CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[lynx]

I joined this web site a few months ago because I needed help with my RCA CED player. I got some advice about the problem my CED player has, which was helpful, but I still have not found someone who can repair my player.



Every day, I have been checking this web site & my E mail for any updates, but I have not received any new information, and there does not seem to be very much activity on here, so I am disappointed.



On the main section of the cedmagic.com web site, there are a lot of neat sections that I like to read, but they are incomplete, and they have never been updated.



For example, the CED Timeline only has the first half of CED history; 1984, 1985, and 1986 are missing. There is also no information from the 20 Years Ago In CED History section from 1984, 1985, or 1986. The RCA Press Releases section also only goes up to 1983.



The UK CED Title Database does not have a rarity rating for each title released in England, although it is implied that there will eventually be a rarity rating.



The last Featured CED is dated Winter 2007.



There is a section in the Thrift Store Experiences article which shows pictured of a neat thrift store in Oregon which says there will be a new picture every three months, but the last picture is from December 2003.



There is nothing for sale in the RCA Video Disc Classified Ads.



The CED In The History Of Media Technology section only goes up to 2002, and I know that there has been a lot of new technology since then. The introduction even says that the timeline will be a continuous work in progress as new technology emerges.



Finally, I have found a lot of dead links in various sections of this web site which have never been repaired.



I am just very confused about why the cedmagic.com web site is untended, and why the CED Forum is inactive. If any one finds this message, or has an explanation, then I would like to know why, or what has happened to it. I have even sent a few E mails to the author of this web site, but I never got any responses.

[52089]

The CED group on Facebook is petty active. You'll find lots of traffic there.

This forum is largely inactive, sadly.

[kitchensynch]

For us Facebook haters, this is fine and when the heck are they gonna release another title?

What were you trying to fix again? Find it and bump it to the top, we try not to forget but the rest of the world should take a hike lately, Old TV is King!

PS You're still a relative newbie, I think I can find you
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A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[kitchensynch]

Let's explain why you can't find someone to repair it as fast as you'd like.

These beasties are heavy and shipping is sometimes a problem. While there are more than a few experienced and qualified souls to fix them around here, some are becoming wary of the liabilities if shippers really mangle your prized gear. I hear this far too many times on other forums sites, and even with the greatest of care, there are gorillas in trucks out there. Inexperience packing a machine to send can also disappoint...nothing we could do about that once it's done but it sure ruins a day.

The original CED players sold are now 37 years old. The technology is far more uncommon than a cassette deck's now. As a result, more DIY has been encouraged on this site, which of course is frustrating to the novice. However, a lot of it is fairly simple for the inclined and on a learning curve for newer users. Other things can be found at Cedatum and you may be able to retip/repair you cartridge depending on what they are able to handle at the time.

Our owner Tom hasn't abandoned us, he's more of a hands-off guy unless we get a troublemaker spamming here. He has given CED related Christmas gifts to many of the active members for years (I'm still using my CED branded USB memory stick and the two USB light sticks, for instance). He did step in and help a person by posting a thread for them, and they then joined and posted their own.

Compiling the titles database was a huge job. I think the history section may have fallen off because perhaps views didn't really support it, but why delete them?

There are a couple other sites that have info on several formats including CED, some the of the members here are also there. Crosspollination is very helpful when you love obsolete media formats and usually there are plenty of links that guide you to LD, video tape and other recent disc formats.

There is a site devoted to the PAL color system where it has mostly fallen out of use and the creator I think is dead. Another guy I know personally has a Cartrivision site. There is also a comprensive site about practically every video tape format from Ampex to Video 2000.

If that isn't enough, try Barry Mishkind and Jeff Miller's sites for anything radio and even a site with vintage test patterns and one with sign-ons and offs. Your friends will think you are nuts when you show them the site with radio and TV news sounders!
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A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[kitchensynch]

PS I truly resemble that remark.

PPS I'm hardly as cute as my avatar.
_________________
A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[kitchensynch]

I hope I helped you in your first thread.
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A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[jsdspif]

I check the site daily, but yeah not alot going on. My opinion on this hobby you almost have to learn to work on the players now because it would be pretty rare (I think) to just buy one and have it work as soon as you plug it in, unless someone has just got it into perfect working condition. Even at that, if it then has to be shipped it can be damaged in shipping and require repair. If I was working on your unit I guess the first thing I would check is the speed of the turntable. It could be when it starts it's running the proper speed but as things warm up something causes the speed to drop slightly and that can cause issues that I would describe like the issue you're having. I know it happened with mine when I replaced the turntable belt. I stretched it for a couple days and reinstalled it and the speed was then normal and the proper picture returned. But I realize that doesn't help you much because you're not able to work on them yourself. I have a sgt200 I'm getting ready to put on ebay at some point in time but even with it being completely refurbished in perfect working order it will be an as is all sales final deal because shipping may damage something internally or something will just fail as a result of old age. The older f/g series aren't as "robust" electrical component wise as the j/k series. As I worked on this one one of the audio demodulator chips went bad. In a nutshell it's a pretty difficult hobby to get into and the players and discs are pretty "quirky".

[kitchensynch]

I have an email link in my posts and if you'd like I would like to know what you're going to want for it and if I could save a step for you.
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A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[ketonic_dude]

Yeah not a lot of activity in here since the facebook group started. I'm to blame as well. I don't get on here nearly as much as I used too but honestly I'm surprised forums even exist anymore with facebook around.

As far as the website goes Tom has a very active life and does not stay up to date nor work on the site much anymore. If you find dead links or something isn't working you can email him and he will update it when he gets time but sometimes you can go months before hearing back from him.

As far as finding someone to fix your player, there really is only once place that exists, cedatum.com and he is a very busy man. He's very backed up on repairs and might not even be accepting new jobs at the moment. But you can email him and ask. Being he is also very busy it can be weeks before you hear back from him as well.

Lastly this is a format that has been dead for over 30 years. Most people have never even heard of it. There are very few who collect and that makes it a hard hobby to maintain. But information is out there if you look and ask around. It's just a matter of time.

[kitchensynch]

I looked at the Facebook site and I don't think it solves any of my needs and just would prefer not to get Facebook. I know a couple people I see there by name and can't connect the others to IDs here.

I have sent you two emails now about trying to diagnose what happened to my SJT 300 you gave me that now has an entire caddy stuck in there and not coming back out...hope you can offer some ideas.
_________________
A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!