Sony’s Betamax changed home video forever 45 years ago

Betamax first came out 45 years ago. While the technology has become something of a punchline, a shorthand for any obscure out-of-date format, Sony’s Betamax was the first real consumer video system available in the US. It launched debates and court cases about copyright, fair use and ownership, ending with a Supreme Court case that paved the way for everything from Blu-Rays to DVR. Sure, it might have lost the war to JVC’s VHS tape, but it also led the way. It also set of precedent for Sony stubbornly ba