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This article is about the video format. For other uses, see VHS (disambiguation).
VHS
VHS Logo
Top view of VHS cassette with ruler for scale
Media type Video recording media
Encoding FM on magnetic tape
Developed by JVC (Japan Victor Company)
Usage Audio/Video Storage
Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed
Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed
Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed
Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed

The Video Home System[1], better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched in September 1976, with The Young Teacher being the first movie to be released and A History of Violence, released on home video in 2006, being the last in the North American market. Video is the technology of electronically capturing, Recording, processing storing transmitting and reconstructing a sequence of Still images Mifu01jpg|200px|thumb|right|Chinese calligraphy written in a language content format by Song Dynasty (A Magnetic tape is a medium for Magnetic recording generally consisting of a thin magnetizable coating on a long and narrow strip of Plastic. ( usually referred to as JVC, is an International consumer and professional electronics Corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded ( usually referred to as JVC, is an International consumer and professional electronics Corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded The Young Teacher ( 청춘교사 - Cheongchun gyosa) is a 1972 South Korean family Drama film which is recognized A History of Violence is an Academy Award nominated 2005 crime thriller Film directed by David Cronenberg Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [2] By the 1990s, VHS became a standard format for consumer recording and viewing, after competing in a fierce format war with Sony Corporation's Betamax and, to a much lesser extent, Philips' Video 2000, MCA's Laserdisc and RCA's Capacitance Electronic Disc. Consumers refers to individuals or households that use goods and services generated within the economy. The videotape format war was a period of intense competition or " Format war " of incompatible models of Video cassette recorders (VCR in the late 1970s and is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with ---- Betamax is a home Videocassette tape recording format developed by Sony, and released on May 10, 1975. Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV ( Royal Philips Electronics Inc. Note This article is about the format sometimes known as 'VCC' or 'Video Compact Cassette' MCA Inc (or Music Corporation of America) was an American Corporation in the music and television businesses The Laserdisc (LD is an obsolete Home video disc format and was the first commercial Optical disc storage medium RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 The Capacitance Electronic Disc (or CED) was a video playback system developed by RCA, in which video and audio could be played back on a TV using a special analog

VHS initially offered a longer playing time than the Betamax system, and it also had the advantage of a far less complex tape transport mechanism. Although VHS and Betamax were competing formats, several of VHS's critical technologies are licensed from Sony. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Early VHS machines could rewind and fast forward the tape considerably faster than a Betamax VCR since they unthreaded the tape from the playback heads before commencing any high-speed winding. Most newer VHS machines do not perform this unthreading step, as head-tape contact is no longer an impediment to fast winding, owing to improved engineering.

The week of June 15, 2003 marked the first time the DVD format (which was launched in 1996) became more popular than VHS in the USA. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Although still popular for home recording, the VHS tape has largely been replaced by DVD for pre-recorded home video content. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or hired for home entertainment

By 2006, most major film studios stopped releasing new movie titles in VHS format, opting for DVD-only releases. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A movie studio (aka film studio) is in the established sense of the term a company that distributes films. Many leading retailers have stopped selling pre-recorded movies on VHS, although VHS prerecorded cassettes are still popular with many collectors, mainly because there are thousands of titles that are still unavailable on DVD or other newer formats.

Contents

Technical details

The VHS cassette is a 7 ⅜" wide, 4" deep, 1" thick (187 mm × 103 mm × 25 mm) plastic clamshell held together with 5 Philips head screws. The flip-up cover that protects the tape has a built-in latch with a push-in toggle on the right side, as seen in the Bottom View. The VHS cassette also includes an anti-despooling mechanism as seen in the Top View, several plastic parts near front label end of the cassette between the two spools. The spool brakes are released by a push-in lever within a 1/4" hole accessed from the bottom of the cassette, about 3/4" in from the edge label. There is a clear tape leader at both ends of the tape to provide an optical auto-stop for the VCR transport mechanism.

