But Sony miscalculated in the mid-1990's when it tried to convert all of its customers to a digital Beta format.

The company, whose Beta format has been outsold 10 to 1 by VHS, may be falling behind in video cameras, too.

Sony had been the champion of the Beta format, which it introduced with the first VCR's in 1975.

Almost all were VHS-format machines, which have proved far more popular with consumers than the original Beta format.

Had Sony owned a movie studio, it could have fed the marketplace movies in the Beta format exclusively, and the result might have been different.

To this day, some experts say the Beta format offered superior pictures.

After a battle of several years,video rental stores stopped carrying tapes recorded in the Beta format.

Except for broadcast purposes, VHS is now the king of the hill, having beaten the Beta format where it counts: in the marketplace.

It was launched in Beta format in July, 2008.

One of its best-known mistakes was focusing on the Beta format during the early years of home video.