While the format itself produced a consistently higher quality image than its rivals, the VHS and Betamax systems, the format was rarely purchased in North America. In Europe and Australia, it remained largely an obscure format. It was, however, much more popular in Japan and in the more affluent regions of South East Asia, such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Laserdisc was the prevalent rental video medium in Hong Kong during the 1990s. The technology and concepts provided with the LaserDisc, would become the forerunner to Compact Discs and DVDs.