Mostly re-wound VHS cassette tape
Mostly re-wound VHS cassette tape

The recording medium is a ½ inch (12. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 7 mm) wide magnetic tape wound between two spools, allowing it to be slowly passed over the various playback and recording heads of the video cassette recorder. Magnetic tape is a medium for Magnetic recording generally consisting of a thin magnetizable coating on a long and narrow strip of Plastic. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GENERAL ARTICLE ABOUT VCRs/VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS The tape speed is 3. 335 cm/s for NTSC, 2. NTSC ( National Television System Committee) is the Analog television system used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico 339 cm/s for PAL. PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world A cassette holds a maximum of about 430 m of tape at the lowest acceptable tape thickness, giving a maximum playing time of about 3. 5 hours for NTSC and 5 hours for PAL at "standard" (SP) quality. Other speeds include LP and EP/SLP which double and triple the recording time, for NTSC regions. These speed reductions cause a slight reduction in video quality (from 250 lines to 230 lines horizontal); also, tapes recorded at the lower speed often exhibit poor playback performance on recorders other than the one they were produced on. Because of this, commercial prerecorded tapes were almost always recorded in SP mode.

VHS M-loading system
VHS M-loading system

As with almost all cassette-based videotape systems, VHS machines pull the tape from the cassette shell and wrap it around the head drum. VHS machines, in contrast to Betamax and Beta's predecessor U-matic, use an M-loading system, also known as M-lacing, where the tape is drawn out by two threading posts and wrapped around the head drum (and other tape transport components) in a shape roughly approximating the letter M. ---- Betamax is a home Videocassette tape recording format developed by Sony, and released on May 10, 1975. U-matic is the name of a Videocassette Tape transport is the generic term for all parts of a Magnetic tape player or recorder that the actual tape passes through M is the thirteenth letter of the modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled em (ɛm

The interior of a modern VHS VCR showing the drum, tape, and cassette
The interior of a modern VHS VCR showing the drum, tape, and cassette

VHS tapes have approximately 3 MHz of video bandwidth, which is achieved at a relatively low tape speed by the use of helical scan recording of a frequency modulated luminance (black and white) signal, to which a frequency-reduced "color under" chroma (hue and saturation) signal is added. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GENERAL ARTICLE ABOUT VCRs/VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. Helical scan is a method of recording high bandwidth signals onto Magnetic tape. Frequency is a measure of the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit Time. In Radio and Signal processing, heterodyning is the generation of new frequencies by mixing or multiplying two Oscillating waveforms Chrominance ( chroma for short is the signal used in many Video systems to carry the color information of the picture separately from the accompanying luma Because VHS is an analog system, VHS tapes represent video as a continuous stream of waves, in a manner similar to analog TV broadcasts. The waveform per scanline can reach about 160 waves at max, and contains 525 scanlines in NTSC (486 visible), or 625 lines in PAL (576 visible). NTSC ( National Television System Committee) is the Analog television system used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world In modern-day digital terminology, VHS is roughly equivalent to 320 pixels of horizontal resolution with a signal-to-noise ratio of the image at 43 dB.

JVC would counter 1985's SuperBeta with VHS HQ, or High Quality, and in 1987 Super VHS. The frequency modulation of the VHS luminance signal is limited to 3. As applied to video signals luma represents the brightness in an image (the "black and white" or achromatic portion of the image 1 megahertz which makes higher resolutions impossible, but an HQ branded deck includes luminance noise reduction, chroma noise reduction, white clip extension, and improved sharpness circuitry. The effect was to increase the apparent horizontal resolution of a VHS recording from 240 to 250 lines. The major VHS OEMs resisted HQ due to cost concerns, eventually resulting in JVC reducing the requirements for the HQ brand to white clip extension plus one other improvement. An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM is typically a company that uses a component made by a second company in its own product or sells the product of the second company

