Definition

A videotape format developed by Sony in 1975 that competed directly with VHS but lost the format war due to higher costs, less recording time, and Sony's licensing restrictions.

Example Usage

My family invested in Betamax before VHS won out.

Origin

Developed by Sony; 'Beta' referred to the video cassette format, while Betamax combined it into the product name.

Fun Fact

Betamax's loss to VHS became the canonical example of a technically superior product failing in the marketplace due to business strategy and market economics.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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