How failure to listen to the market led to the demise of Betamax

不听市场的声音如何导致Betamax的灭亡

Over the years there have been many format wars including Nintendo/Sega, Playstation/Xbox, Apple/Android, Kelly/Topanga — but there was one format war that ruled them all…

多年来，发生了许多格式大战，包括任天堂/世嘉，Playstation / Xbox，Apple / Android，Kelly / Topanga，但是有一场格式大战统治了所有人。

The battle between VHS and Betamax started in the late 1970s and stretched well into the 80s. As video players became more affordable, the battle continued to grow with VHS ultimately winning. Betamax dominated the industry at first but refused to listen to the market, and it led to their ultimate demise.

VHS和Betamax之间的战斗始于1970年代后期，一直延续到80年代。 随着视频播放器的价格越来越便宜，战斗不断发展，最终VHS获胜。 Betamax最初主导了整个行业，但拒绝听取市场意见，从而导致了他们的最终灭亡。

录像机的创建 (The Creation of the VCR)

The VCR as a tape player goes farther back than you may realize. The Ampex corporation created the VCR in 1956, and they called it the VRX-1000. It used a rotating head design to record video and audio on a magnetic track and cost a cool $50,000.

作为磁带播放器的VCR比您想象的要早得多。 Ampex公司于1956年创建了VCR，他们将其称为VRX-1000。 它使用旋转头设计在磁轨上录制视频和音频，成本高达50,000美元。

No one could afford to pay for something like this, and even if you could, you needed an actual technician to help run it. The VRX-1000 also had a lifespan of only a few hundred hours.

没有人可以负担得起这样的费用，即使您可以，也需要一位实际的技术人员来帮助运行它。 VRX-1000的使用寿命也只有几百小时。

The odd thing was, it wasn’t intended for television companies — so who was it for? Despite the cost, some networks instantly recognized the prospect of the new technology: they wouldn’t have to always rely on live TV.

奇怪的是，它不是为电视公司设计的，那么它是为谁准备的呢？ 尽管付出了高昂的代价，一些网络却立即意识到了这项新技术的前景：他们不必总是依靠直播电视。

Networks could record their shows live onto film to be played over the broadcast. They didn’t edit the film, so everything that happened live stayed in the recording, but it meant they didn’t have to do multiple live broadcasts.

网络可以将他们的表演现场录制到电影中，以便通过广播播放。 他们没有编辑电影，所以现场发生的一切都保留在录音中，但这意味着他们不必进行多次现场直播。

索尼U-Matic和VCR的发展 (The Sony U-Matic and the Progression of the VCR)

A prototype for the first commercial VCR debuted in October 1969 in Japan. Sony wanted to come up with an industry standard, and they did with the Sony U-Matic in 1971.

第一个商用录像机的原型于1969年10月在日本首次亮相。 索尼想提出一个行业标准，并于1971年采用了索尼U-Matic。

This would be the world’s first video cassette recording format. It used tapes that were a bit bigger than a standard VHS tape and only had a maximum playing time of 60 minutes.

这将是世界上第一个盒式磁带录制格式。 它使用的磁带比标准VHS磁带大一点，最长播放时间为60分钟。

Phillips was also in the game and had brought out a home video cassette format in 1970 made just for TV stations. It would become available on the consumer market in 1972. The machine was originally called the N1500, but Phillips had a unique name for this new format: Video Cassette Recording, or VCR for short.

菲利普斯(Phillips)也参与其中，并于1970年推出了仅用于电视台的家庭录像带格式。 它将在1972年在消费市场上上市。该机器最初称为N1500，但是Phillips对此新格式有一个独特的名称：盒式录像带，简称VCR。

So we’ve only got one format, but the concept of the VCR is taking off. The industry boomed in the 80s with 30% of households owning one by 1985. By 1995, it would be 85%. But before the VCR would become commonplace in most households, it would split into two different formats: Betamax and VHS.

