The term 'videotape format' refers to the type of technology used to record and playback video. Two of the most popular formats are BETA and VHS, both of which have been around since the 1970s. BETA was the first consumer videotape format, released in 1975 by Sony. It was a high-end format that offered superior picture quality, but it was expensive and not widely adopted. VHS, released by JVC in 1976, was more affordable and quickly became the dominant format. It remained popular until the late 1990s when digital formats began to replace analog formats.