Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site wateng.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!wateng!bjroehl From: bjroehl@wateng.UUCP (Bernie Roehl) Newsgroups: net.video Subject: VHS vs Beta Message-ID: <757@wateng.UUCP> Date: Wed, 22-Feb-84 16:19:45 EST Article-I.D.: wateng.757 Posted: Wed Feb 22 16:19:45 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 23-Feb-84 04:42:41 EST Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 24 Well, I recently considered the purchase of a VCR but decided instead to lease one. My reasons for leasing were simple: I did't want to have to worry about maintenance, I didn't want to commit to VHS or Beta until the smoke clears, and I didn't want to lay out $500 all in one shot. The VCR I got runs VHS format, and I've since had an opportunity to compare the quality I get with the quality out of a Beta VCR; the short answer is that in my case the difference in quality is non-existent. Reviews of systems using the two formats tend to support this, saying in effect that the two are equivalent. I suspect the "noticeable differences" some net posters have mentioned are attributable to difference in tape quality (which I notice a tremendous variation in, on both VHS and Beta). I can't speak for the midwest or west, but can say that in the Eastern United States and Canada, VHS is by far the more prevalent system. Many video stores are carrying only VHS, and those that do stock Beta are phasing it out. If I were to purchase a VCR at this point, I would choose VHS; the greater availability of programming suggests that, right or wrong, it's the system that will prevail (at least until the new 8 mm format becomes popular and supplants both VHS and Beta). -- -Bernie Roehl (University of Waterloo)