Home Video: Crash Course Film History #13

Summary

Crash Course Film History explores the evolution of home video, from 8mm film to 4K Ultra-HD and streaming services. The video discusses how 8mm film enabled home movies, the 'video format wars' between Betamax and VHS, and the impact of DVDs and Blu-rays. It also covers the rise of direct-to-video content and the current dominance of streaming platforms like Netflix, which have revolutionized film distribution and consumption.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The concept of home movies became possible with the invention of 8mm film in the mid-1930s, which was more portable and less expensive than 35mm film.
• 📹 In the 1950s and 60s, 8mm film cameras became more common with the expansion of the American middle class, leading to home movies capturing family events.
• 📼 The advent of home video technology, such as Betamax in 1975, allowed for recording audio and video signals to magnetic tape, paving the way for modern video formats.
• 🔄 Early home video technologies used an interlaced format to compress signals, which created a clear picture but could blur with fast motion.
• 📺 VHS emerged as the dominant home video format over Betamax due to its lighter, cheaper design and longer recording time.
• 💿 The shift to digital with DVDs in 1995 offered improved durability and quality over analog VHS tapes, and included additional features like alternate cuts and commentary tracks.
• 📀 Blu-ray Discs, introduced in 2006, provided even higher quality video with full high-definition and ultra-high-definition capabilities.
• 🌐 Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have revolutionized home video by offering direct distribution of content, including original programming.
• 🏆 Streaming platforms have enabled non-traditional and independent filmmakers to reach wider audiences and have even won prestigious awards.
• 📈 The evolution of home video formats has been driven by technological advancements, market competition, and consumer demand for quality and convenience.

Q & A

What was the significance of 8mm film in the history of home movies?

8mm film was significant as it allowed for the creation of true home movies, being more portable and less expensive than traditional 35mm film. It enabled average consumers to capture and view films at home, though the image quality was not as high when projected on big screens.

How did the invention of Betamax contribute to the home video revolution?

Betamax, introduced in 1975, was one of the first home video technologies that could record audio and video signals to a magnetic tape, similar to audio cassettes. It brought home movies into the mainstream by allowing consumers to record and playback video content at home.

What was the main difference between Betamax and VHS, and which format won the 'video format wars'?

Betamax and VHS were both early home video formats, but VHS won out due to being lighter, cheaper, and able to hold longer recordings on a single cassette. VHS dominated the market by 1980, holding 60 percent of the U.S. market share.

How did the advent of VCRs change the way people consumed films at home?

VCRs allowed people to not only play home movies but also record TV programs and play videotapes of feature films. This meant that consumers could watch Hollywood movies at home at their convenience, marking a significant shift in film consumption.

What was the impact of rental chains like Blockbuster on the film industry?

Rental chains popularized the idea of renting movies for a few dollars a night, making it more affordable for the general public to access a wide range of films. This model helped studios generate additional revenue streams from their film libraries.

What are the advantages of DVDs over VHS tapes?

DVDs have several advantages over VHS tapes, including better picture and sound quality, no degradation over time due to digital format, and a larger storage capacity that allows for additional features like alternate cuts and commentary tracks.

How did the introduction of Blu-ray Discs affect the home video market?

Blu-ray Discs introduced high-definition and ultra-high-definition video signals with improved picture quality. They replaced DVDs as the standard for home video due to their ability to store more data and provide a better viewing experience.

What is the difference between interlaced and progressive video formats?

Interlaced video formats display sets of every other horizontal line in a given image, alternating between odd and even lines, which can cause motion blur. Progressive scan formats display all horizontal lines of picture information at once, resulting in smoother motion and more realistic images.

How did streaming services change the landscape of home video distribution?

Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon eliminated the need for physical media by distributing films and TV shows directly to consumers over the internet. They also provided a platform for original content and leveled the playing field for independent filmmakers.

What are some of the challenges faced by consumers with streaming services?

Challenges with streaming services include the need for a robust and consistent internet connection, potential unavailability of desired content, and the lack of a physical copy for personal collection or resale.

What does the future of home video formats look like according to the script?

