The Video Home System, better known by it's abbreviations VHS, JVC launched the VHS format in 1976, while Sony's Betamax was only in the first year of production. It was first introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago on June 4, 1977, and later marketed to the public on October 1, 1977. During the late part of the 1970s and the early 1980s, the home video industry was involved in the VHS vs. Betamax war, which VHS would eventually win. Advantages of VHS included longer playing time, faster rewinding and fast-forwarding, and a less-complex, lower-cost tape transport mechanism. The open standard used for VHS technology allowed mass production without licensing costs. VHS would eventually succeed as the dominant home video format, surpassing others by the mid-1980s and into the 90s. JVC eventually supplied the VHS format for Zenith. The Zenith VHS VCRS of the mid 1980s era are JVC made. This began when Zenith abandoned Sony made Betamax VCRS. Zenith and JVC were the less problematic VCRS compared to the Panasonic made VHS VCRS. If you pick up a used JVC/Zenith VCR more than likely it will still work, the only problem you may run into is belts may needing replacement which will cause week rewind or fast forward.