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I had one of these when I was a kid -- I think it was after they had already started to discontinue them because we were getting discs for under $10. I found it

I had one of these when I was a kid -- I think it was after they had already started to discontinue them because we were getting discs for under $10. I found it amusing it used a needle to play back video! It was a shame it died as a format because the quality was better than VHS; you could actually fast-forward and see the video while you went; and the discs were quite durable for kids to use, since they went back into their caddies inside the machine and the actual discs themselves were never handled. I guess the biggest issue for a collector these days would be sourcing new needles (which wear out, just like the needles on turntables do.) Also a limited collection of movies that just sort of stop dead around 1985. Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06J1o0BT2M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06J1o0BT2M

bane 11y ago
I had one also. IIR I even had some Don Bluth films on it. The problem was that the player broke all the time. I recall us taking it in for repairs constantly and I think we even bought another one at some point. We used to rent disks from early video rental stores and I remember when VHS and Beta tapes suddenly showed up in those stores. I think when it was finally discontinued my parents bought a huge collection of movies cheap. There's a couple cartoons I remember watching all the time on the disks that I can't remember the name of them these days, but I've never seen them outside the format. One of the other problems was that you could only fit about an hour's worth of video on a side. So watching a movie required flipping the disk through half-way. The disks were definitely robust enough though, I don't think I've ever even seen the disk inside, they were kind of like a giant 3.5" floppy. edit: oh wow, I remember us also having the 10 Commandments and I think Ben Hur (or some other sword and sandles movie). They took up 3 or 4 disks IIR and a huge block of space on the shelf.
happycube 11y ago
CEDatum can grade and often repair stylii at least. Another big problem is that people who don't know about the format who have it often stack the disks on top of each other, which basically destroys the ones at the bottom.

bane 11y ago

I had one also. IIR I even had some Don Bluth films on it. The problem was that the player broke all the time. I recall us taking it in for repairs constantly and I think we even bought another one at some point. We used to rent disks from early video rental stores and I remember when VHS and Beta tapes suddenly showed up in those stores. I think when it was finally discontinued my parents bought a huge collection of movies cheap. There's a couple cartoons I remember watching all the time on the disks that I can't remember the name of them these days, but I've never seen them outside the format. One of the other problems was that you could only fit about an hour's worth of video on a side. So watching a movie required flipping the disk through half-way. The disks were definitely robust enough though, I don't think I've ever even seen the disk inside, they were kind of like a giant 3.5" floppy. edit: oh wow, I remember us also having the 10 Commandments and I think Ben Hur (or some other sword and sandles movie). They took up 3 or 4 disks IIR and a huge block of space on the shelf.

happycube 11y ago

CEDatum can grade and often repair stylii at least. Another big problem is that people who don't know about the format who have it often stack the disks on top of each other, which basically destroys the ones at the bottom.