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I Have Discovered... RCA SelectaVision CED Player, Beta, and VHS VCRs


Atari 5200 Guy

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that I have a fetish for beautiful machinery.  Oh, no...this is not of the automobile category...this is in the electronic category.  And not just with game machines but also with home video and audio equipment.  Let me give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

 

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RCA spent 15 years developing the CED technology and went so far as to hold a special dealer press conference in NBC's Studio 8A, the same home of Saturday Night Live, to introduce the CED technology to dealers and what to expect the next day.  The first models were mono models.  A couple of stereo models made it to the market before the SJT line was brought out.  The model above is the last of the G models known as the SGT-250.  It is a very sleek model to behold.  The design looks both stylish and easy to use while also keeping a very classy appearance to fit in with almost any home video setup.  It maintained the SGT-100's design but instead of the classic late 70's wood grain look it brought silver of various hues combined with a black chassic with a hint of chrome from the buttons.  Overall the style of the machine is something not seen any more and would be nice to see again.

 

Next up is this guy...

 

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One of the video markets I missed out on, mainly because of my family's investment in the CED technology when I was growing up, is Sony's Betamax System.  I have been browsing the internet and Ebay looking at various models.  Some common and some rare including a red model.  Almost all of them are for parts and not working.  Once I stepped away from the Sony models, and looked at non-Sony models, I found the guy shown above.  

 

Toshiba made a very attractive system.  In some ways I would say this model was more attractive than most of the Sony models I looked at.  While it isn't a stereo model this design seems more friendly to me with enough features to make good use of the Beta format.  However, I am unfamiliar with the Beta format and its players so I can't say how well this machine would perform.  But for my first adventure into the format this would most likely be the machine I would pick up.  The layout of the buttons seems logical and the format the machine is to be used with is right there on the left portion of the machine so you can't miss it.  It's also a much larger emblem compared to what I seen on other models.  I will post a bigger picture hear so more detail can be seen.

 

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Lastly, I already own a decent Hi-Fi VHS machine from JVC.  But it is from the 1990's.  I believe late 1990's.  No remote so I can't change recording speed.  I got to thinking just how much better the older VCRs from 1980's made sure you had ways to work the machine without a remote.  Some machines didn't have a remote so touching the machine was the only way to use it and it's many features.  So I did some research on VHS systems before my model and found this little beauty.

 

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This one doesn't say Hi-Fi...it says "Stereo".  Something you don't hear much anymore, eh?  And I'm a sucker for LED VU Meters which this machine has.  I also prefer those clock displays that flash until they are set.  

 

I'm sure I will find more but for now these are all I found.  In a lot of ways I miss those designs and wish that today's technology would bring back the looks in style and colors that these older systems used.  Give them character once again while maintaining feature-rich functions.   

 

 

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I'm tempted to take some pics of the couple of working VCR's I still have.  Plus, I have a really old DVD player that I was so excited about way back because it could be made region-free.  Still have it, and still use it.  Love that old technology. 

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I'm tempted to take some pics of the couple of working VCR's I still have.  Plus, I have a really old DVD player that I was so excited about way back because it could be made region-free.  Still have it, and still use it.  Love that old technology. 

I have a DVD player that isn't region locked also.  Great device when you love British comedy. 

"For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid."  ~ Atari Adventure Square

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Betamax is one of those machines I've never owned but kind of always wanted to... just never found one out in the wild, if that tells you anything about how scarce they may be perhaps? I always run across VHS players.... that RCA looks especially nice though! =) Truly loved their Dimensia lineup and at one point was going to attempt at gathering a complete set but it doesn't really seem possible without crazy expense. Interesting they did a lot of stuff from RCA here in Indianapolis and I remember seeing some footage of their earlier days.

7800 - 130XE - XEGS - Lynx - Jaguar - ISO: Atari Falcon030 | STBook |STe

 

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