The script suggests that while it's uncertain exactly where the future of home video will take us, it's likely to continue evolving with technology, potentially offering even more convenience and higher quality viewing experiences.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 The Evolution of Home Video Technology

The paragraph discusses the transformation of the film industry due to home video technology. It starts with the introduction of 8mm film in the 1930s, which allowed for more portable and affordable filmmaking, albeit with lower image quality compared to 35mm film. The paragraph then moves on to the 1950s and ‘60s, highlighting the rise of home movies with the expansion of the American middle class. The advent of home video technology, particularly Betamax in 1975, is noted for its ability to record audio and video signals to magnetic tape, similar to audio cassettes. The discussion of interlaced video formats and their limitations in handling fast motion and certain patterns is also included. The competition between Betamax and VHS is highlighted, with VHS emerging as the dominant format by 1980 due to its affordability and longer recording time. The paragraph concludes with the impact of home video on Hollywood studios, which began to see an untapped revenue stream as more people purchased VCRs and started renting and buying movies for home viewing.

05:02

📀 The Rise and Fall of Video Formats

This paragraph delves into the history of video formats, starting with Paramount Pictures' strategy in 1987 to sell Top Gun on VHS for a reduced price, which led to a significant shift in the market. The paragraph explains the difference between analog and digital technologies, using VHS and DVDs as examples. It emphasizes how DVDs, being digital, do not degrade over time like VHS tapes. The benefits of DVDs, such as their durability and the ability to include extra features, are discussed, along with the rise of Blu-ray Discs, which offer even higher-definition video signals. The 'HD format wars' between Blu-ray and HD-DVD are mentioned, with Blu-ray emerging as the victor after Sony integrated a Blu-ray player into the PlayStation 3. The paragraph also touches on the current state of home video with 4K Ultra-HD Discs and the advent of streaming services, which have revolutionized the way content is distributed and consumed, offering both opportunities and challenges for the film industry.

Keywords

💡Home Video

Home video refers to the technology and practice of watching films and other video content outside of a traditional theater setting, typically in a personal or home environment. The video discusses the evolution of home video from the invention of 8mm film to modern streaming services. Home video has transformed the film industry by making it possible for consumers to watch content on various devices and at their convenience.

💡8mm Film

8mm film was a significant development in the history of home video, introduced in the mid-1930s. It allowed for more portable and less expensive filming compared to traditional 35mm film. The video explains that 8mm film was created by splitting 16mm film stock, making it a precursor to modern home video technologies. Despite its lower image quality when projected on large screens, it was suitable for home viewing on smaller surfaces like sheets or walls.

💡Betamax

Betamax, often referred to simply as 'Beta,' was one of the first home video formats introduced in the 1970s. It recorded audio and video signals onto magnetic tape, similar to audio cassettes. The video highlights Betamax's role in the early home video market and its interlaced format, which was a method of compressing video signals to save space and produce a clear picture. However, Betamax lost out to VHS in the 'video format wars' due to its higher cost and smaller recording capacity.

💡VHS

VHS, or Video Home System, was a video format that emerged as the dominant standard in the home video market, surpassing Betamax. The video describes VHS as lighter, cheaper, and capable of holding longer recordings compared to Betamax. VHS tapes became a staple in home video entertainment, allowing consumers to record TV programs and rent or purchase movies for home viewing.

💡Interlaced Video

Interlaced video is a method of encoding and displaying video signals where only even or odd lines of the image are drawn alternately, creating a complete image by combining these fields. The video explains that interlaced formats were used in early home video technologies like Betamax and VHS to save space and produce a clear picture. However, interlaced video can cause blur or a strobe effect during fast motion scenes.

💡DVD

Digital Video Discs, or DVDs, were introduced in the 1990s as a successor to VHS tapes. The video points out that DVDs offered superior picture quality, didn't degrade over time like analog VHS tapes, and had a larger storage capacity. This allowed for additional features like commentaries, alternate cuts, and trailers, enhancing the home viewing experience.

💡Streaming Services

Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video are platforms that distribute video content over the internet without the need for physical media. The video discusses how these services have revolutionized home video by offering instant access to a vast library of content. Streaming services have also provided opportunities for non-traditional and independent filmmakers to distribute their work, broadening the range of content available to consumers.

💡Digital Formats

Digital formats refer to the encoding of information in a binary format, consisting of ones and zeros, as opposed to analog formats that use varying amplitudes of electrical signals. The video explains that digital formats like DVDs and Blu-rays do not degrade over time, ensuring consistent quality, unlike analog VHS tapes which can wear out with use.

