What made it special
Betamax offered compact video cassettes and a distinctive ecosystem of recorders, tapes and accessories.
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Betamax
Sony introduced Betamax in 1975, helping usher in consumer video recording. Though VHS ultimately achieved broader adoption, Betamax remains a major chapter in home-video history.
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How it works
Like VHS, Betamax uses helical-scan magnetic video recording, but its cassettes and decks are not interchangeable with VHS.
Collecting & playback
Find a verified compatible Betamax deck, inspect cassettes carefully, and digitize treasured recordings with appropriate equipment.