Comments by "Digital Footballer" (@digitalfootballer9032) on "Why Sony's Beta Videotape System Failed--Part 2" video.

  1. Those prices were outrageous, especially adjusted for inflation, which would be about $4,300 in today's money for a top end unit. Of course the VCR was 1979's equivalent of a UHD 4K curved screen TV, or whatever the latest greatest home entertainment thing is now. The prices did come down over time, but they still were not cheap. I remember my dad buying us one for a "family Christmas present" in 1984. It was $395, but they gave him a deal at the local electronics store because he got 4 friends to all buy one from them at the same time, so they got them for $350. That's $850 in today's money, so not chump change. And here is the best part. The unit is a Magnavox VHS format VCR. It still works, and it is currently hooked up to my basement TV and I still use it! I had several more modern units over the years and they all broke eventually, but the old hunk of steel from 1984 is still going strong. Rewinding a tape does sound like an airplane taking off, but it does indeed work!
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