phillip holmes wrote:
Um, if they can make it 2 track at 15IPS and fit it in a cartridge, I'll
buy it. I lucked out and went with the inferior format, VHS.
It is not a matter of "better". In most respects, beta offered higher
quality, but much less durability. Until very late in the game, a beta
tape was threaded before any operation. That increased wear and risk of
damage on fast-forward and rewind. It also has a disturbing tendency to
pick up debris (however stored) and to foul the heads with it.
In many respects, Sony and its few followers were chasing VHS with too
little and too late. One could get four-hour playback on VHS before Sony
delivered two-hour. The first wireless remote for VHS was concurrent with
the first wired one for Betamax.
And so on.
I have hundreds of Betamax tapes and thousands of VHS. When the beta is
not scratched or fouled, its performance is superior and I dub from that
to DVD preferentially. About 80% of the time, I'm forced to VHS.
Mike
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