💡High-Definition (HD)

High-definition (HD) is a term used to describe video with a higher resolution than standard-definition, providing a clearer and more detailed image. The video outlines the progression from standard-definition to HD and ultra-high-definition (4K), noting the increase in the number of horizontal lines that make up the image. HD formats like 1080p offer a significant improvement in picture quality over older formats.

💡Blu-ray Discs

Blu-ray Discs are a digital optical storage medium that succeeded DVDs. The video mentions that Blu-ray Discs can store high-definition and ultra-high-definition video signals, offering improved picture quality over DVDs. Blu-ray emerged victorious in the 'HD format wars' against HD-DVD, becoming the dominant high-definition disc format.

Highlights

The evolution of home video has revolutionized the film industry, making movies accessible anytime and anywhere.

8mm film in the mid-1930s marked the beginning of home movies, offering a more portable and cost-effective alternative to 35mm film.

The 1950s and ‘60s saw a rise in home movie making with the expansion of the American middle class and the popularity of 8mm film cameras.

Home video technology, starting with Betamax in 1975, allowed recording of audio and video signals to magnetic tape.

VHS emerged as the dominant home video format due to its lighter, cheaper design and longer recording capacity.

The introduction of Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) in the late 1970s and early 1980s changed the way people consumed films at home.

The high cost of Hollywood films on video cassette initially limited their accessibility to the average consumer.

Rental chains like Blockbuster Video became popular in the 1980s and ‘90s, offering an affordable way to watch movies at home.

Direct-to-video films emerged as a cost-effective way for film companies to market movies straight to consumers.

LaserDisc, an early optical format, laid the groundwork for later digital technologies like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.

The durability and storage capacity of DVDs made them a popular upgrade from VHS tapes, despite their higher cost.

Blu-ray Discs, introduced in 2006, offered full high-definition video signals, enhancing the home viewing experience.

The 'HD format wars' between Blu-ray and HD-DVD ended with Blu-ray's victory, solidifying its place in the home video market.

4K Ultra-HD Disc represents the latest advancement in home video formats, requiring a 4K TV for optimal viewing.

Streaming services have revolutionized home video by eliminating the need for physical discs and providing instant access to a vast library of content.

The rise of streaming has also leveled the playing field for independent filmmakers, offering new avenues for content distribution.

The future of home video is uncertain but expected to continue evolving with advancements in technology and consumer preferences.

Transcripts

Hello, I'm Craig and this is Crash Course Film History.

Gone are the days when the only way to experience film was buying a ticket at your local theater.

Instead, you can watch almost anything you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.

Film studios have made much of their back catalogs available to the public, with things

like DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, or online streaming services.

And you can screen movies on TVs, computers, tablets, phones, and even some watches…

if you squint really hard.

Home video transformed the film industry, and the ways we find and consume motion pictures.

[Opening Music Plays]

True home movies – films you can watch at

home – didn’t exist until the invention of 8mm film in the mid-1930s.

The first standard 8mm film stock was actually made from 16mm film with extra sprocket holes

down the side.

Filmmakers would run a 16mm film strip through a camera once to expose one half of the frame,

and then run it in the other direction to expose the other half.

Then, during processing, they split the strip down the center, creating two 8mm film strips

that could be spliced together.

...it's just a lot of work.

Compared to traditional 35mm film, 8mm film was more portable and much less expensive

to buy and develop.

But it had one major drawback: When 8mm film was projected on a big screen, the image quality

couldn’t hold a candle to 35mm.

Most home movie makers weren’t projecting their films onto giant screens, though.

Instead, they would just hang up a sheet or use a plain wall.

And for that, 8mm film did the trick.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, as the American middle class expanded after World War II, 8mm film

cameras became more common.

Chances are, there’s some grainy, unsteady footage of your family’s old vacations,

birthdays, weddings, or other special occasions tucked away in an attic somewhere.

Who's attic? My attic?

Now, what really brought home movies into the mainstream was the advent of home video

technology.

And Betamax – or Beta for short – was one of the world’s first.

Invented in Japan and introduced to the United States in 1975, Beta could record audio and

video signals to a magnetic tape, much like the ones in audio cassettes.

You see, video technologies record break up recorded images into a whole bunch of horizontal

lines of visual information.

To save space and produce a clear picture, early home video technologies used an interlaced

format to compress the signal.

