I came across something older than a Laser Disc while visiting a friend, she had a functional RCA CED selectavision player and a collection of LP movies to go along with it.
Glad no one I know jumped on that bandwagon. Although the technology is pretty interesting. CED video discs are read via a stylus just like a record player... not a laser. The worst thing about those things were that the discs were so sensitive to dust and dirt. Although housed in a caddy at all times (except for when playing a disc) the discs could still become dusty or dirty. I've seen movies on many of those units that play "rainbow" colors all throughout the movie due to worn stylus heads, or even due to dirt on the stylus.
I vaguely remember hearing about the CED vinyl discs. The sad thing is that the technology was developed in the mid-60's, but due to bureaucracy at RCA didn't go into production until 1981. The timing couldn't have been worse. By that time it had competition from all sides -- both VHS and the newer two- and three-hour Betamax units as well as Laserdiscs had all been out for a few years already, so the thing was doomed from the start.
Party? cheese puffs? quiche? ugh wow, it must be the cocaine that is keeping her perky and smiling.
Interesting how it sucks the disc in, keeps sticky fingers from messing with it. To bad they didn't use a similar system with DVDs and Bluray discs, I hate fumbling with the case trying to get the disc to release.
I vaguely remember hearing about the CED vinyl discs. The sad thing is that the technology was developed in the mid-60's, but due to bureaucracy at RCA didn't go into production until 1981. The timing couldn't have been worse. By that time it had competition from all sides -- both VHS and the newer two- and three-hour Betamax units as well as Laserdiscs had all been out for a few years already, so the thing was doomed from the start.
I remember when they came out and seeing them at Sears. The usual complaint (just like Laserdiscs) was "it can't record."
And by then you could buy a Betamax capable of recording three hours of high quality video on an L-750 cartridge. I know I did! I still have many boxes of L-500's and L-750's packed away somewhere. That original Betamax (which I eventually replaced with a newer one) was about the size of a suitcase!
Not to mention Beta offered a superior picture compared to VHS. Sony was just too greedy/stupid to licence their technology to others compared to JVC who whored out VHS to every VCR maker in the world!
"Whored out" is an understatement to say the least! JVC even figured out how to make a compact version of a VHS tape that would still work in standard players. What we got was the legendary JVC GR-C1.
Mrs. Weather and I got a JVC VHS-C camcorder as a wedding gift many years ago. It came with the powered VHS adapter "case" that you popped the VHS-C cassette into so you could play back what you recorded on a standard VHS VCR.
Yup. My first camcorder when I was a kid was a VHS-C.