If you were really concerned about quality, you'd have had a Betamax.
Was Betamax really that much better? I think I remember Technology Connections saying that for tapes of similar length, the quality was similar.
If i remember, VHS can record 120 to 140 lines (at best) of resolution onto tapes. Betamax was 208 lines.
edit add...
But ouput to TVs was always 240i resolution... so 120 lines.
Edit add 2...
The extra resolution Betamax gave came in useful to consumers who did tape duplications, had progressive video signal processing TVs or equipment, or did any home video editing.The video quality was a little better, resolution-wise, but it has better color reproduction, and the audio quality was significantly better. Betamax recorded hi-fi audio, while VHS only recorded lo-fi. Cassettes were smaller; when introduced, they could only hold an hour of recording time.
By the time it lost, Betamax cassettes had longer recording time, and video quality had improved even more; it was superior to VHS in everything but cost - but by then the market had decided. Also, early in Sony insisted on something they'd repeatedly try over and over in the coming decades: introducing products that are only compatible with other Sony products. It is a stupid, and bafflingly persistent, core of Sony DNA.
