英语翻译
MarketforcessoonforcedthedesignofabroadcastqualitycolorvideocassetterecorderorVCR,madeavailableinlate1971.In1975SonymodifiedthattomakeaconsumerVCRcalledtheBeta,namedforaJapanesecalligraphicterm.Twoyearslater,aJapanesecompetitor,Matsushita,anditssistercompany,JVC,introducedacompetitive$1,000VCR.ThatsystemwascalledVHSorVideoHomeSystem,anditnowdominatestheU.S.VCRmarket.
Meanwhile,motionpictureproducers,fearfulthattheywouldlosecontrolofcopiesoftheirfilmsbecausepeoplewouldtapethemfrombroadcasts,suedSonytopreventhomecopying.A1984U.S.SupremeCourtdecisionsettledthedisputewitharulingthatrecordingforhomepurposesdidnotviolatecopyright.
Ofcourse,consumersweretapinggeneralprogrammingaswellasmovies,andplayingitallbackattheirconvenience,aprocedurecalled"time-shifting."Broadcastersandadvertisersquicklylearnedthatviewerswatchingtime-shiftedprogramsusedtheVCR'sfastforwardbuttonto"zip"throughcommercialsor,iftheyownedaningeniousdevicecalleda"commercialkiller,"theycouldautomatically"zap"thespotswhilerecording.Why,advertisersaskedincreasinglyqueasybroadcasters,shouldtheypayhighpricesforairingcommercialsthatneverreachedviewers?Atthesametimethatconsumerswerezippingandzappingspots,theywererentingmoviesinincreasingnumbersandavoidingbroadcastprograms,whichthrilledstudioexecutivesbutcausedadeclineintheoverallratingsofsomenetworkprogramsandfurtherworriedbroadcasters.
Whichbringsustothepresentandabigquestion:WhousesVCRsandhowaretheyused?AGBTelevisionResearchdiscoveredinthelate1980sthattheaverageVCRismorelikelytobefoundinhomeswithchildrenandwithpaycablethaninhomeswithoutchildrenandwithbasicornocable.Surprise,surprise.