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Betamax facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Betamax (also called Beta) was a consumer-level videotape format created by Sony. It was first released on May 10, 1975 in Japan and November of 1975 in the United States. Because it lost the videotape format war to VHS, Betamax is now obsolete. Despite this, production of new Betamax recorders went until 2002; and Betamax cassettes were available up until March 2016.

Images for kids

  • Three betamax vcrs

    Three Sony Betamax VCRs built for the American market. Top to bottom: SL-2000 portable with TT-2000 tuner/timer "Base Station" (1982); SL-HF 300 Betamax HiFi unit (1984); SL-HF 360 SuperBeta HiFi unit (1988).

  • Betamax blank top (modified) (tape only)

    Front and side of a Betamax cassette, without labels attached

  • Betamax-blank-rear

    The underside of a Betamax cassette

  • Betacam betamax tapes

    The early-form Betacam tapes (left) are interchangeable with Betamax (right), though the recordings are not.

  • Sony SL-MV1 and RMT-117 20051001

    A rare Japanese-market Betamax portable TV/VCR combo, the Model SL-MV1

  • Sony Betamovie BMC-100P 2nd view (retouched filtered)

    Sony Betamovie BMC-100P, the first of the Betamovie line and the first consumer-grade camcorder

  • Betamax cassettes on display

    Betamax tapes on display at a museum

  • VHS vs Betamax size

    Size comparison between a Betamax cassette (top) and a VHS cassette (bottom)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Betamax para niños

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Betamax Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.