IBM began the first experiments with optical technology in the mid 1960s but made little progress until the semiconductor was developed. Sony and Philips saw the potential that the technology offered, and the two joined forces later in the decades, hoping to find a viable application for it. The result, in 1970s, was the videodisc, which use a laser stylus to play back analog information recorded in spiral tracks on a plastic disc. This spiral tracks method is similar to the one used to make phonograph records. Videodiscs' picture quality is superior to that of videocassettes, and have become almost widespread in this country; however, they enjoy even wider popularity in Japan.
In mid 1980s, Sony and Philips unveiled yet another joint venture, the prerecorded compact disc, or CD. Unlike the videodisc, a CD is recorded digitally, which not only produces a better sound, it uses space on the disc more efficiently, allowing more data to be stored. Within only few years, CDs dominated the record music industry, turning LPs into relics.