In 1975, Sony introduced the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public.
The Betamax format was on its way to becoming the industry standard until the appearance of JVC’s VHS a year later. VHS offered longer-playing ability, which made it possible to record an entire movie on one tape.
Learn more at http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/dayintech_0607