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Melding a little of the new with a little of the old, Sony has recently released a Blu-Ray Betamax combo device so one can still enjoy his Beta library as well as his ever growing HD Blu-Ray DVD collection.
Much ballyhooed when it was introduced in the '70s, Betamax's popularity dwindled when Sony refused to license X-rated adult films onto the Beta format. JVC's backed VHS standard rapidly grew marketshare, despite their inferior quality to Beta, solely because it allowed adult content to be recorded on VHS. Not only did this cause a revolution in homes around the world - being able to own and rent movies to be shown in one's own house - but it changed the way porn was enjoyed. Now people no longer had to frequent seedy XXX movie houses, they could watch "Debbie Does Dallas" in the privacy of their own bedrooms.
Beta's popularity never went down in the commercial world, as Beta SP remained the standard for broadcast professionals until DV began to take over, especially in the television production.
Although Blu-Ray has yet to seriously make a dent in the market, the DVD format known for its crisp detail is poised to be the next set-top box in your home. By melding the two, Sony is sure to have another hit on their hands... as long as someone starts releasing porn on Blu-Ray.
h/t Metafilter
