FEATURES AND BENEFITS

This is a listing along with a short commentary about the Beta formats features and benefits and what went into making it better, friendlier, kinder and easier to use. Some apply to every model and some do not.

1. Larger video drum: There was a mechanical and design advantage to the Beta format from the very beginning. Something that every trade magazine gave evidence to and it is what made its picture better than its competitor. The video drum (technically called the scanner) that records more picture detail is 20% larger than VHS. It is these larger scans that record and reproduce the better picture, and that is what video recording is supposed to be all about. Simple mathematics and a basic understanding of electronics is all that is needed to prove this to be a recognized fact. The greater the recorded signal (as the tape travels around the larger drums surface) the more information that can be stored and the stronger the video that can then be outputted. More clean signal equals a sharper picture with increased detail and better color. All Betas have this size drum advantage regardless of the manufacturer. VHS makers were locked in to the smaller drum as their standard although none was adoptedbut it was closely adhered to. Technical advantage Beta and it applies to every model.
2. Faster recording speed: Better linear (monaural) sound. Mathematics again. The fastest Beta speed is 4.0 cm per second and the fastest VHS speed is 3.3 cm per second. This means that Beta tape runs 21% faster than VHS. Across all three speeds for both formats Betas is faster than its VHS counterpart. This is important because when it comes to mono audio the basic fact is the faster the tape travels across the stationary (linear) audio head the better the sound quality will be. Neither format set the world on fire in this department (but better things were to come). The Beta speeds are Bx1 which is the SP* (standard play mode) for VHS. From there the next slower Beta speeds are then . For VHS it's LP then EP, EXP, XP or XLP. It gets kind of gray around the slowest speeds for VHS. There was no standardization, manufacturers could tag them anything. Technical advantage Beta and it applies to every model.
3. Kinder tape path: The way that the Beta tape travels inside the machine is smoother and has fewer sharp angles. This makes for less friction and less wear and tear on the tape. VHS with its sharp turns and twists would shred a tape if rewind and fast-forward was attempted with the tape still inside its path (when first manufactured). Betas less friction is better for the tape and allows it to remain inside the tape path and ready for action at the press of a button. To mimic Beta VHS had to make compromises in its loading operation and finally enlisted the help of tape manufacturers to come to its rescue. They obliged by printing a graphite coating on the backside of the tape to increase it slipperiness. This is messy and it sheds over time. Then it attaches to the drum, pinch roller and guides. All the tape makers adopted this coating process, they weren't going to make clean tape just for Beta. Too much confusion. The new mantra for VHS became: "get your machine serviced regularly" or better yet, replace it. This carried over to Beta as well. Technical advantage Beta and it pertains to every model.
4. Picture control: Because the tape is always in the path and ready to respond it makes features like pause, Betascan, BetaSkipscan and index marking possible. During playback you could effortlessly scan backwards and forwards or even drop in during winding to located a particular scene on a tape. With indexing you could monitor tagged locations just by counting the recorded marks. Not every model could provide these features. Some bare bones units omitted these features so these are model specific. See item 3 above and 15 below.
5. Ease of operation: Beta was always pushing the excellence of its recording and playback experience. Lots of features with simple to use controls, easy to understand operation and performance to enhanced its value. This painless functionality applies to every model. More bang for the buck. See item 3 above.
6. More enjoyment: The joy of being able to move about within the content with ease that the Beta format made possible made for a better overall performance. One that, to this day, its supporters claim VHS just couldn't match. When you put all the features and benefits together for Beta it becomes evident that it was the better format. It just couldn't compete when quality took a back set quantity. Just having a VCR back in the day was more important than having the best format. It would be different now that picture quality, great audio and design superiority is all important. A pleasurable experience cones with every model. See items 3 and 5 above.
7. Compact design: The Beta tape path is smaller and more condensed that the complicated "M" path design used by VHS. This allows for compact, solid models that are slim, robust and pleasing to the eye. Barely three cassette high slimline Beta VCRs didn't demand a lot of shelf space to deliver great performance in a neat, small package. Some of the high end designs had to be large to accommodate all the special electronics needed so this impression point is model specific.
8. Real time display: Because the tape was always traveling in the path the display could show its position in real time. Noting locations in hours, minutes and seconds makes keeping tack of your recordings a breeze. It also allows for keeping tabs on how much recording has taken place and how much time remains. Some designs used a counter to keep track of the tape location so this feature is model specific.
9. Clean editing: The introduction of micro-timing phase (µTP) edits removed the ugly crash edits and made for smooth transitions between scenes. Because of the way the electronics lines up the end and beginning of an edit scenes content became more fluid and less noticeable. Some bare bones designs omitted smart editing so this benefit is model specific.
10. Compound head design: Dual-azimuth video heads make for better video scanning and better special effects without the cumbersome need for the multiple head designs employed by VHS. Found in the higher end units so this design feature is model specific. See DA+1 and DA4 in the terms section.
11. SuperBeta: Improving the already superior standard Beta picture came with the introduction of SuperBeta. Because of the larger signal area Sony engineers were able to push the luminance component of the video up a notch so it could deliver more detail and produce a denser, sharper picture. VHS countered with improved electronics (close but no cigar). Improving the picture was an ongoing objective for the Beta format so this feature was found in most high models.
12. Betahi-fi stereo: The larger drum and resulting denser signal allowed the Sony engineers to move its frequency allocations around and insert four FM carriers that recorded and reproduced superior stereo audio. They did this while maintaining compatibility across the platform. VHS counter by adding more heads to their already small drum and using a scheme called imbedding that recorded the video over the audio (close but no cigar). Betahi-fi stereo audio was available with most later models.
