Who Remembers VHS? What Old Video Tapes Can Teach Us About Autism

Who Remembers VHS? What Old Video Tapes Can Teach Us About Autism

Before Netflix, Disney+, or even DVDs, people watched films on videotapes. You’d put a chunky black cassette into a video recorder, press play, and hope the tape didn’t get tangled inside the machine.

But here’s something many people have forgotten: in the 1970s and 80s, there were actually two different kinds of videotapes competing for the top spot. One was called VHS, the other was Betamax.

VHS vs Betamax: The Forgotten Battle

Betamax, made by Sony, was the better system. It had a sharper picture and clearer sound.

VHS, made by JVC, wasn’t quite as polished, but it had a huge advantage, it could record a whole football match or film, while Betamax originally could only hold about an hour.

Sony kept Betamax tightly controlled, but JVC let lots of companies make VHS players. This made VHS cheaper and easier to get.

The result? 

VHS won. By the mid-1980s, almost every rental shop and household had VHS tapes. Betamax slowly disappeared, even though it was technically the more advanced format.

The Autism Connection

This story is a perfect way to understand autism.

Think of the autistic brain like Betamax:

It works differently.

It has unique strengths and sharper focus in some areas.

But the world isn’t built for it.

Meanwhile, the neurotypical brain is like VHS:

It’s not necessarily “better.”

It just became the standard that society designed itself around.

Schools, workplaces, and social systems are mostly “VHS-compatible,” which can leave autistic people feeling like they’re trying to fit a Betamax tape into the wrong machine.

Different Doesn’t Mean Broken

The VHS vs Betamax story shows us something powerful:

The most popular option isn’t always the best.

Different systems can both work, they just need the right environment.

Ignoring one system means losing out on its unique advantages.

Autism isn’t broken, and it isn’t less. It’s simply a different operating system. When society makes space for both “formats,” everyone benefits.

A Modern Comparison

If VHS and Betamax feel too far in the past, think about today’s tech:

Apple vs Android phones, both work, but each has its own way of operating. Apple isn’t “better” just because more people use iPhones, and Android isn’t “worse” because it runs differently. They’re just two systems, each with unique strengths.

Windows vs Mac computers, one became the worldwide standard (Windows), but that doesn’t make Macs broken. They simply run on a different system, with their own advantages.

Autism is like that. It’s not about being better or worse, it’s about recognising that brains, like technology, come in different formats.