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2-Hour Betamax Cassettes and the VHS Format are Unveiled

In a last ditch effort to sway Matsushita to adopt Betamax, Sony reveals in a meeting that they’ve finally made a 2-hour cassette. In response during that same meeting, JVC (a subsidiary of Matsushita) unveils their VHS (Video Home System) format for the first...
Sony Launches the Betamax in the U.S.

Sony Launches the Betamax in the U.S.

Sony introduces the LV-1901 (the same model as the LV-1801 in Japan) to the U.S. market with the pricetag of $2500. Its a TV / VCR combination unit. Like the Japanese model, the unit is only capable of recording 60 minutes per videocassette.

Matsushita VX-100

Matsushita introduces their VX format and VCR in Japan. The system uses 1/2″ tape on two reels stack on top of each other inside a cassette. Launched in the U.S. two years later.
Sony Betamax LV-1801 & SL-6300

Sony Betamax LV-1801 & SL-6300

Sony launches their new Betamax system in Japan, available in two distinct versions. The LV-1801, which is a television console unit, and the SL-6300, a standalone deck. The cassettes themselves are far smaller than anything else on the market, and at this time, only...
Teldec TeD

Teldec TeD

The Teldec TeD (Television Disc) becomes the first consumer videodisc to reach the market. It’s an 8 or 12-inch in diameter disc which at most contains 10 minutes of video. In its first three months, 6,000 units (each costing $600) and 50,000 discs are...