also one of the very first Betamax video players. I remember the thrill of being able to watch a movie that didn’t have commercials in it and that you didn’t have to go to the theatre to see.
He went with Beta because it was the superior model (or so he and everyone would think) but this would lead to a lengthy battle between it and the (slightly inferior) VHS.
