The Accidental Success of VHS

VHS did not win the home video war because it was the best technology. It dominated the market simply because JVC chose to share their format for free with competitors.

During the 1970s, VHS faced stiff competition from Sony's Betamax, which actually offered superior picture quality. JVC took a bold risk by licensing their technology to other companies for free to ensure it became the industry standard. This massive ecosystem of third-party players pushed prices down and made VHS the go-to choice for families. Sometimes, being accessible and widely available is far more powerful than having the highest technical specs.