Later JVC introduced the new format called Super VHS which extended the bandwidth to over 5 megahertz, yielding 420 lines horizontal equivalent to a 610x420 resolution. (For comparison DVD is 500 lines. ) The chroma resolution remained the same at approximately 0. 4 megahertz bandwidth or 30 lines horizontal, as was common across analog tape standards from Umatic to VHS to ED Betamax. Even a live NTSC broadcast is limited to 120 chroma lines maximum. (For comparison DVD is 240 chroma horizontal. )

Audio Upgrade from Lo-Fi Monaural to Hi-Fi Stereo

In the original VHS format, audio was recorded unmodulated in a single linear track at the upper edge of the tape, which was limited in frequency response by the tape speed (about 100 Hz to 10 kHz with 42 dB signal-to-noise ratio at SP). Signal-to-noise ratio (often abbreviated SNR or S/N) is an Electrical engineering concept also used in other fields (such as scientific Measurements The vast majority of early home recorders only supported monaural for the linear audio track, even though studio film releases began to emerge in stereo from 1982. High-end consumer recorders with linear stereo playback also became available around this time, and these machines often offered other editing facilities such as "audio dubbing" and "video dubbing" functions. These would move the tape past the heads and keep the video unchanged while recording new linear audio or keep the linear audio unchanged while recording new video, respectively. This was useful, for example, for laying a song over a previously edited-together montage of short video clips that were the same total duration as that song. Without the dubbing features, this task would have required the tape to be copied to another tape which would cause generational loss.

Around 1985, HiFi VCRs emerged, adding higher-quality stereo audio tracks (20 Hz to 20 kHz with more than 70 dB S/N ratio) which are read and written by heads located on the same spinning drum that carries the video heads with frequency modulation. These audio tracks take advantage of depth multiplexing: since they use lower frequencies than the video, their magnetization signals penetrate deeper into the tape. For multiplexing in electronics and signal processing see Multiplexer. When the video signal is written by the following video head, it erases and overwrites the audio signal at the surface of the tape, but leaves the deeper portion of the signal undisturbed. In Anatomy, the head of an Animal is the Rostral part (from Anatomical position that usually comprises the Brain, Eyes (PAL versions of Betamax use this same technique. ) Some high-end VHS VCRs offered manual level control, which made the VHS HiFi format much more useful for high-quality audio-only recording. The excellent sound quality of HiFi VHS has gained it some popularity as an audio format in certain applications; in particular, ordinary home HiFi VCRs are sometimes used by home recording enthusiasts as a handy and inexpensive medium for making high-quality stereo mixdowns and master recordings from multitrack audio tape. Home recording means recording at home rather than in a professional studio A master recording is an original Recording, from which copies may be made However, because separate heads are used to record HiFi audio, advanced editing functions such as audio-only or video-only dubbing are impossible.

Tracking adjustment and index marking

Another linear control track, at the tape's lower edge, holds pulses that mark the beginning of every frame of video; these are used to fine-tune the tape speed during playback and to get the rotating heads exactly on their helical tracks rather than having them end up somewhere between two adjacent tracks (a feature called tracking). Since good tracking depends on the exact distance between the rotating drum and the fixed control/audio head reading the linear tracks, which usually varies by a couple of micrometers between machines due to manufacturing tolerances, most VCRs offer tracking adjustment, either manual or automatic, to correct such mismatches. The control can additionally hold index marks. These are normally written at the beginning of each recording session, and can be found using the VCR's index search function: this will fast-wind forward or backward to the nth specified index mark, and resume playback from there. There was a time when higher-end VCRs provided functions for manually removing and adding these index marks — so that, for example, they coincide with the actual start of the program — but this feature has become hard to find in recent models.

