Importance of Porn in the Format Wars

[AmericanCliche]

I recently watched a video on cnet:

http://www.cnettv.com/9710-1_53-25852.html

The people on cnet made it sound like porn is what led VHS to win the format wars of the past. How important is porn to the success of Blu-ray?

[Ascended_Saiyan]

Originally Posted by AmericanCliche

I recently watched a video on cnet:

http://www.cnettv.com/9710-1_53-25852.html

The people on cnet made it sound like porn is what led VHS to win the format wars of the past. How important is porn to the success of Blu-ray?

Not that important in this day and time of internet downloads, but also understand that porn has been on Blu-ray for some time now (in Japan).

The one of things that made porn a big factor in the 70s was the fact that you could only get it through one place (VHS). This was back in the time of back rooms at mom and pop shops. In the 21st century, we have MANY other means of spreading this content to the masses. Therefore, porn is nowhere near the factor it once was in the visual format war of the 20th century.

[Decoy]

Originally Posted by Ascended_Saiyan

Not that important in this day and time of internet downloads, but also understand that porn has been on Blu-ray for some time now (in Japan).

The one of things that made porn a big factor in the 70s was the fact that you could only get it through one place (VHS). This was back in the time of back rooms at mom and pop shops. In the 21st century, we have MANY other means of spreading this content to the masses. Therefore, porn is nowhere near the factor it once was in the visual format war of the 20th century.

Agree, well put.

[dobyblue]

No doubt. I would put it at about 1/50th of the importance of a major motion picture studio in this day and age.
In the early eighties I would have put it on par.

[GoldenRedux]

At this point in time, the internet is the place for porn. The porn industry will have barely any influence if any at all on the so-called format war, IMO.

[Blu-ray San]

http://gear.ign.com/articles/759/759068p1.html

[itsandy]

I believe what really killed Beta in the early 80's was that Beta and VHS were originally recording formats and Beta could only hold about 1 hour where as VHS came out the shoot with 2 hour record times. When people got the bright idea to sell movies for VCR's most movies on beta required at least 2 cassettes. By the time Sony extended the length of beta it was too late. Porn was probably important as well but regardless I think beta would have died.