Mr Betamax is dead
First European in top Japanese company
THE SONY BOSS who doubled the size of the outfit's US operation, despite championing the failed Betamax video recording system, has died aged 80.
Harvey Schein, was one of the first 'Europeans' to be a top name in a big Japanese company.
He was recruited by Akio Morita, the visionary co-founder of Sony, who believed that Sony's American subsidiary needed an American chap in charge.
Schein led Sony America from 1972 to 1978. He was famous for being highly successful while his rule was stormy. The fact that his management style was described as 'abrasive' and 'colourful' might have had something to do with this.
In 1976, Sony released Betamax, a video cassette recording system superior in almost every way to VHS. While this failed Schein was involved with a legal battle that ended up allowing people to make home recordings of television shows and sparked the home video boom.
According to the New York Times, Schein increased Sony’s annual sales to $750 million from $300 million.
However he was often at war with Tokyo which didn’t like him chasing a fast buck in favour of more longer-term thinking.
After leaving Sony he went to Warner Communications and then became president of the Polygram. µ
L'Inq
NY
Times
Comments
Correction needed
"Schein increased Sony’s annual sales to $750 million from $300 million"Okay, going from 750 to 300 is an increase, mathematically speaking, but a negative one.
Methinks the numbers might need to be reversed ?
No correction needed
"According to the New York Times, Schein increased Sony’s annual sales to $750 million from $300 million."It's increased TO $750 million FROM $300 million.
No corrections needed
Math might be your strong suit, but reading comprehension isn't. Re-read the quote.I invented BetaMax Cassette in 1960.
After quartz Cyrstal Research in 1957/8 & Developing style of automatic 10 amp auto battery charger & still borrowing Capt facilities, at home I thought up how cassette could be made more compact with internal swing arm & it went thru process, while Oscar helped develope dvd disc with data from Russia on optical limits.then I went on to skiing about 1964.It Was Fun is All I Got. hahha ah,Fart.
drashek