13. Pulse-Code Modulation: Or PCM for short. Sony introduced practical digital recording for the masses early in the life of Beta. This high quality audio system made use of Sony's larger drum to lay down digital information (binary code). It used the video heads to record ons and offs on video tape. This technology is totally separate from video recording, it just uses the VCRs electronics and mechanics. The wide tape tracing area made possible by Beta allows the storage of lots of information that can be read and played back as stereo music. It is very faithful, with virtually no distortion and so successful that studios used this technology to master recording sessions. Sony was proud of this technology and made many of their VCR models PCM friendly. There was a switch on the back used when playing back PCM recordings. It turned off the Drop Out Compensation (DOC) circuit that would disturb the digital playback, by trying to duplicate missing information. Sony didn't stop with this innovation. They used a similar scheme to turn this concept into Betahi-fi. Its different but still uses the high speed of the scanning heads to insert four FM signals positioned in spot made vacant within the video signal. See Betahi-fi above (11). The DOC is common to all VCRs and is used to fill in missing video. It fills bad spots in playback video (caused by imperfections in the tape) by inserting a good signal kept in reserve. It can fill in missing lines, remove spots and smooth over choppy video. When the DOC is operating it will do this with digital and create false code that does disturb the outcome. This is why the DOC is turned off for PCM playback. IT MUST be turned back on for regular tape viewing. If not, every speck will come through and the tape or machine might be incorrectly blamed for the lousy picture. It is imperative that for PCM recordings you use the Beta speed and the very best tape you can find (fewer dropouts to mess up the recordings). Model specific.
14. Quick Timer: Here is a handy little feature that becomes very useful. You can start a recording then set it to turn off later by pressing the Quick Timer button. Each press adds thirty minutes to the length of the recording. It will end after the preset time is reached. No need to set the timer with a start or end time, just be sure that the VCR was on the right station or input (which you can usually change by putting the VCR in pause temporarily). Suppose you were recording and needed to leave unexpectedly. If you weren't going to be home to stop the machine. Just press QT button and the VCR would go into timer record. Press it again and thirty minutes would be added to the timer. Keep pressing and you could go all the way out to the maximum of five hours, thirty minutes at a time. The benefit here is the convenience. This was a popular feature. Depending on the company it as named One Button Record (OBR), Segmented Recording (SR), One Touch Record (OTR), Repeated Segmented Recording (SRS) and Quick Timer(QT). This is one feature name that was not standardized. Over 45 models offered this feature as part of their features package. Model specific.
15. Indexing: Having the tape in the path all the time allowed for a feature called indexing. Models with this feature could find locations on a tape by sifting through silent marks made on the tape when recording began, or added at will. They could also be erased and utilized for scanning in forward or reverse. Indexing, while being wildly useful, can be complicated. It can be prompted to carry out tasks that require some homework to use to their fullest. Consult the description and specification panels or owner's manual of the model to get the complete details about the programming and operation. Model specific.
16. First camcorder: Betas compact tape path made possible the worlds first camcorder. The Betamovie was an instant success and made the format even more appealing. Model specific.
17. Better cassette: The tape was housed and protected inside a nearly indestructible compact video shell. Its smaller size became a liability once the recording time war began. VHS had a bigger, less formidable cassette that could hold more tape (plus the recording speed was slower). This proved to be a nemesis for Beta because to compete they had to make the tape thinner. There was a limit to this strategy and eventually Beta had to concede the time war to VHS. Applies to all models.
18. Extended Definition Beta: Or ED Beta for short. This was the picture upgrade that sony made in the consumer VCR lineup. It required special metal formulated tape to perform at its optimum. This was because the luminance part of the signal that produces the sharpness was pushed up so high that normal video tape couldn't handle it. To overcome this obstacle Sony manufactured metal formula tapes just for use in the ED Beta machines. It used an evaporation process producing iron particles instead of chromium or iron oxide as recording media. It is much denser and capable of a higher range of signal retention. The result was units that were able to faithfully reproduce the full broadcast spectrum of 550 lines of resolution. ED Beta Model specific.
19. Innovative engineering: The Betamakers, in an effort to deliver the best home recording experience, produced some of the most creative and intelligent models to ever grace the shelves of marketplace. Sony and the other manufacturers concentrated on freedom, features and picture quality. Recording time for them was a killer. But it was just a player during a time when, as a commodity consumer, having a VCR was all that mattered. The early adopters and purists knew Beta was better but all they could do was wait for the next big thing to hit. Something to shake up the video buying public and make them notice here was Sony again, with another great product. But somebody else picked up one of their old designs and started selling in a way Beta can't compete. Sony and the other Beta making firms weren't used to producing medium to low end products. They made a name for themselves going for the top. This sales demographic wasn't on their radar, it was missing. JVC, Panasonic, Mutsushita, RCA and others had no problem filling this void. Model specific. Applies to all models.
20. Better quality control: When Beta first came out it was a sensation. All thew machines were made by Sony an d the future look rosy. But that soon changes and other formats joined the party. Sanyo and Toshiba had one called the V-Cord, Philips overseas had the V2000 and there was VHS. SOmething had to be done to narrow the field and keep the consumers from getting confused. Sony convinced Aiwa, Sanyo, Toshiba and others to join the Beta camp. VHS decided to duke it out with Beta. To join the better format Sony required that the video system be exact and uniform. From the point where the tape entered the video drum until it exited at the capstan all manufacturers had to maintain the same specifications. There was no deviation allowed or you couldn't make Beta. Makers could deviate in other areas but the signal being recorded had to match exactly. This made the process critical and necessary because Beta didn't stretch or distort the tape during operation. It was handled with precision and had to be perfect in its execution. Not so with VHS. It used twist pins that distorted the tape around its drum and this made it conform to the path it took. You didn't have to be exact and this made it attractive to potential fabricators. It wasn't as good and not as friendly, but it would do. The Sony strict licensing policy and quality demands added to the formats difficulties. Why sign up for stringent hardware demands when good enough would do? Sony did enlist some of the biggest names in Japanese electronics to engage their format, but in the end this became another sore spot. Beta was too good for it own good. Applies to all models.

