Blame Consumer

Your Jan. 12 article, “Sony to Expand Its VCR Line to Include VHS,” wrongly blames that corporation for being too tardy in recognizing a trend. Since the article states that Sony’s Betamax videocassette system is “technically superior” to VHS, it strikes me that the American public, sheeplike, once again let itself be sold a second-rate product. So the blame should go where it is deserved, to the consumer.

When the selling boom hit, the Sony machine could do everything that the VHS machine could do, within reasonable limits. The price was brought in line. Buyers bought the VHS system because they were told that movie tapes would not be available for Betamax, which wasn’t true at the time.

Sony, which pioneered the VCR, over the years has built its business on the basis of quality merchandise at a fair price. The maxim that this is a prerequisite of market leadership was subverted and the American public is poorer for it.

HENRY L. SCHARFF

Thousand Oaks