Comparison to other media

Below is a list of modern-day, digital-style measurements (and traditional analog TV lines per picture height) for various media. The list only includes popular formats, not rare formats, and all values are approximate since the actual quality can vary machine-to-machine or tape-to-tape. For ease-of-comparison all values are for the NTSC system, and listed in ascending order from lowest quality to highest quality. (For PAL systems, replace "480" with "576". )

Variations

Bottom and top view of VHS-C compact video cassette
Bottom and top view of VHS-C compact video cassette
Example of a VHS-C adapter
Example of a VHS-C adapter

Super-VHS / Digital-VHS (high-definition)

Several improved versions of VHS exist, most notably Super-VHS (S-VHS), an analog video standard with improved video bandwidth. Introduced in Japan in 1987, S-VHS ( Super VHS) is an improved version of the VHS standard for consumer Video cassette recorders S-VHS improved the luminance resolution to 400 horizontal per picture height (versus 240 for VHS/Beta and 520 for DVD).

The other improved standard, called Digital-VHS (D-VHS), records digital high definition video onto a VHS form factor tape. D-VHS is a Digital video format developed by JVC, in collaboration with Hitachi, Matsushita, and Philips. D-VHS can record up to 4 hours of ATSC Digital Television in 720p or 1080i formats using the fastest record mode (equivalent to VHS-SP), and anywhere from 8 to 40 hours of standard definition video (DVD quality) at slower speeds.

VHS-C / Super-VHS-C / compact video cassette

Another variant is VHS-Compact (VHS-C), originally developed for portable VCRs in 1982, but ultimately finding success in palm-sized camcorders. VHS-C is the compact VHS format introduced in 1982 and used primarily for consumer-grade compact Camcorders. A camcorder is a portable Consumer electronics device for recording Video and audio using a built-in recorder unit Since VHS-C tapes are based on the same magnetic tape as full size tapes, they can be played back in standard VHS players using a mechanical adapter, without the need of any kind of signal conversion. The magnetic tape on VHS-C cassettes is wound on one main spool and uses a gear wheel to advance the tape; the wheel and spool can also be moved by hand. Sony Betamax was unable to shrink that form any further, so instead they developed Video8/Hi8 which was in direct competition with the VHS-C/S-VHS-C format throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Ultimately neither format "won" and both continue to be sold in the low-end market ($200–$300 MSRP).

Use as PC backup devices

Devices have also been invented which directly connect a personal computer to VHS tape recorders for use as a data backup device. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated In Information technology, backup refers to making copies of Data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a Most notable of these devices was ArVid, widely used in Russia and CIS states. ArVid ( Ar chiver on Vid eo ( АрВид, Ар хиватор на Вид ео is a Data backup solution using a VHS Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Also available in the United States were similar systems manufactured by Corvus, Videotrax, and Alpha Microsystems. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Corvus Systems was a technology company founded by Michael D'Addio and Mark Hahn in 1979 and located in San Jose, Silicon Valley in the U Alpha Microsystems is a computer company founded in 1977 by Dick Wilcox and Bob Hitchcock Also available was Backer from Danmere Ltd. of England.

W-VHS

W-VHS caters for analog high definition video. W-VHS is a high definition analog Video tape format created by JVC. Discontinued and replaced by D-VHS.

D9

There is also a JVC-designed component digital professional production format known as Digital-S, or officially under the name D9, that uses a VHS form factor tape and essentially the same mechanical tape handling techniques as an S-VHS recorder. This format is the least expensive format to support a pre-read edit. This format is most notably used by Fox for some of its cable networks.

Signal standards

VHS can record and play back all varieties of analog television signals in existence at the time VHS was devised. There are several broadcast Television systems in use in the world today However, a machine must be designed to record a given standard. Typically, a VHS machine can only handle signals of the country it was sold in. The following signal varieties exist in conventional VHS:

Since the 1990s, dual- and multi-standard VHS machines have become more and more common. These can handle VHS tapes of more than one standard. For example, regular VHS machines sold in Australia and Europe nowadays can typically handle PAL, MESECAM for record and playback, plus NTSC for playback only. Dedicated multistandard machines can usually handle all standards listed, some high end model can even convert a tape from one standard to another by using a built-in standards converter.