因此，我们只有一种格式，但是VCR的概念正在兴起。 该行业在80年代蓬勃发展，到1985年，有30％的家庭拥有一户家庭。到1995年，这一比例将达到85％。 但是在VCR在大多数家庭中变得司空见惯之前，它将分为两种不同的格式：Betamax和VHS。

Betamax的创造 (The Creation of Betamax)

Sony started in 1974 with a prototype for the video recording system called Betamax. At the same time, JVC was looking at going with a different format. This caused enough of a commotion that Sony appealed to the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry.

索尼于1974年开始提供视频录制系统的原型Betamax。 同时，JVC正在考虑采用另一种格式。 这引起了足够的骚动，索尼向日本贸易产业省提出了上诉。

It was at that moment they inadvertently started the format wars.

正是在那时，他们无意中发起了格式大战。

Sony released its first Betamax machines in 1975 and used cassette tapes that had a 0.50-inch wide tape inside. The Beta tape was “hand-sized” for easier use — not that handling a videotape is the most strenuous thing in the world.

索尼1975年发布了第一台Betamax机器，使用的磁带盒式磁带内部有0.50英寸宽的磁带。 Beta磁带是“手工大小”的，以便于使用-而不是处理录像带是世界上最费劲的事情。

If you’ve wondered why the name Beta, it’s because the word has a double meaning; Beta is the Japanese word to describe how signals are recorded on the tape, and the shape of the Greek letter B showed the way the tape moved throughout the machine.

如果您想知道为什么将其命名为Beta，那是因为该词具有双重含义； Beta是日语单词，用于描述如何在磁带上记录信号，希腊字母B的形状表示磁带在机器中的移动方式。

The one problem that plagued Sony right out of the gate was the length of the tape. For the TV industry, past machines had a tape length of one hour. This made sense as most shows — including commercials — were never longer than an hour.

困扰索尼的问题之一就是磁带的长度。 对于电视行业，过去的机器的磁带长度为一小时。 这是有道理的，因为大多数节目-包括广告-都不超过一个小时。

This issue would help lead to their ultimate failure.

这个问题将有助于导致他们的最终失败。

VHS的创建 (The Creation of the VHS)

Sony could have controlled the entire VCR industry, but their attempt to dictate the industry-standard backfired. They had approached JVC about selling the patent of the Betamax so that JVC could do the manufacturing.

索尼本来可以控制整个VCR行业，但是他们试图指出行业标准适得其反。 他们已经就出售Betamax的专利与JVC联系，以便JVC可以进行制造。

This had happened already with the U-Matic and ended up with Sony dominating the industry. JVC made the very smart decision to decline the offer but come up with their own technology and format.

U-Matic已经发生了这种情况，最终以Sony主导了整个行业。 JVC做出了一个非常明智的决定，即拒绝报价，但提出了自己的技术和格式。

JVC had been experimenting with a new VCR as early as 1971, but in 1977, they introduced The Video Home System or VHS for short. JVC also came up with a set of guidelines that would be paramount in the existence of VHS.

JVC早在1971年就开始试验新的VCR，但在1977年，他们简称为Video Home System或VHS。 JVC还提出了一套准则，这对于VHS的存在至关重要。

Just call it the “95 Theses” of the home video industry, but JVC gave it a cooler name: The VHS Development Matrix.

只需将其称为家庭视频行业的“ 95篇论文”即可，但是JVC给它起了一个更酷的名字： VHS开发矩阵 。

• The system must be compatible with any ordinary television set.该系统必须与任何普通电视机兼容。
• Picture quality must be like normal air broadcasts.图像质量必须像普通的广播一样。
• The tape must have at least a two-hour recording capacity.磁带必须至少有两个小时的记录容量。
• Tapes must be interchangeable between machines.磁带在机器之间必须可以互换。
• The overall system should be versatile, meaning it can be scaled and expanded, such as connecting a video camera, or dub between two recorders.整个系统应该是通用的，这意味着可以扩展和扩展它，例如连接摄像机或在两个记录器之间复制。
• Recorders should be affordable, easy to operate, and have low maintenance costs.记录仪应负担得起，易于操作且维护成本低。
• Recorders must be capable of being produced in high volume, their parts must be interchangeable, and they must be easy to service.记录仪必须能够大批量生产，其部件必须可互换，并且必须易于维修。

One big difference here is the fact JVC wanted their standard to be used by other manufacturers and not controlled the way Sony was with Beta. JVC persuaded Hitachi, Mitsubishi, and Sharp to sail on the good ship VHS.

