You’d think the consumer electronics industry would have learnt its lesson from the VHS/Betamax debacle of more than 30 years ago. For more than two decades Sony’s Betamax and JVC’s VHS battled it out for market supremacy, with VHS eventually coming out on top despite it being the ‘lesser’ technology – or so the pundits would have us believe.
Nevertheless, the Betamax camp soldiered on, becoming one of those weird and wonderful consumer niche markets like vinyl audio, and the last Betamax player came off a Japanese production line in – wait for it – 2002!
And history may be about to repeat itself on the digital high-definition video front as Blu-Ray marches inexorably towards victory over its rival format, HD DVD.
Just a few days ago at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, movie giant Warner announced that it was committed to producing its latest line of high-definition DVDs in the Blu-Ray format. This seismic shift towards the higher disc capacity system is thought by many to drive a stake through the heart of HD DVD, and that it is only a matter of time before Sony’s creation takes centre stage.
Some might welcome such competition, but a format war is not edifying. It slows development and leaves a bad taste in the mouths of consumers – particularly those that joined the wrong camp. Perhaps Warner’s move is a blessing in disguise for consumers, but it is a blow to the hardware companies and filmmakers that set their stall by HD DVD. Still, at least Sony made the winning side this time.
Les Hunt, Editor