S-VHS only exists in PAL/625/25 and NTSC/525/30. S-VHS machines sold in SECAM markets record internally in PAL, and convert to/from SECAM during record/playback, respectively. Likewise, S-VHS machines for the Brazilian market record in NTSC and convert to/from PAL-M.

A small number of VHS decks are able to decode closed captions on pre-recorded video cassettes. Closed captioning is a term describing several systems developed to display text on a Television or Video screen to provide additional or interpretive A smaller number still are able, additionally, to record subtitles transmitted with world standard teletext signals (on pre-digital services), simultaneously with the associated program. Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs usually displayed at the bottom of the screen Teletext (or "broadcast Teletext" is a Television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early

Tape lengths

Both NTSC and PAL/SECAM VHS cassettes are physically identical (although the signals recorded on the tape are incompatible). However, as tape speeds differ between NTSC and PAL/SECAM, the playing time for any given cassette will vary accordingly between the systems.

In order to avoid confusion, manufacturers indicate the playing time in minutes that can be expected for the market the tape is sold in. It is perfectly possible to record and play back a blank T-XXX tape in a PAL machine or a blank E-XXX tape in an NTSC machine, but the resulting playing time will be different from that indicated. (Note: SP = Standard Play, LP = Long Play (1/2 speed) for both NTSC and PAL regions. ( (EP/SLP = Extended Play/Super Long Play (1/3rd speed) for NTSC regions. PAL does not have an EP/SLP speed. )

Common Tape Lengths (hours:minutes)
Tape Label Tape Length Rec. Time (NTSC) Rec. Time (PAL)
SP LP EP/SLP SP --- LP
T-120 812 ft (247. 5 m) 2:00 4:00 6:00 2:49 5:38
T-160 1075 ft (327. 7 m) 2:40 5:20 8:00 3:43 7:26
T-180 1210 ft (368. 8 m) 3:00 6:00 9:00 4:13 8:27
T-210 1421 ft (433. 1 m) 3:30 7:00 10:30 4:56 9:52
Tape Label Tape Length Rec. Time (PAL) Rec. Time (NTSC)
SP --- LP SP LP EP/SLP
E-120 570 ft (173. 7 m) 2:00 4:00 1:26 2:52 4:18
E-180 851 ft (259. 4 m) 3:00 6:00 2:09 4:18 6:27
E-240 1142 ft (348. 1 m) 4:00 8:00 2:53 5:46 8:39

VHS vs. Betamax

Main article: Videotape format war
Size comparison between a Betamax cassette and a VHS cassette.
Size comparison between a Betamax cassette and a VHS cassette. The videotape format war was a period of intense competition or " Format war " of incompatible models of Video cassette recorders (VCR in the late 1970s and
MII, VHS, and SVHS are similar from above...
MII, VHS, and SVHS are similar from above. . .
...the bottoms are more distinct.
. . . the bottoms are more distinct.

As mentioned, VHS was the winner of a protracted and somewhat bitter format war during the late 1970s and early 1980s against Sony's Betamax format. ---- Betamax is a home Videocassette tape recording format developed by Sony, and released on May 10, 1975.

Betamax was widely perceived at the time as the better format, as it offered a slightly higher horizontal resolution (250 lines vs. 240 lines in PAL & NTSC), lower video noise, and less luma-chroma crosstalk than VHS, and was marketed as providing pictures superior to VHS's, however the introduction of B-II speed (2-hour mode) to compete with VHS's 2-hour Standard Play mode, reduced Betamax's horizontal resolution to 240 lines. In Electronics, the term crosstalk ( XT) refers to any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a Transmission system [3] The extension of VHS to VHS HQ produced 250 lines, so that overall a Betamax/VHS user could expect virtually identical luminance and chrominance resolution (~30 lines across), wherein the actual picture performance depended on other factors, including the condition and quality of the videotape, and the specific video recorder machine model.

