VHS Format Dies at 26

**TechZ** · November 24th, 2004, 01:58 AM

- The first VCR to go on sale at Dixons was the HR-3300EK, a piano key operated top-loader with a red LED digital clock/timer. It hit the shelves in 1978 (weighing in at more than 13 lbs) and cost L798.75 - which is L2,021 in today's money, enough to buy 40 VCRs.

**Platypus** · November 24th, 2004, 06:22 AM

And the HR-3300 was a good unit. I guess that dates me, I remember them arriving and learning how to fix them...

**techs** · November 24th, 2004, 06:30 AM

Oh dear. Where will I get my Betamax tapes now?

**Platypus** · November 24th, 2004, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by techs

Oh dear. Where will I get my Betamax tapes now?

A passed a couple of dozen on to someone earlier in the year.

***DonJ*** · November 24th, 2004, 12:54 PM

I remember trying to decide between a VHS or a Beta machine. Since they cost so much back then, you had to make a choice.

I went with the Beta since I've always liked Sony products.

OOOOOOPPPPSSS!!! Boy, was that a mistake! I generally liked the machine as much as a VHS. The picture and features were just as good. But when it came time to rent or buy movies, they were all in VHS format. Bummer.

**techs** · November 25th, 2004, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by DonJ

I remember trying to decide between a VHS or a Beta machine. Since they cost so much back then, you had to make a choice.

I went with the Beta since I've always liked Sony products.

OOOOOOPPPPSSS!!! Boy, was that a mistake! I generally liked the machine as much as a VHS. The picture and features were just as good. But when it came time to rent or buy movies, they were all in VHS format. Bummer.

I went with Beta because of the better picture quality. I had the same problem renting tapes.
I should have realized the most people would choose vhs with its greater recording length over beta which was technologically and artistically better.