The Michael Berry Show

Today's Michael Berry Show is sponsored by the Video Cassette Recorder.

Ampex introduced the Quadriplex Video Tape Professional broadcast standard format

with its Ampex VRX 1000 in the year 1956.

It became the world's first commercially successful videotape recorder using 2-inch wide tape.

But due to its high price of $50,000, that's $565,000 today.

It never stood a chance for in-home use.

Now, the Ampex VRX 1000 was a videotape recorder and should never be confused with the video cassette recorder.

That wasn't even invented until October of 1969 by Sony.

But Sony reached out to seven other manufacturers and they all agreed to work together on an industry standard.

What they developed was the Sony U-matic.

It was a TV, VCR combo that ran 1395 and 1971.

No, no, no, not $13.95, $1395, that's over $10,000 in today's money.

So you can see why they never took off for in-home use either.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the video recorder became popular for in-home use.

However, you had two types of VCR, the Beta Max and the VHS.

The Beta Max was considered to be a superior product, but the VHS was more affordable.

And video stores more commonly carried VHS tapes for sale and rental.

Thus, the Beta Max just went away.

Not everyone liked the VCR.

No, in the early 1980s, US film companies fought to suppress the VCR in the consumer market.

Sighting concerns about copyright violations.

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