Betamax held an early lead in the format war — but by 1981, U. S. Betamax sales had sunk to only 25% of all sales. [4] VHS was gaining market share due to its longer tape time (9 hours maximum, compared to just 4 hours for Betamax in USA) and JVC's less strict licensing program. The longer tape time is sometimes cited as the defining factor in the format war, allowing consumers to record entire programs unattended (recording time between VHS and Betamax were similar in areas where VHS entered the market several years after introduction, such as the UK in 1978). Sony ultimately conceded the fight in 1988, bringing out a line of VHS VCRs of its own.

The format war and the "marketing over technology" claims have taken on a life of their own, and continue to be used as analogies in battles within the computer industry, including Apple vs. Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc IBM, Macintosh vs. International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc PC, Microsoft Internet Explorer vs. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE) commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical Netscape/Mozilla Firefox, and HD DVD vs. Netscape is the general name for a series of Web browsers originally produced by Netscape Communications Corporation, now a subsidiary of AOL. not insert the publicly disclosed HD DVD key into this article for the time being Blu-ray Disc.

Other formats such as 8 mm video cassettes and MiniDV have emerged since the post-battle era, but these formats are by no means in complete competition with VHS. The 8 mm video format refers informally to three related Videocassette formats for the NTSC and PAL / SECAM television systems Digital Video (DV is a Digital video format created by Sony JVC Panasonic and other video camera procuers and launched in 1995 and in its smaller tape Form factor As these cassettes and their supporting hardware are much more compact in design than VHS — and therefore more expensive — they are much more suited to portable applications such as camcorders. A camcorder is a portable Consumer electronics device for recording Video and audio using a built-in recorder unit 8 mm tapes, introduced in the early 1980s, succeeded as a format for camcorders (both in the consumer, and to an extent, professional market), as VHS and Betamax camcorders were unsuitably large and heavy in comparison. ---- Betamax is a home Videocassette tape recording format developed by Sony, and released on May 10, 1975. MiniDV has largely replaced 8 mm tapes as the de facto camcorder standard in more recent years as it is smaller still (some MiniDV camcorders being no larger than one's hand). In addition, MiniDV offers superior audiovisual quality, and the storage of data in digital format on tape makes for improved transfer and editing. Though Digital8 offers identical tape recording quality, few are now sold and fewer still can play analog 8 mm tape, which was the original advantage of the format for those upgrading from analog 8 mm or later analog Hi8 formats. Some users of Digital8 have pointed out that their format offers a slightly more robust physical package, as the digital data is recorded over a larger area of magnetic tape. This has not been any advantage to the format however.

Both VHS and Betamax manufacturers created professional video formats built around the same cassette shells. The professional derivatives of VHS were M and then MII whereas the professional derivative of Betamax was Betacam which has gone on to spawn digital variants. M is the name of a professional videocassette format developed around 1982 by Matsushita and RCA. This article discusses the MII video tape format For information on the game console by Panasonic please see Panasonic M2 MII is a professional Betacam is a family of half-inch professional Videotape products developed by Sony from 1982 onwards In a complete reversal of the domestic VHS-Betamax battle, in the professional arena the Beta format has been hugely successful, and the VHS derived formats became obsolete. Occasionally this causes some confusion, in that people believe that Betacam is a professional studio version of Betamax. In reality Betacam is only superficially similar. Although the tapes used may look the same,and the first generation Betacam tapes could be used for recording in Betamax machines, in Betacam they are run at a much higher linear speed, and the recording system is completely different. The same applied to the VHS based-professional formats.

Decline of VHS

In recent years, alternatives to tape-based technologies have appeared in the home recording market. The movement is to replace tape with more recent technologies, such as optical discs, hard disks and flash-based storage systems. A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device Flash memory is non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed Altogether, these technologies are shrinking VHS's marketshare. The March 1997 introduction of the DVD format to American consumers was perhaps the greatest blow to the dominance of VHS. [5]

Signs of VHS's decline come from two directions. First, electronic equipment manufacturers are downsizing their VHS recorder lines. Both department and electronic "boutique" stores are also cutting down on the variety of VHS recorders they carry in-stock — especially the higher-end systems such as S-VHS recorders. In most stores, DVD players are now cheaper than VHS players.

