CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 30

CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 30 • 7/26/2003
20 Years Ago In CED History:

July 27, 1983:
* Five Armenian terrorists blow up the residence of the Turkish 
ambassador in Lisbon, Portugal, killing seven people including 
themselves.
* A Pershing II missile malfunctions shortly after being test fired 
for Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is the 3rd failure in the last four 
tests and the 5th failure during a series of 16 tests.

July 28, 1983:
* After three days of heated debate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives votes 228-195 to bar covert aid to Nicaraguan rebel 
forces. In a televised news conference July 26, President Reagan 
denied that his administration was seeking a larger role in Central 
America and said that upcoming joint maneuvers with Honduras would 
provide a "shield for democracy and development."
* Both houses of the U.S. Congress repeal a 1982 law requiring 
financial institutions to withhold for taxes 10 percent of interest 
and dividend income.

July 29, 1983:
* David Niven, the British actor dies at the age of 73. He won an 
Academy Award in 1958 for the CED title Separate Tables, and also 
appeared in the CED titles The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Moon 
Is Blue, The Guns of Navarone, The Pink Panther, Murder By Death, 
Candleshoe, Death on the Nile, Escape to Athena, The Sea Wolves, and 
Trail of the Pink Panther.
* Raymond Massey, the Canadian-born stage and film actor, dies at the 
age of 86. Famous for his Broadway portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in 
Abe Lincoln in Illinois, a later generation knew him as kindly Dr. 
Gillespie in the 1960's television series Dr. Kildare. He appeared in 
the CED titles Arsenic and Old Lace and East of Eden.
* Future CED title in widespread theatrical release: Jaws 3D.

July 30, 1983:
* Lynn Fontanne, the British-born stage actress, dies at the age of 
95. Fontanne and her husband, Alfred Lunt, were one of the greatest 
acting teams in the history of the American stage.

July 31, 1983:
* Richard B. Stone, the U.S. special envoy to Central America, has 
his first meeting with Ruben Zamora, the leader of one of the five 
leftist guerrilla organizations fighting the central government in El 
Salvador. The meeting increases hopes that in time the government of 
Salvadoran President Alvaro Magana Borjo might enter into direct 
peace negotiations with the rebels.
* President Reagan's special trade representative, Bill Brock, 
confirms that China and the U.S. have reached agreement in Geneva on 
Chinese textile exports to the U.S., estimating an increase of 2 to 3 
percent a year over the next five years.
* The U.S. Women's Open golf championship at the Cedar Ridge CC in 
Tulsa, Oklahoma is won by Jan Stephenson of Australia for a $32,780 
purse.

August 1, 1983:
* After a week of violence, the worst in Sri Lanka since it became 
independent in 1948, more than 200 persons are reported killed and 
50,000 homeless in clashes between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority 
and Hindu Tamil minority.

* RCA VideoDisc Releases for August 1983:

12 Angry Men
Africa Screams
American Graffiti**
Beastmaster, The**
Best Friends
Body and Soul*
Bolero (2)**
Boogey Man, The
Boys of Summer, The
Brimstone and Treacle**
Cat People***
Class of 1984
Creepshow**
Dr. Strangelove
Duran Duran*
Eddie Macon's Run
Electric Horseman, The
Elmer Gantry (2)
Enforcer, The
Excalibur (2)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Final Countdown, The
Final Exam
Firefox (2)**
Flash Gordon***
Flying Deuces, The
Foreplay
Futureworld
Gulliver's Travels
High Road to China
How to Beat the High Cost of Living
Island of Dr. Moreau, The
It Came from Hollywood
Jeremiah Johnson
Kelly's Heroes (2)*
Kentuckian, The
Killer Force
Liar's Moon
Losin' It
Mausoleum
Night Games
Night Shift**
Olivia In Concert*
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (2)
Outland**
Paths of Glory
Playboy Playmate Review*
Porky's
Private Popsicle
Quick Dog Training with Barbara Woodhouse
Quiet Man, The (2)
Road Warrior, The**
Rolling Thunder
Run Silent, Run Deep
Savannah Smiles
Slave of the Cannibal God
Sophie's Choice (2)
Starring Mr. Magoo, Vol. 1
Start To Finish
Sting II, The
That Championship Season
Thunderbirds Are Go
Toy, The
Trapeze
Venom**
Washington Affair, The
Wild Bunch, The (2)
World According to Garp (2)

August 2, 1983:
* The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the proportion of Americans 
living below the poverty level rose to 15 percent in 1982, the 
highest level since the War on Poverty began in 1964.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ray & SusanThomas" <raysir>
To: <digest@cedmagic.com>
Subject: CED Resolution
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 14:28:37 -0500

     It is my understanding that the RCA CED players and discs had 
approximately 380 lines of resolution Vs the 425 of laser discs.  I 
remember reading this somewhere but haven't found it yet.  I will 
keep looking.  I have approximately 250 CED discs and 450 laser discs 
and can say from my experience with a 72 front projection TV, that 
the CEDs always had a better picture than the laser discs, especially 
in the early '80s.  Laser discs did not get better than CEDs until 
the early '90s.  I think they actually made the players better 
because some of my early laser discs look fairly good on my newest 
player.

