CGC Home Video Grades Several Rare MEDA Betamax Tapes
CGC Home Video™ continues to receive some of the rarest videocassettes in existence, such as some early MEDA Betamax tapes that were recently authenticated and graded. In a clip posted to CGC Home Video's YouTube channel, Senior Home Video Expert and Finalizer Paul Zamarelli shares some insight into a few recent submissions, including the very first Betamax release of the original 1978 horror film Halloween.
The copy of Halloween Beta, Media Home Entertainment (1978) graded CGC 9 is among some of the first home videocassettes that were released to the public. The third generation Betamax example features the MEDA logo, which is an acronym for Media Home Entertainment Distribution Association. Filmmaker, producer and founder of the company Charles Band later explained that MEDA was a nod to his wife at the time, who was named Meda Band.
To explain the different generations of the early MEDA Betamax tapes, Zamarelli shares a series of videocassettes from each early generation. A sealed The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Beta, Media Home Entertainment (1978) graded CGC 9.4 A+ is easily identified as a first-generation Betamax by the older Santa Monica Blvd. address on the back of the home video.
In addition, some of the earliest versions contained a four-digit catalog number on the spine of the cassette cases, beginning in 1978. Yet, the company abandoned the numbers altogether not long after. So, any Betamax cassettes that include a catalog number are likely going to be a first or possibly a second-generation cassette. Other second-generation titles still say MEDA on the front but include the company's Robertson Blvd. address on the back, making them easily identified.
As for the third-generation cassettes like the CGC-certified Halloween example, this is when MEDA started to make some dramatic changes to their cassettes. The MEDA logo remains on the front corner of the cassette case, but the cover art is now much larger than earlier versions, taking up most of the front cover. In addition, the address has been removed from the back bottom portion of the cassette case. Instead, MEDA added a synopsis of each movie at the top and included the words "Printed in U.S.A." at the bottom corner.
Around 1980, Band sold his interest in the company and the new owners made further changes, exchanging the front corner logo MEDA for MEDIA. By 1981, the company changed the logo once again though, swapping out the basic MEDIA corner logo for the now-iconic MEDIA, Media Home Entertainment, Inc. logo. With these key features in mind, home video collectors should have a better idea of how to identify each generation of Betamax tapes.
It’s easy to submit your own home video collection to CGC Home Video. Simply become a CGC Home Video member (memberships start at just $25 per year), complete the user-friendly CGC Home Video online submission form and send in your VHS and Betamax videocassettes. Dealers are encouraged to apply to become a CCG Authorized Dealer by emailing CGC Home Video Customer Service at Service@CGChomevideo.com.
For questions about CGC Home Video, call (+1) 855-GRADE10 or email Service@CGChomevideo.com.