Linus Tech Tips - We Bought MOVIES on VINYL RECORDS and They’re AMAZING - SelectaVision CED VideoDisc
The CED, or Capacitance Electronic Disc, was RCA's attempt to bring movies into homes using a vinyl-like format. Despite its innovative technology, which involved a stylus reading grooves to produce video, the format was plagued by issues. It took over 15 years to develop, and by its 1981 launch, it was already outdated compared to VHS and LaserDisc. CEDs required flipping discs mid-movie and had a limited catalog, making them less convenient than VHS tapes, which could hold more content and be used for recording. The CED's video quality was comparable to VHS but suffered from frequent skips and noise, reducing its appeal. Although the technology was impressive, with over 9,000 grooves per inch and a complex stylus mechanism, it was too late to compete effectively in the market. RCA discontinued the format in 1986 after a short-lived presence.
Key Points:
- CED was RCA's attempt to bring movies home using a vinyl-like disc format.
- The format took over 15 years to develop and was outdated by its 1981 launch.
- CEDs required flipping discs and had a limited catalog, unlike VHS tapes.
- Video quality was similar to VHS but suffered from skips and noise.
- RCA discontinued CED in 1986 due to its market failure.
Details:
1. 📼 Unearthing Forgotten Movie Formats
1.1. Historical Context of the CED Format
1.2. Personal Experiences and Nostalgia
2. 🕹️ Hands-On with CED: First Impressions
- The process of loading CED discs is 'chunky', highlighting the tactile, mechanical nature of the technology.
- CED players automatically detect the disc side, showcasing a unique feature of its design.
- The distinct 'K chunk' sound when inserting discs adds nostalgia, emphasizing the physical interaction.
- Comparison with VHS is implied, suggesting CED's unique features might be contrasted with VHS's success in later discussions.
3. 📜 RCA's Bold Step into Home Entertainment
- RCA aimed to revolutionize home entertainment by developing a vinyl disc format for movies, drawing inspiration from the success of vinyl records in the music industry.
- The project unexpectedly extended over 15 years, underlining the technological challenges faced, such as ensuring quality video playback without issues like noise and skipping.
- This initiative was a significant technological endeavor for its time, showcasing RCA's ambition to innovate despite the hurdles.
- The non-widescreen format of the vinyl discs was a limitation compared to contemporary standards, affecting its competitiveness.
- While the effort was technologically impressive, the commercial success was limited, as the market was not fully ready to adopt this new format, partially due to the rise of VHS technology.
4. 📉 The Market Struggles of CED
- CED initially launched with a limited catalog of about 50 titles, each disc containing only 60 minutes of content per side, necessitating users to flip the disc during a movie. This limitation was a significant drawback compared to VHS, which offered 2 to 4 hours of content per tape, providing a more convenient user experience.
- The competition with VHS and laser discs highlighted CED's deficiencies. While VHS tapes could record live TV, enhancing their utility, CED could not. Laser discs offered superior video quality, further diminishing CED's appeal.
- CED players were introduced at $500, which was cheaper than early players for competing formats. Discs were priced between $15 to $40, aiming to be competitive.
- Despite expanding its library to approximately 1,700 titles, CED suffered from a poor user experience, with frequent skips reminiscent of listening to a song with record skips. This issue, referred to as 'video virus,' required discs to be played multiple times to avoid skipping, exacerbating user dissatisfaction.
- These market struggles significantly impacted CED's sales and market perception, ultimately affecting the company's strategy and contributing to its eventual decline.
5. 🔬 The Intricate Mechanics of CED
- CED technology operates by dragging a stylus through grooves and uses the distance between the disc and a titanium electrode to derive signals via mutual capacitance, distinct from traditional records.
- CED discs spin at 450 RPM to produce a 60 HZ MTS video signal, unlike the 33 1/3 RPM of standard vinyl records, highlighting a key innovation in speed and signal production.
- The initial storage capacity of CED technology in 1972 was limited to about 10 minutes of color footage per side, reflecting early technological constraints.
- Made from multi-layered PVC with carbon and a silicone lubricant layer, CED discs are flimsier than traditional records, indicating a trade-off between material choice and durability.
- CED grooves are extremely dense with 9,541 grooves per inch, compared to hundreds of grooves per inch in traditional records, requiring precise stylus tracking force to function effectively.
- These mechanical innovations significantly impacted the design and user experience of CED technology, influencing its market adoption and technological evolution.
6. ⏳ CED: A Tale of Timing and Technology
- CED launched in 1981, missing the market window as VHS was already introduced in 1977 and LaserDisc in 1978, leading to its technological obsolescence.
- VHS gained dominance with the opening of Blockbuster in 1985, which had a large inventory of VHS tapes, marking the preference for VHS over other formats.
- RCA's discontinuation of CED just a year after Blockbuster's launch highlights its inability to compete effectively in the market.
- CED's technological limitations included a short lifespan of discs, claimed to be 500 plays, but often doubted due to rapid wear.
- The technological shortcomings, like the reliance on physical grooves which wore out quickly, made CED less durable compared to magnetic tape formats like VHS.
7. 🎬 Reflecting on the Evolution of Video Formats
- The speaker prefers the lack of fringing in the new format over VHS, indicating a higher quality image.
- The new format could have been successful if it had launched five years earlier with a better selection of titles at launch.
- The format was advanced for its time, but failed to gain market traction due to its late release.
- The speaker highlights the importance of timing and product readiness in the success of new technologies.
- The speaker suggests that additional resources and in-depth videos on the technology are available for those interested in learning more.
- The format's failure was partly due to insufficient technological adoption and market readiness, despite its advanced features.
- Successful technologies often align with market demand and readiness, unlike this format.
- Examples of successful technologies include those that launch at the right time with adequate market preparation.