Profile America: Going To The Tape

Thursday, June 9 — A home entertainment revolution began on this date in 1975 when the videocassette recorder was introduced. It was Sony’s Betamax format recorder, which in a very few years was superseded by the rival VHS format. Although Betamax was technically superior, VHS gained its dominance by being the first cassette to offer extended recording times. At its peak, some 9-out-of-10 households across the country had a VCR. Then, the DVD was introduced in 1997, and quickly eclipsed videocassettes. Now, the rising format is the Blu-ray system. Renting out DVD and Blu-ray discs, and what’s left of videocassettes, is the business of just under 3,200 shops in the U.S., engaging in a nearly $4.5 billion a year business.

You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email