How JVC Won the Format War and Lost Its Own Name

JVC won one of the most famous format wars in consumer electronics history. VHS defeated Sony’s Betamax, entered millions of homes, and became the global standard for home video. JVC helped create the machine that let ordinary people record television, save family moments, and take control of time itself. But winning the standard was not the same as winning the market forever. As analog video gave way to DVD, flat-panel TVs, and digital ecosystems, JVC struggled to repeat its VHS-era success. It faced losses, growing competition from Samsung, LG, Sony, and low-cost manufacturers, and eventually merged with Kenwood. Today, JVCKenwood still exists and remains profitable in areas like communications, automotive electronics, and projectors. But in the mass-market TV business, the JVC name often survives through licensing arrangements, while the products themselves may be designed and manufactured by other companies. This is the story of how JVC won the war that defined home video — and still lost control of the market it helped create. Chapters 00:00 The Winner That Lost Control 00:48 Two Hours: How JVC Built VHS 02:57 The Open Front: How VHS Beat Betamax 04:49 After Victory: Flat Screens and Losses 06:36 The Name for Rent: Kenwood and Licensing 08:13 What Remains of JVC Today Sources: JVCKenwood — Business Performance Summary, FY ended March 2026 https://www.jvckenwood.com/en/ir/fina... National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan — JVC HR-3300 https://sts.kahaku.go.jp/english/mate... Cusumano, Mylonadis, Rosenbloom — The Triumph of VHS over Beta https://doi.org/10.2307/3117053 JVC Annual Report 2003 https://www.jvckenwood.com/content/da... European Commission — JVC Kenwood merger case https://ec.europa.eu/competition/merg... AmTRAN — JVC brand license for North American televisions https://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea... JVCKenwood — Corporate History https://www.jvckenwood.com/en/corpora... JVC — D-ILA projector products https://www.jvc.com/usa/projectors/ Every empire leaves a body. We do the autopsy. Subscribe to Downfall Dossier for more stories about how great companies rise, fall and sometimes survive. #JVC #BusinessDocumentary #DownfallDossier