CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[Joie]

I just ran across an RCA SelectaVision Video Disc Player at a Church thrift store. I bought it because it looked interesting. I know nothing about how to operate it or even how to load a disc. I thought I would look for a discussion board to help, but after reading some post I know you guys are way out of my league. Is there a board for dummies? Joie

[RT9342]

Well, I think this board is probably for everyone, but many of us (especially myself) have a bad habit of getting into the technical stuff. I don't know if you got discs with the player for it or not. If not, see if you can find some, either at thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, or even on eBay. The player you bought was another competitor back in the early 80s when a lot of different video machines were on the market (sort of like now, with DVD, Blue Ray, and HD-DVD). The RCA format (also known as CED, which stands for Capacitance Electronic Disc) works somewhat like a record & record player, in which the movie is on a black vinyl disc and the player plays it with a stylus (needle). But it's a bit more complicated than the record player - the disc is actually a conductive plastic, and the stylus picks up an electric signal from the disc (that's where the wierd name for the format comes from). Usually the user never actually sees the disc - it's always in a caddy. You just slide the caddy in the machine and pull it out. You'll then notice that the top portion of the caddy is missing - because it's still in the player, with the disc. Once you flip the lever to play (older models) or push the play button (later models), you hear it start up, then in a few seconds, the picture comes on. Like a record, the discs are double sided, so you'll have to flip the disc over to side 2 at some point (the player flashes an E when it's time). To do this, you select load/unload, push in the caddy, pull it out, then flip it over and push it in again and pull it out. Then select play. may sound like a lot of work, but it's real easy. I got the hang of it when I was about 4 years old! The format was discontinued in the mid 80s, being unable to compete well with VHS and Beta. I hope this helps, and feel free to ask any more general or specific questions.

[RT9342]

Oh, I did forget to mention: a LOT of people seem to get this format mixed up with LaserDisc (also referred to as DiscoVision - the name given to LaserDisc during the late 70s! - another competitor with VHS, Beta, and CED). They're different - LaserDisc is more like a big DVD - shiny, silver, and played back with a lser beam.