Sony introduced U-matic, the world's first videocassette format, in 1971, but the standard was unpopular for domestic use due to the high price.[50] The company subsequently launched the Betamax format in 1975.[51] Sony was involved in the videotape format war of the early 1980s, when they were marketing the Betamax system for video cassette recorders against the VHS format developed by JVC.[52] In the end, VHS gained critical mass in the marketbase and became the worldwide standard for consumer VCRs.[52]