For more on the power of Beta consult the "Auto Functions" panel and explore the special operations that Beta can perform by clicking here. To find out how this model watches over itself and all the while protecting your precious tapes by opening the "Operation and protection" panel by clicking here or on its link in the features list.

*VHS had three speeds: SP, LP and EP (XP or XLP). These letters came from for the original 2/4/6 hour recording times using a T-120 tape. Buried within this code are two that caused them some problems. VHS sorely wanted to rid themselves of the fastest speed, SP (Standard Play). But it seems that the movie industry opted to record their properties in SP because it was almost a good as . So the 2 hour speed (SP) had to stay. To record and play all three speeds involved more electronics so the middle speed of 4 hours (LP) came under fire. Remember there is not any real standardization to get in the way of VHS. This quandary over the middle speed caused some crippled machined to be manufactured. Ones that ignored certain speeds. There were some 2/6 hour machines that didn't have a middle speed. They could play the 4 hour speed but there was no recording. There were also some 2/4 models made. But the machine to have was the one with the 2/4/6 hour capacity and separate heads for SP, it recorded and played all three speeds. Why not just drop the 2 hour speed, anyway? To drive the point home further the prerecorded movie makers chose not to adopt the VHS 4 hour mode because it was inferior to Betas and it would appear like they were going backwards. So VHS had to keep making 2 hour machines for the sake of the duplicators cranking out movies. This actually made VHS movies more expensive because they needed more tape for a full 2 hour movie. So despite the cost of keeping the fastest speed it stayed on until the end. Besides, the quality of their SP mode was almost as good as original Beta speed.


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