If we take a look at the way the home video technology has progressed over the years, we will be amazed at the extent to which it has changed in such a short period. The VHS (Video Home System) technology brought motion pictures into our living rooms and bedrooms. It was followed by the CDs, VCDs, and SVCDs that were more expensive, but provided excellent quality and utility. This was followed by the DVDs and DVD players that took the market by storm and became the most preferred mode for recording and viewing of movies. Most recently however, the latest technology that has joined the race is HD DVD (High Definition Digital Video Disc), that has much higher storage capacity and enhanced quality attributes.

Correspondingly, there has been a similar evolution in the digital data storage and handling industry. This journey started with the floppy, followed by the CDs, the laser discs, the DVDs, and then the HD DVDs. Data storage and handling are a field by itself and has grown at a phenomenal rate.

VHS

The first step towards home theater was the Video Home System (VHS), introduced in September 1976. It was developed by JVC along with some licensing agreements with Sony. The VHS is a recording and playing standard for the Video Cassette Recorders, well known all over the world as the VCRs. The VHS could record and play back all the analog television signals in existence at the time it was devised. By today