The History of the VCR

The introduction of television into the American home in the 1940s and 50s, provided Americans with a whole new source of entertainment. Companies like RCA were attempting to crack the code of practical video storage in the 1950s. It was reasoned that since audio could be recorded on magnetic tape, why couldn't video? Video footage, on the other hand, requires far more data than audio and so must move considerably faster around the machine's tape heads. Instead than spinning the tape around the heads at insane speeds, Ampex discovered that the heads themselves should rotate. The problem was, it was about the size of a desk. It also cost $50,000 (about $500,000 in today's money). 

Both Sony and JVC recognized that television viewers desired the ability to time-shift, allowing them to watch whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. The corporations determined they couldn't come to an agreement after a year of heated debate over cassette size and picture quality. They split up, paving the way for an epic battle between Sony's Betamax and JVC's Video Home System, commonly known as VHS. In the end, VHS won. But both systems paved the way for the future. 

Then another issue arose. Despite the billions of revenue that the home video market would eventually bring in, movie companies believed that Betamax and VHS would mark their downfall. But thankfully, our very own Fred Rogers came to the rescue. In 1979, the case was tried in U.S. District Court, with the court ruling that Sony was justified and that VCRs constituted a fair use of the studios' property. Universal filed an appeal, and the ruling was overturned two years later. 

In 1983 and 1984, the case went in front of the Supreme Court. Mr. Rogers testified in favor of the VCR during the proceedings. He claimed that home recording machines gave families more choice over how and when they watched television. Mr. Rogers also believed that people should have the freedom to make their own decisions, such as when to sit and watch a show. In the end, the Supreme Court agreed and VCR's were here to stay.

In 1977, a man named George Atkinson opened the very first video rental store ever in Los Angeles, California. He believed that renting movies would be more appealing to customers, and he was right. By 1985, there were almost 15,000 rental stores open. By 1987, 37 million VCRs had been installed in homes, with an average of eight movies rented per month. By 1990, half of all studio revenue came from the home video market.

VHS stayed even after the DVD was created in 1996. In 2016, Funai Electric reportedly produced the last-ever VHS VCR, bringing the end of the VHS era, but opening the door for at home theaters, family movie nights, and so many more advances in technology to come.

(Note: This link also goes through a 50 year history of the VCR)