In interlaced formats, when a video is played back, it displays sets of every other horizontal

line in a given image, leaving the others blank.

Each of these sets is called a field.

First, a field with the odd-numbered lines is shown, then an even one.

Odd, even, odd even...

Odd, even, odd even oddevenoddeven.

If you speed up that process until you’re flashing alternating fields 25 or 30 times

a second, your eye doesn’t distinguish between the lines.

Instead – thanks to the Phi Phenomenon – you see a moving image.

While interlaced video allowed for some pretty clear pictures, it doesn’t handle fast motion

very well, and the image tends to blur or strobe.

It also gets weird around plaid or striped shirts.

Now, Beta’s main competition was another Japanese technology called the Video Home

System or VHS.

It was essentially the same idea as Beta, except it was lighter, cheaper, and one cassette

could hold a two-hour movie.

So in the ensuing “video format wars,” Beta couldn’t compete.

By 1980, the VHS format dominated 60 percent of the U.S. market.

I think my grandfather died in the video format wars.

And that market was getting bigger and bigger!

As more home video technologies were emerging and dropping in price, an enormous, untapped

revenue stream opened up for the Hollywood studios.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, more people began buying Video Cassette Recorders or VCRs.

Not only could these devices play home movies recorded with consumer video cameras, but

they could also record TV programs and play videotapes of feature films.

Suddenly, people could watch Hollywood movies at home whenever they wanted.

Kind of.

At first, it was way too expensive for the average consumer to buy a video cassette

of a Hollywood film.

The studios charged between 80 and 90 dollars per tape! ...WHAT!?!?!

But rental chains could buy them in bulk, and rent them out to the general public for

a few dollars a night.

Plus late fees.

These rental chains – places like Blockbuster Video or Hollywood Video – along with independent

mom-and-pop stores, flourished throughout the 1980s and ‘90s.

Film studios started going through their film libraries and releasing old movies on home

video formats as well as new ones, making money hand over fist.

As this new home video market matured in the 1980s, a number of film companies decided

they could bypass the theatrical distribution system altogether and market their films straight

to the consumer.

The most successful direct-to-video films fell into a few main categories: inexpensive

action movies, steamy thrillers, sequels to successful theatrical films, and family films

– both animated and live-action.

Like low-budget B-movies, direct-to-video films were often viewed as cheap knock-offs,

as opposed to “real” movies that played in movie theaters.

Movies like Nail Gun Massacre, Death Spa, or Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare were pretty

terrible, but offered a bit of good schlocky fun.

Direct-to-video also gave film franchises who were dragging a bit at the box office

a chance to stay alive with cheaper budgets.

Beethoven, I’m looking at you.

Not the composer, the movie about a dog.

Now, back in the late ‘70s, as the first

consumer home video formats were coming out, LaserDisc also emerged.

Rather than recording images on magnetic tape, LaserDisc was an optical format, which encodes

binary data with a laser.

It’s a technology that eventually led to CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs.

Even though the picture quality was superior to either Beta or VHS, LaserDisc

was ultimately doomed.

The discs themselves were cumbersome and fragile, the players were expensive, and you couldn’t

record TV shows on them.

But by the time Digital Video Discs, or DVDs, arrived in 1995, consumers were primed for

a technological revolution.

See, in 1987, Paramount Pictures tried an experiment.

They offered the VHS cassette of Top Gun for just 30 dollars instead of 80 or 90.

And it was a runaway hit.

...who knew people liked to pay less for things?

Almost immediately, other studios followed Paramount’s lead.

And by the early 1990s, people could afford to build their very own home video libraries.

One issue with VHS tapes is that they degrade over time.

The more you watch them, the more the actual tape wears down,

eventually rendering them un-viewable.

...like me!

In part, that's because VHS is an analog

technology, while DVD is digital.

Both analog and digital technologies transmit information, usually through electric signals.

One of the main differences is that analog technologies translate information into electric

pulses of varying amplitudes, while digital technologies translate information into a

binary format made of ones and zeros, which represent discrete amplitudes.

DVDs, like most digital technologies, don’t degrade like VHS tapes.

The ones are always ones, and the zeroes are always zeroes.

So, the signal will always look the same.

Unless you’re at your parents’ house where it will always look green and squished.

C’mon mom and dad, fix your tv settings!

The durability of DVDs, mixed with an impressive increase in storage capacity, made them an

extremely attractive upgrade from video cassettes.

