The capacity difference between Beta and VHS was a factor in its demise, but ultimately, I think it was Sony's stranglehold on the format that nailed the coffin shut on Beta. For its own sake, Blu-ray is thankfully not a proprietary Sony format. All things being equal, the only thing that put it ahead of HD-DVD was its greater capacity and the support of the studios and companies that backed it over its competition. I feel sorry for those that chose sides prematurely; not because one format prevailed over the other, but because they are both young formats and the premium for early adoption is ludicrous.
Hopefully, this development will mean further development of the format, and we'll see faster, cheaper discs and hardware in the near future. That is, until the next big thing in disposable storage comes along.