这里的一个很大的不同是，事实是JVC希望其他制造商使用他们的标准，而不是像Sony那样使用Beta来控制。 JVC说服了Hitachi，Mitsubishi和Sharp驶上了良好的VHS航行。

VHS was using a bigger videotape than the more compact and convenient Beta, but with one big difference: it had a longer recording time. A VHS tape could record 2 hours, which was enough to cover most movies — including commercials — or four regular sitcoms.

VHS使用的录像带比更紧凑，更方便的Beta更大，但是有一个很大的区别：它的录制时间更长。 VHS磁带可以录制2个小时，足以覆盖大多数电影(包括广告片)或四个常规情景喜剧。

It didn’t take long for advancements to happen. A VHS VCR now had different recording settings such as SP, LP, and SLP. You could now slow down the speed of the tape as it recorded. This would reduce the quality but give you double and triple the storage capacity. The VHS cassette tape was big enough to hold around 1400 feet of tape and could hold 6 hours of recording with no problem.

很快就实现了进步。 VHS VCR现在具有不同的记录设置，例如SP，LP和SLP。 现在，您可以放慢磁带的录制速度。 这会降低质量，但使您的存储容量增加一倍和两倍。 VHS盒式磁带足够大，可以容纳约1400英尺的磁带，可以毫无问题地保存6个小时的录音。

And this would be the centerpiece of the war.

这将是战争的核心。

VHS和Betamax并驾齐驱 (VHS & Betamax Go Head to Head)

When it came down to quality, it looked like Betamax had VHS beat. Both concepts used a horizontal resolution involving lines, and Beta had a slightly higher resolution of around 250 lines.

当下降到质量时，Betamax看起来像是VHS击败了。 这两个概念都使用涉及线的水平分辨率，而Beta具有约250线的稍高的分辨率。

They could get this up to around 290 with the SuperBeta, but this was in 1985 and they were starting to lose the format war.

他们可以通过SuperBeta达到大约290，但那是在1985年，他们开始输掉格式大战。

There’s always been this idea that Beta was vastly superior with picture quality, but when you look back at the technical details of two average machines — they ended up being almost identical.

一直存在这样的想法，即Beta在图像质量方面要远远优于其他产品，但是当您回顾两台普通机器的技术细节时，它们最终几乎是相同的。

It was the earliest version of Betamax that had a superior picture, but this was before it became mainstream. A big reason for this idea of Beta always being the superior version was mainly because of the marketing by Sony. People just bought into it.

Betamax的最早版本具有出色的画面，但这是在它成为主流之前。 Beta始终是高级版本这一想法的主要原因是Sony的行销。 人们刚买了它。

Not only was recording length a primary factor of the VHS vs Betamax wars, but retail price was an issue. Because JVC brought other manufacturers into the mix, they could all compete against one another. It allowed for lower prices for the consumer, but ultimately more sales overall.

记录长度不仅是VHS与Betamax战争的主要因素，而且零售价格也是一个问题。 由于JVC将其他制造商加入其中，因此他们都可以互相竞争。 它为消费者提供了更低的价格，但最终却带来了更多的销售。

By 1984 there were over 70 different VCR manufacturers. It’s hard to pinpoint exact prices, but in 1985, most VHS players sold between $200 and $400. This was hundreds less than a Betamax.

到1984年，已有70多家不同的VCR制造商。 很难确定确切的价格，但是在1985年，大多数VHS播放器的售价在 200到400美元之间 。 这比Betamax少了数百倍。

格式大战的结果 (The Outcome of the Format War)

Betamax may have had a slightly better picture, a bit better audio, and a more stable image (as Sony would have you believe) but the big problem — besides price — came down to recording time and specifically one thing: football.

