ZENITH L-500 Betamax Video Cassettes

Circa Mid 1970's to Late 1970's

The Betamax format was introduced by Sony in Japan on May 10, 1975, and in the United States in November of the same year. Sony continued manufacturing Betamax recorders until August 2002 and sold blank Beta cassettes until March 2016, marking the end of the format's commercial lifespan by Sony.

Manufacturers that produced Betamax-compatible VCRs include:

• Sony: The originator of the Betamax format, with models like the SL-5000, SL-8200, and various Betamovie camcorders.

• Sanyo: Marketed their recorders under the Betacord brand, including models like the VCR 3900, VCR 4000, and Betamovies like the VRC-100.

• Zenith: Contracted with Sony to produce VCRs, including models like the JR 9000, VR 8500PT, and others, often identifiable by their top-loading mechanism.

• Other Manufacturers: Toshiba, Pioneer, Murphy, Aiwa, and NEC also produced Beta-format VCRs, as did department stores like Sears and Quelle under their house brands.

• 4-video cassettes available.
• Rental rates are per video cassette.

(H-16cm x W-10cm x D-2.5cm)