Welcome to...

 

The

 




What happened to Betainfoguide.com???

Betainfoguide.com has now become

Betainfoguide.net!! 

Thanks to the generosity of the good folks who run the BetaPalsite in the U.K., we are now back...as Betainfoguide.net!

Please keep in mind that  any links to www.betainfoguide.com will NOT work, as that site is totally down.

Also, the geocities.com mirror site is also down, so all the links to geocities are now dead.  So again, please bookmark THIS page to keep current!

Join the BETA IS BETTER group on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=323482621694

There is also a great page devoted to the Betamax format on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax

We accept Donations! Click below to Donate through PayPal!

Our next claim to fame....   

I am mentioned quite frequently - with photos - in the new book, "From Betamax to Blockbuster," released in May 2008, by Joshua M. Greenberg, and published by MIT Press.  It's a comprehensive look at the early days of video collecting and how the whole home video marketplace emerged, evolved, and changed over the years.  Interesting reading - pick up a copy! About $16.

 ---- Ray Glasser
December, 2008


Hi! Welcome to the Internet's most comprehensive U.S. storehouse of Betamax information!  You're looking at the result of many years of research!  Have fun browsing!




                                 

    
You have arrived at the ULTIMATE  BETAMAX INFORMATION GUIDE, the most complete and comprehensive U.S. Betamax website on the Internet!  Since 1997 we have been offering the world a wealth of information about the first true home video format!  This site offers comprehensive lists of all the U.S. Beta VCRs, pictures of many of them, plus other useful info that will let you find used Beta machines, tapes, accessories, manuals, remotes,  repair service, and more!  
   The purpose and scope of this site are twofold: first, to provide both information and education about the Beta format in general, with emphasis on the Beta VCRs themselves.  We offer detailed listings of the Beta VCRs that were released in the United States from 1975 to 1993.  The used Beta market is alive and well (actually, quite active!), and these lists will provide valuable comparative information about the Beta VCRs.  The lists have the following information:

The year the machine was originally manufactured
The machine's model number
The original suggested retail price (when known)
Any new features each particular unit had or introduced
Links to pictures of many of the units

       Secondly, this site provides pictures of many of these Beta machines  so you can see what they look like.  The pictures have been taken from brochures, magazine ads,  Internet auctions, other websites, etc., so the quality varies quite a bit.   Additionally, this site offers interesting tidbits that will will amuse, educate, and inform both the neophyte and the seasoned Betaphile alike!
  
   So, have fun!!!  A lot of info awaits you....this site is a virtual history book of the Beta format, and is a true labor of love from one who has been involved with Beta since the beginning of the home video revolution....1976.   I make updates and additions from time to time, so check in often!  Additions and corrections to this site are always welcomed and appreciated.


THE THREE MOST POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT BETAMAXES TODAY:

Q) Where can I find a Betamax to buy?
A) The eBay auction site, it's VERY hot these days!  Since the value of Beta VCRs is rapidly declining, and they are starting to become really old, it's a Buyer's Market these days!!  Click here.

Q) Is there an adaptor that will let me play my Beta tapes in my "regular" VHS machine?
A) No, Virginia...no such animal ever existed and never will.  Buy a Betamax....see above.

Q) Where can I get my Betamax repaired?
A) Check out the Beta Help Page....see link directly below.

 



A neat industrial, the SLO-323


 
The BEST Beta ever, the SL-HF1000!

The slim-line SL-2500

The neat SL-2000 portable
 

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?



MY E-MAIL ADDRESS:

[email protected]



TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO THE 
BETA LISTINGS
CLICK HERE

TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO THE 
PHOTO GALLERIES
: CLICK HERE


TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO THE 
|BETA HELP PAGE
CLICK HERE

TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO OTHER
BETA WEBSITE LINKS:
   CLICK HERE


The original SL-7200

      


 


 



Comprehensive Lists of U.S. Betamax VCRs By Brand!
Click on the Brand Name to go to that list.

Takes you to the SONY list!

Takes you to the SANYO list!

Takes you to the TOSHIBA list!

Takes you to the NEC list!

Takes you to the SEARS list!

Takes you to the ZENITH list!

ALL OTHER BRANDS
including pictures!





CLICK THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT TO GO TO THAT PAGE

SONY BETAS
A gallery of Sony Betas from the beginning to the end!

THE "DREAM MACHINES"
The high-end Sony Betas that showcased the best of the best!

