Podcast #1152: The History of VHS

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

On this week’s show we ask you to try an experiment with your friends and family. We also look at the history of VHS. Finally we read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.

News:

• YouTube TV is testing an enhanced 720p quality setting too
• Most Cord Cutters Do Not Pay for a Live Service Like YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV
• Roku Debuts Pro Series TV With Mini-LED Starting at $900

Home Cinema Viewing Experiment

The other day we were watching a movie on Netflix and between my wife, brother-in-law, and his wife I noticed that everyone was periodically glancing at their phones. This kind of irritated me mainly because I have spent a lot of money on sound and picture and thought, they might as well be watching on a phone or tablet.

The next night, I asked my wife and kids to not only silence their phones but also put them away. We watched a movie and the family was a bit irritated. It seems that the only place they can really immerse themselves into a movie is actually at the cinema. I encourage you to try the following experiment:

• Minimize Distractions - this is any distraction digital or otherwise.
• Silence your devices - Put phones and tablets on silent and turn off any notifications on all the devices within ear shot.
• Quiet Environment - Choose a time when household noise is minimal. Shut doors and windows if external noise is an issue.

History of VHS

VHS, or Video Home System, was a home video recording format developed by JVC (Victor Company of Japan) in the 1970s. It became one of the dominant formats for home video playback and recording during the 1980s and 1990s.

Here is a brief history of VHS:

• Development - JVC unveiled the VHS system in Japan in 1976, offering consumers the ability to record and play back video content on videocassette recorders (VCRs) using magnetic tape. VHS was in direct competition with Sony's Betamax format, but thanks to longer recording time and lower production costs, VHS eventually emerged as the preferred choice among consumers.
• Market Dominance - Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, VHS gained widespread popularity and became the standard format for home video recording and distribution. Major Hollywood studios began releasing movies on VHS, leading to a booming rental market, especially with the rise of video rental stores like Blockbuster.
• Format Wars - The battle between VHS and Betamax is often cited as one of the most famous format wars in consumer electronics history. Despite Betamax's superior picture quality, VHS's longer recording time and lower cost attracted more consumers and content producers. By the late 1980s, VHS had clearly won the format war, leading to the eventual decline of Betamax.
• Expansion into Other Markets - VHS technology expanded beyond home video recording to become a standard format for recording television shows, archiving video content, and even for use in educational and industrial settings.
• Evolution and Decline - VHS continued to evolve with the introduction of VHS-C (compact VHS) for camcorders and Hi-Fi stereo sound capabilities. However, with the emergence of digital video formats like DVDs and later Blu-ray discs, VHS began its decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The last known major Hollywood film released on VHS was in 2006.
• Legacy - Despite its eventual obsolescence, VHS left a lasting impact on the home entertainment industry. Its widespread adoption paved the way for the concept of home video consumption and laid the foundation for the home entertainment market we see today.

VHS was a revolutionary technology that revolutionized the way people consumed and enjoyed video content at home. While it has been replaced by newer digital formats, its legacy as a pioneering home entertainment medium remains significant.