Second, video content in VHS format is also slowly disappearing. The popularity of VHS in both for-sale and rental stores has fallen. Most retail stores have stopped selling new VHS movies alongside DVD versions.

Although VHS is slowly disappearing, this dilemma does bring along with it opportunities, such as media conversion services, dual-deck and DVD/VCR combination systems, and even a lucrative re-sell market on auction and second-hand equipment sites. Consumers still retain the technology as well. The Washington Post has noted that as of 2005, 94. 5 million Americans still owned VHS format VCRs. [5]

Although VHS is still available in VHS/DVD combination units, the last dedicated JVC VHS unit was reportedly produced in 2007. The final major Hollywood motion picture released on VHS was David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. David Paul Cronenberg OC, FRSC (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian Film director and occasional Actor. A History of Violence is an Academy Award nominated 2005 crime thriller Film directed by David Cronenberg [1]

In spite of the decline of pre-recorded VHS sales, blank, recordable VHS cassettes remain the most popular means of recording live television programming in households around the world.

Optical disc-based technologies

The DVD-Video format was introduced first, in 1996, in Japan, to the United States in March of 1997, mid-late 1998 in Europe and early 1999 in Australia. DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD (DVD-ROM discs and is currently the dominant form of consumer video formats in the United

Despite DVD's better quality (500 lines versus 250 lines horizontal resolution), VHS is still widely used in home recording of television programs, due to the large installed base and the lower cost of VHS recorders and tape. The commercial success of DVD recording and re-writing has been hindered by a number of factors including:

High-capacity digital recording technologies

High-capacity digital recording systems are also gaining in popularity with home users. These types of systems come in several form factors:

Hard disk-based systems include TiVo as well as other digital video recorder (DVR) offerings. A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device A set-top box (STB or set-top unit (STU is a device that connects to a Television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated The term media center refers either to a dedicated Computer appliance or to a specialized Personal computer Software, both of which are adapted for TiVo (pronounced ˈtiːvoʊ is a brand of Digital video recorder (DVR in the United States, Canada, and Australia created by TiVo A digital video recorder ( DVR) or personal video recorder ( PVR) is a device that records video in a digital format to a Disk drive or other These types of systems provide users with virtually a no-maintenance solution for capturing video content. VHS and other cartridge solutions require physical handling of the media, as well as upkeep duties such as cleaning of the heads. Unlike both cartridge-based and optical disc-based systems, hard disk-based systems allow for many hours of recording without physical maintenance. For example, a 120 GB system recording at an extended recording rate (XP) of 9,800 kbit/s MPEG-2 can record over 25 hours of video content. A gigabyte (derived from the SI prefix Giga-) is a unit of Information or Computer In telecommunications Bit rate or Data transfer rate is the average number of Bits characters or blocks per unit time passing between equipment in a data transmission MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information" Just like VHS, the latest optical disc technologies must still rely on tangibles, such as blank discs. In Law, tangibility is the attribute of being detectable with the Senses In Criminal law, one of the elements of an Offense of Larceny

PC-based media centers are also becoming popular in homes. PCs can serve the same features as a DVR set-top box, but also add a usable operating environment for other tasks such as electronic mail and surfing the Internet. A media center may be the better solution for the technical-savvy consumer who is looking for a system he can regularly upgrade, such as disk capacity and software.

VHS in popular culture

Trivia

References

  1. ^ "IEEE History Center: Development of VHS", cites the original name as "Video Home System", from an article by Yuma Shiraishi, one of its inventors. Accessed December 28, 2006. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
  2. ^ Citypaper.com article
  3. ^ Video Interchange. Video History. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine
  4. ^ Helge Moulding. The Decline and Fall of Betamax. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine
  5. ^ a b "Parting Words For VHS Tapes, Soon to Be Gone With the Rewind", Washington Post, August 28, 2005. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

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