CompuServe Messages

Larry, They also cared about cost…even a $50 difference out of $1000 was enough to change lots of folks minds. The amount of recording time was a factor, but not as big as the cost was. While originaly the VHS system provided up to twice the amount of time as Beta did, Sony quickly added the Beta II mode where an L500 tape gave you 2 hours just as a T120 gave you 2 hours. Of course, the VHS manufacturers then countered with the LP mode that gave you 4 hrs on a T120 tape. Back when all this was going on…Beta sales were actualy higher than VHS, but as soon as the VHS folks started to lower prices…even by small amounts, their sales took off. The vast majority of folks I talked to who asked me about which they should buy…ended up buying VHS (I reccomended Beta due to the video quality) because it was cheaper. Obviously now, they buy VHS because it's the "standard", you should see the trouble I went thru trying to locate a copy of ET on Beta…I was going to buy it because my beta machine is stereo but the VHS isn't. I ended up renting a VHS tape and looking at it once…oh well. The Beta was available, but by special order only. Don