Video and Entertainment

The invention of video has had a huge effect on the entertainment industry. All aspects of the industry have incorporated video into their structures. Video has changed production by allowing a cheap medium to record an image that is easily editable. Distribution now can be delayed through video's storage of television programs and thereby ending live TV. Also, videotapes can be used to distribute films that normally would only been able to shown at a movie theater. The exhibition now occurs in one’s private home where s/he can watch whatever they want at any time. However, these changes did not occur overnight and through many technological and legal advances video was able to emerge, as we know it today.

The fundamental idea of video is storing information upon a magnetic tape, so video has its roots in the sound recording industry. Once the technology was in place to store sound on magnetic tape the next logical step was to record images on a similar tape, so the Video Tape Recorder (VTR). However, the VTR because of its size and expense was only available to the broadcasting industry and not the common consumer. This changed as the Japanese entered the video race through the invention of the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). Now consumers had the ability to record their favorite television programs, but others saw this as a great medium for displaying films in the home market and the video store was invented. These new distributors of films faced legal troubles that questioned the legality of the videotape. This lead to the Supreme Courts invention in the Betamax case. VCRs were legitimized through the hearings and the technology focused on being higher in quality, such as with the SVHS recorder. Finally, in the last decade some consumers became active participants in the reality television shows.

No matter what the technology there are certain social aspects that go along with it. Video in the entertainment has changed how we view reality and often times we can become confused with video reality and real life. This short video clip demonstrates this point.