Betamax可能具有更好的图像，更好的音频和更稳定的图像(正如Sony希望的那样)，但是最大的问题(除了价格)归结为录制时间，尤其是一件事：足球。

One of the biggest early complaints about Betamax was the inability to record football games, which can average 3 hours. People already knew that a VCR could record TV shows and most movies, but the feedback continued to be about not being able to fit an entire sports event on a Betamax tape.

早期关于Betamax的最大抱怨之一是无法录制足球比赛，足球比赛平均可以持续3个小时。 人们已经知道VCR可以录制电视节目和大多数电影，但是反馈仍然是关于不能将整个体育赛事记录在Betamax录像带上的。

The other problem was that it didn’t take long for the VCR to become synonymous with VHS. Although Betamax owned 100% of the market in 1975, by 1980 VHS was controlling 60% of the market.

另一个问题是，VCR很快就成为VHS的代名词。 尽管1975年Betamax拥有100％的市场份额，但到1980年， VHS控制了 60％的市场份额。

By 1981 Beta sales had dropped to just 25% of the VCR market. By 1986 it was just 7.5%.

到1981年，Beta销售量仅下降到VCR市场的25％。 到1986年，这一比例仅为7.5％。

There’s always been this myth that the porn industry was involved with pushing Betamax away for not wanting to be their format of choice, but there’s no truth in this. Fewer and fewer people were choosing the more expensive option with the limited recording capacity.

一直存在这样的神话：色情行业因为不想成为他们的选择格式而卷入了Betamax的行列，但事实并非如此。 录音容量有限的人们选择昂贵的选项的人越来越少。

It was the combination of poor sales along with the huge rise of the video rental market. Movie studios and video rental stores turned away from Betamax. It just wasn’t worth it for them to stock every movie title in Betamax format. The lack of available titles — and the low market share — allowed VHS to keep to a distant lead.

这是销售不佳以及视频租赁市场的巨大崛起的结合。 电影制片厂和视频租赁商店不再使用Betamax。 对于他们来说，以Betamax格式存储每个电影标题都是不值得的。 缺少可用的书名以及较低​​的市场份额使VHS保持遥遥领先。

Beta的最终灭绝 (The Final Demise of Beta)

Sales of Betamax eventually dwindled enough to allow VHS to emerge as the victor in the format wars. The sign that it was all over would come in 1988 when Sony threw in the towel and started making VHS machines.

Betamax的销售最终下降到足以使VHS成为格式大战的胜利者。 一切都结束了的迹象将出现在1988年，当时索尼投入了毛巾，开始生产VHS机器。

But it was too little, too late. By 1987, 95% of all VCRs in the world used the VHS format.

但这太少了，太迟了。 到1987年，全球95％的VCR使用VHS格式。

What it all came down to was Sony ignoring what the market wanted. They didn’t listen to the public and decided that a 1-hour tape was all people needed. It would be the football games that sunk them in the long run.

最终导致索尼忽略了市场的需求。 他们不听公众的话，因此决定所有人都需要一小时的录音带。 从长远来看，足球比赛会让他们沉迷。

Sony clung to the idea that people wanted superior quality, but that wasn’t the case. As usual, people wanted cheaper, better usage, and compatibility. They found this with VHS.

索尼坚信人们想要优质的产品，但事实并非如此。 像往常一样，人们想要便宜，更好的用法和兼容性。 他们通过VHS找到了这一点。

VHS would rule for an amazing 40 years, but ultimately it would die out to DVD and then Blu-ray. The VHS/BETA format war is an interesting look at a company trying to dictate the market and not listening to what the public really wants.

VHS统治了惊人的40年，但最终将消失在DVD和Blu-ray上。 VHS / BETA格式之战是对一家试图支配市场而不听取公众真正需求的公司的有趣观察。

And always remember: Be Kind. Rewind (if you’re under 25, just ask your parents).

并永远记住：友善。 倒带(如果您未满25岁，请问父母)。

If you want to check out more great stuff from the 80s, head on over to everything80spodcast.com to relive the greatest decade. Tell ’em Large Marge sent ya…

如果您想查看80年代的更多精彩作品，请访问 everything80spodcast.com ，重温最伟大的十年。 告诉他们大型Marge发送给您…