THE SONY INDUSTRIAL BETAS
The heavy-duty Betas used by schools, institutions, and the government

THE INTERNATIONAL BETAS
Some of the Sony Betas made for non-U.S. markets (some of them were pretty neat, too!)
(SEE THE NEWLY EXPANDED SECTION ON JAPANESE BETAS!!!)

SOME NON-SONY BETAS
Some Betas made by manufacturers other than "Mother Sony" 

THE BETA TAPE BOXES AND CASSETTE SHELLS
A two-page gallery showing various brands of Beta tape boxes and different types of cassette shells.  For the die-hards only!
THE BETAMOVIE PAGE
Showcasing the Sony BetaMovie one-piece record-only camcorders that were released in the 1980s
BETA CLOSE-UPS
An in-depth look at some selected Betas, with lots of detailed pictures!
                
INCLUDED:
-------------------
PAGE ONE -----------------
Pioneer VX-90 SuperBeta HiFi
Sony SuperBeta Theater SL-HFT7
Sony EDV-30F Industrial ED-Beta
Sears Proformance Beta Hi-Fi
Sony SL-2410/2415 Talking Betas


--------------------
PAGE TWO ---------------
Sanyo VCR7300 Portable Beta Hi-Fi
Sony SL-HF860D Digital FX SuperBeta Hi-Fi
Sony LV1901 Betamax/TV console
Sony GCS-50 Industrial SuperBeta Ed
itor  


WHY BETA IS BETTER
A semi-technical page explaining why Beta is a superior format to VHS.

THE RISE & FALL OF BETA
An excellent history of the Beta format, written by my friends Marc Wielage and Rod Woodcock; taken from a 1988 issue of their Videofax magazine, and updated in 2003.  

THE DAY THAT BETA DIED!
The shocking, official announcement from Sony Tokyo that they were ceasing production of new Betamaxes!!  It was Aug 28, 2002.....

BETAHELP
Our 2nd-most popular page....here you'll find help locating Beta VCRs, manuals, remotes, repair people, etc.
BETA TIDBITS
I
nteresting tidbits about the Beta format and its history
BETA ADS
Some print ads I've collected over the years, advertising Betamaxes.
BETA TIPS AND TRICKS
Tips and tricks about some Beta VCRs and the Betamax videocassette tapes
THE RAY GLASSER PERSONAL PAGE
A bio about the author of this site, explaining his involvement in home video
THE BIG LIE
An ad from a 1984 dealer magazine about selling Beta products
"THE VIDEOPHILE'S NEWSLETTER" PAGES
A look at the VERY FIRST Video magazine,  published from 1976 to 1981.   Have fun digging into the earliest days of video, when Beta was king - and was the only home video format around!!!

LINKS TO MORE BETA WEBSITES

LINKS TO OTHER BETAMAX WEBRING SITES: 
 [Prev] [Next] [Random] [List Sites]



A NEAT EBAYŽ FIND FROM 2006...

In late 2006 I found these two ancient WRAPPED Beta tapes on eBay....an ORIGINAL K-60 tape from 1975, and the first incarnation of the Sony L-750, from 1978!!!  Both of these tapes will remain on my shelf, unused and wrapped forever!


We are on and !! 

...with various Betamax commercials, camera videos of Betamax VCRs, unboxing videos, etc.  Since my username is constantly changing (I've had about 10 accounts already on YouTube, and many of them have been suspended!), do a Search for "Betamax" and "Ray Glasser" together in the YouTube or DailyMotion Search box, and you'll be able to view the videos!
Some examples:

 
Sony SL-7200 Betamax Commercial #1 - 1977 by tvnut

Sony Betamax Commercial - "Sharper Picture" by tvnut

Sony Promotional Video for the VERY FIRST... by tvnut

Commercial for the first pre-recorded Betamax... by videohollic

Ray Glasser demos the Japanese SL-J7 Sony... by tvnut

Sony SL-J7 Japanese Betamax Commercial by tvnut

NightLife's "Cleveland Tech Report" - Showing... by videohollic  

Sony Portable Betamax Commercial - SL-2000 (1982) by tvnut
 
My Introductory Video for DailyMotion!!! by tvnut

One Last Look at my COMPLETE Betamax Library -... by videohollic

 

 

 

We have been visited at least


times since Oct. 20, 1997!  We are proud!!

This site was first uploaded on 10/13/97,
was given a major facelift in mid-2000,
and moved to this domain in December, 2008!