These days, if you’re looking to view something, all you need to do is download it or stream it through an external device like an Apple TV. There’s an almost limitless array of films and television programs available, not to mention YouTube content, which is accessible to anyone at any time. However, this wasn’t always the situation. In the past, if you wanted to see a film, you had to go to your local cinema. To watch a television show, you needed to tune in as it aired live — if you missed it, it was gone forever. To play a video game, a trip to the local arcade was necessary.
In the 1970s, media for home use became increasingly available. Innovations like VHS led to the emergence of rental shops, such as Blockbuster, that made films more reachable than ever. Nowadays, video game arcades are nearly obsolete, with gamers opting for consoles, PCs, and even smartphones to partake in their favorite pastime.
The technology for home video has changed significantly since the introduction of VHS, yet some pathways of evolution have proven to be futile. Today, we enjoy 4K Blu-ray, swift SSD storage, and state-of-the-art streaming for our television shows, movies, and video games. However, it has been a lengthy journey to arrive at this moment. Let’s look back at 10 outdated media formats that were once considered cutting-edge.
### Cartrivision
Before DVDs, before LaserDiscs, and before Betamax (we’ll discuss those), there was Cartrivision. For a short period in the early 1970s, Cartrivision seemed on the brink of becoming the next big innovation. Cartrivision wasn’t merely a home media format but an entire home media system. The concept was that you would purchase a television or cabinet system that had Cartrivision integrated into it. The first model, introduced in 1972, was available exclusively at select Sears outlets in the greater Chicago area and priced at $1,350. Cartrivision accommodated various types of tapes. There were blank tapes that could capture up to two hours of television content, tapes containing recorded sports events, travel documentaries, and educational materials, and — most intriguingly — tapes available for rent from a selection of about 200 Hollywood films.
There was a stipulation, however. Cartrivision movies were available for rent only, and they could not be rewound by the user. They were designed to be watched once and then returned to the retailer, either in person or via mail. The limited selection of films from Cartrivision, combined with its steep price, drove consumers away from both the product and the service.
Cartrivision was simply too advanced for its era, too expensive, and too niche for the average consumer. It lasted only two years on the market before being permanently discontinued. It would take another decade for the home video revolution brought about by VHS and Betamax to occur. Had Cartrivision been given more time in the marketplace and found a way to gain popularity, things may have ended differently. Keep in mind, however, that the Cartrivision story unfolded long before the advent of Netflix, which utilized the internet and mail-order home video rentals to transform the film industry.
### Betamax
The initial significant home video battles emerged between VHS and Betamax. Though these weren’t the very first home media formats for viewing films, once VHS and Beta entered the scene in the mid-1970s, it quickly became apparent that only one would prevail as the leading media format. The other would fade into insignificance.
In many ways, Betamax was seen as better than VHS. Beta tapes were more compact than VHS tapes and offered better picture and audio quality compared to VHS. However, they could only record a single hour of content, whereas VHS tapes could capture two hours at their highest-quality setting. In their lowest-quality mode known as SLP (standard long play), VHS tapes could record an impressive six hours of footage.
Back when CRT television sets were the norm, video and audio quality weren’t as important as they are today. Consumers gravitated toward VHS because it was more affordable — and because it allowed for the recording of an entire evening of television while one was out working, on a date, or getting some sleep, enabling them to watch shows the next morning while fast-forwarding through annoying commercials. Once it became evident that VHS was the preferred choice for the average consumer, Betamax withdrew from the competition, although it didn’t vanish completely. Betamax continued in certain regions, such as Japan, where new tapes were produced and made available until 2016.
### Audio cassette tapes
When it came to music, there were no viable alternatives to vinyl records until the introduction of cassette tapes in the 1960s. This format had its advantages and disadvantages, but audio cassettes…
