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Conception
This was the first attempt from Apex at a video recorder. Being priced at $50,000 it could only be bought by the elite and television networks. -
Sony's Reel to Reel
Sony, noticing Ampex's new techonolgy deicded to advance on Ampex's device with their reel to reel design made the recorders cheaper for large companies and districts such as medical officials, education, and airliners. This still was not a house hold device. This is also an example of product modification. -
CV-2000
This was a recorder for the common man, Sony, building off of their reel to reel techonology, the CV-2000 was priced out at about $1000, This price drop was mostly due to the new competition, though still expensive the idea of a recorder was now a legitiment dream for the common man. This also starts a period of growth the product will follow for the next five years. -
Sony U-Matic
The first comercially marketed video cassette format for consumers, this could record about 90 minutes of footage per cassette. Sadly this was still too expensive for most people. -
The patent
Phillips company patented the device that most closely represents the modern VCR. -
The Beta-Max
This competitor of the vcr almost took over the market. The format is still seen as superior by videohistorians. This was suprisingly enough the kind of competition needed to keep the VCR popular during the betamax battle but as well as for the next few years. -
Product Maturity
Being no real competion for the next long while the VCR has reached a true maturity where the product doesnt need to be changed at all because no one is forcing it to be changed. -
Attempts at redemption
With the rising popularity of Dvds, JVC as well as other companies began to make a device that read VHS tapes on one side and DVDs on the other. This was an attempt to stay popular and keep the VHS alive, eventually these also would become obselete.