With all that extra storage space, home video releases could come with all kinds of fun extras.

Like: trailers for other movies, alternate cuts and deleted scenes, isolated scores,

commentary tracks where the filmmakers could talk about making the film, and closed captioning

that could be turned on or off.

Along with new releases, distribution companies could repackage their old libraries with DVD

special features and make even more money!

These days, newer technologies have started to replace DVDs.

Like Blu-ray Discs and Blu-ray Players, which were first made available to the public in 2006.

Like DVDs, Blu-rays are a digital optical storage device.

But unlike DVDs, they can hold full high-definition – and ultra-high-definition – video signals.

Now, when we talk about standard-, high-, and ultra-high-definition video, we’re talking

about those horizontal lines that make up the image.

The more lines, the clearer the image – up to a point.

We label the level of definition each signal has with the number of horizontal lines, like

720 or 1080.

That number is then followed by an ‘i’ or a ‘p’, indicating if the video fields

are interlaced or progressive.

Developed as an alternative to interlaced video, the progressive scan format flashes

all the horizontal lines of picture information, instead of alternating sets of lines.

Everything from the camera to the television requires a much larger bandwidth to handle

progressive scan, but any motion on screen appears smoother and more realistic.

...Like this.

So, standard-definition video has 480 horizontal

lines per image and is interlaced, so you’ll see it written as 480i.

Broadcast high-definition refers to video signals that have 720 lines per image, either

interlaced or progressive.

High-definition, or HD, has 1080 lines, either interlaced or progressive.

And ultra-high definition, also sometimes known as 4K, boasts a whopping 2160 lines!

That's a lot of lines!

Most Hollywood films shot digitally are being filmed in 6k and and even 8k…

that’s a lot of k!

And when we're talking about 'k' we're talking about these lines... vertical lines.

Today, we think of Blu-rays as the main high definition discs on the markelt.

When they were first being sold in 2006, though, they came in second to their competition:

the HD-DVD.

The home video industry split between the two formats, with companies like Sony, Panasonic,

Samsung, and Dell advocating for Blu-rays, while Toshiba, Microsoft, and Intel supported

HD-DVDs.

For two years the conflict hamstrung the industry, until Sony decided to incorporate a Blu-ray

Player into the Playstation 3. Very clever, Sony.

That was seen as the turning point in the “HD format wars,” and by 2008 we stopped

making HD-DVDs altogether.

My Grandmother died in the HD Format Wars.

And the newest frontier in home video formats

is the 4K Ultra-HD Disc.

You just need a new player and a 4K TV to watch one.

But if you're watching this video 5 years from now, we sound very old.

Now, the other technological and cultural revolution in home video was streaming services,

which did away with physical discs entirely.

Today, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, and Vimeo distribute

films and television programs directly to consumers.

YouTube? Never heard of it.

They’re even making their own original content.

Netflix and Amazon produced and distributed TV series and films that have won the highest

awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Oscars!

These services also provide non-traditional and independent filmmakers with a more level

playing field when it comes to distributing their unique visions.

There are some drawbacks to streaming distribution.

You need a robust, consistent Internet connection to watch anything.

Not to mention, the content you’re looking for may not always be available, unless you’ve

purchased and downloaded it.

And even then, you still don’t have a physical copy to keep on your bookshelf.

Or sell later on Craigslist to make some money.

That said, there have never been so many ways for films to find an audience.

You just have to look beyond the multiplex!

Don't look behind the multiplex. There's dumpsters back there.

And where the future of home video will take us is anyone’s guess.

This is Crash Course Film History not Film Future… so we’re not going to try.

But I bet it’ll be awesome.

Today we talked about 8mm film as the origin of home video distribution.

We traced the development of the home video market from Beta and VHS all the way to 4K

Ultra-HD.

And we looked at the impact of streaming services on the production and distribution of films,

television, and other audio-visual content.

Next time, we’ll take a step back and look at some unusual and captivating film movements

from around the world.

Crash Course Film History is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.

You can head over to their channel to check out a playlist of their latest amazing shows,

like Infinite Series, Art Assignment, and Above the Noise.

This episode of Crash Course was filmed in the Doctor Cheryl C. Kinney Crash Course Studio

with the help of these video format warriors, and our amazing graphics team is Thought Cafe.