The format war is not a new term since the technology has provided
humans. Since its beginning, where were created different formats so that
people could access to contents, it has generated discord and battles between
producers and distributors. If we take as a
reference point the first battles we would have to go back to the nineteenth
century where industries and rail construction fought licenses that best
conformed to the country and its ways as was the case of Russian gauge vs. gaug
standard, however it is not necessary to go as far as the format war is still
an ongoing discussion. In the twentieth century it was empowered and
facilitated the lives of users, for them different devices and formats were
created to give them access to it. This is the case of home videos that sought
to develop the concept of audiocassette and transform it into video. Initially
intended users of these tapes could record television programs while watching
another program or were absent at the time of transmission. In addition, the
concept would also allow movies that were exclusively for distribution in
cinemas later could be marketed on videocassettes. But who were the creators of
this format?
Sony for 1974 called JVC to join the production of a new format for home
video that was in development, but that company did not agree, as they were
developing a similar project, and Sony launched its format called Betamax in
1975 complying with the following specifications:
On the other hand, a year after launch Sony Betamax and had been well
received in the market, JVC launched the VHS (Video Home System) public
offering longer recording time at a more affordable price.
At first sight, VHS Betamax surpassed for the recording time, but in terms of quality, the product of Sony offered more to whom consumed it. But was this enough in the booming recording home videos and movies? It was for other industries, such as pornography, who saw great potential in this system?
The adult film industry captures large productions and behind it
billions of viewers. By that time the pornography found a niche in home video,
so sought licenses to produce their videos as they were in the jump theaters
with adult content to bring this same content inside the houses. Initially,
under the conditions that Sony was at that time, where JVC was taking millions
of users ahead, they denied the license to reproduce pornographic content on
their cassettes, on the other JVC side, who in its strategic plan was to
establish partnerships with other brands that could expand their product and
generate more profit, accepted that the adult film were reproduced in its
format.
Porn consumers could now recording on VHS up to three hours and in case
you want to buy one of them were securing the same time consumption. This left
increasingly side by Sony did not meet expected revenue figures (for 1984 Sony had
sold 2.3 million cassettes while JVC had sold 6900000). It joining it emerged a
new market that met the needs of VHS or Betamax failing: The video store. It
was a place where people could rent their tapes and return them after they are
used, for consumers porn this was much better; they could change their
contents. The formats that were in these rooms, initially, all were of VHS for
the licenses mentioned above.
However, with video rental came the rise of piracy, now people could
record content and market them without leaving any profit to the producers of
the films. It also happened with pornography, they could record home contents,
television or copy of the same original VHS tapes and play thousands of copies
without a rotating end but purchase. Now they could be found pornographic tapes
in the Betamax format where licenses were never authorized.
JVC beyond piracy continued to have success on your competition, so much
so that the VHS format became the standard. The last question that remains is
whether pornography was the main cause that Betamax lost the format war.
Betamax did not have quick response to market needs, segmented bluntly public
who might arrive, the videocassette of good quality, along with the console,
were much more expensive products and which could only access people with power
purchasing this required. Technical specifications, although good, were not
necessary innovation to compete in the format, ie audio quality and the image
may have been elements that must have been incorporated later to be positioned
above JVC. In short, pornography was just a problem of many that Sony faced,
industry adult film fits the technology of the moment and those who wanted to
host their market, other problems can not be adjudge to an industry that only
responded to market needs and possibilities to give them formats for playback
References
http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/03/05/betamax-didnt-lose-to-vhs-because-of-adult-films/
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2007/04/06/porn_industry_plays_huge_part_in_format_war
http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/3089/vhs-vs-betamax-how-influential-was-the-pornography-industry-in-the-format-war
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=2126
http://www.stereophile.com/news/011507pron/#aLyA75JQDJmOKt8H.97
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