     Also, if a CED had a bad spot it was over in a flash where as a 
laser disc with laser rot is not watchable.  I have experienced 
approximately 10% of CEDs with "skips" that can not be corrected and 
about 10% laser discs with rot.  I can still watch and enjoy the CEDs 
but the laser discs are not watchable and they just get worse as time 
goes by.

     I kept buying CED discs until I couldn't get them any more even 
from Ken Cranes in California.  I bought as many as I could afford 
when he put on his clearance sale and still have some unopened in 
their wrappers as backups in case some go bad.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: SonyFan13
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:12:30 EDT
Subject: Re: CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 29
To: tom@cedmagic.com

>Does anyone have any detailed information on how the video signal on the
>disc is modulated?  I was wondering if it would be possible to add an
>S-video output to my SJT-400.  Does CED use composite video like laser
>disc, or does it use a down converted chroma signal like VHS?

CED uses chroma-under, just like VHS.

>I also have a question about a problem I've noticed with my player.
>About every 10 seconds, like clockwork the picture becomes very noisy
>for about half a second, then suddenly clears up.  It does this whether
>it's playing, or in page mode.  It has an almost new stylus (also did it
>with the old stylus).  I'm thinking that there might be a problem with
>the grounding of the disc, or pickup arm which is allowing static to
>build up and suddenly discharge.  Has anyone seen anything like this?

It wouldn't be static buildup.  A discharge through the stylus would 
destroy it.

It may be the OSD IC overheat problem which is known to happen on the 
SJT-400 and SKT-400.  Tom should be able to give better details on 
what it is, how it manifests itself, and what to do to fix it.  - 
Reinhart

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Allen wolf" <wolfallen>
To: digest@cedmagic.com
Subject: SKT-400 with Remote "SELLING"!!!!!
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 12:35:16 -0500

Hi All,
I'm selling an SKT-400 with it's Original Remote for $150. come with 
3 Discs:Halloween III /Metalstorm & The Formula. get back to me if 
you are Interested......wolfallen@hotmail.com

                                                       Thanks,Allen

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 13:26:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Julian Kosky <jkos_55>
Subject: Free CEDs and Players
To: digest@cedmagic.com

I have over 200 CEDs and two CED players that I have
finally, reluctantly, decided to find a new home for.
I am offering the entire set free to anyone who is
willing to pay for the shipping costs from Arlington,
Washington. Both CED players are in need of repair
(they haven't been used in quite awhile and are
suffering from dust and neglect).

The CEDs have moved alot with me over the years. Some
of the paper on the jackets are a little frayed, but
all play just fine.

Anyone interested in this offer can contact me at
jkos_55@yahoo.com (there is an underscore between the
"s" and the "5" in my e-mail). Or, they can contact me
at 360-435-9508. Please leave a message. This is a
legitimate offer.

-- Julian Kosky

=====
Julian Kosky: jkos_55@yahoo.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 07:21:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: keith fox <foxie299>
Subject: rca sft100 player won`t engage the disc??
To: digest@cedmagic.com

Hi Tom,  First of all, thanks for the ced web site.  Second, I just 
bought a slightly used
rca sft100 ced player that worked fine before shipment, once received 
it does not allow the caddy to insert, only goes in about 1/4 way 
instead of 3/4 or full engagement.  Any
ideas or suggestions on what might be the problem and 
correction..Thanks..regards, keith

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 08:47:15 -0700
Subject: CED Central
From: James Curiel <jacuriel>
To: digest@cedmagic.com

Dear Tom and CED Community,

Here's the status of CED Central.

Darrell and I are still running CED Central and it is up and operating.

Darrell is reconditioning the SFT and SGT players, and I'm doing the 
SJT and SKT players.

I am planning to keep CED Central open and operating until I can find 
someone, hopefully local, to takeover the website.

There is a local shop in Sacramento that I think is perfect, but I 
have not approached them with a proposition yet.  I am thinking about 
reducing the price as an incentive for them to go with taking over 
the website.

Anyway, CED Central is still open and operating, and will continue.
If you still need player repairs, a new stylus, discs, or a player, 
then contact us.

  I am planning on adding links to CEDatum and also the CED Player 
Maintenance Website.

Peace.

signed James Curiel

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Allen wolf" <wolfallen>
To: digest@cedmagic.com
Subject: SKT-400 Sold!!!!!
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 12:02:33 -0500

Hi All,
I wanted you folks to know that i did sell that SKT-400 Player to a 
nice Fellow from Vancouver. so sorry to anyone els that wanted it.
                                         Allen Wolf.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Lecenda Kilgore" <rogerncindy1130>
To: digest@cedmagic.com
Subject: SelectAvision Needle/Cartridge
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 18:11:06 -0500

To Whom It May Concern:

I have a RCA Selectavision Model #SFT100W.  I need a cartridge that 
has the needle in it.  I would appreciate if you may tell me where I 
may inquire how to recieve this and what the price may be.  The part 
number is STKNO149000.

Roger & Cindy & Chip

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 22:14:18 -0800
To: digest@cedmagic.com
From: Tom Howe <tom@cedmagic.com>
Subject: CED Scientist For IEEE President

Former CED researcher Gerard A. Alphonse has been nominated for the 
presidency of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 
If you are a member of the IEEE, ballots will be sent out in about a 
month. If Dr. Alphonse wins the election, he will be President-Elect 
in 2004 and President in 2005.

Dr. Alphonse conducted research into the piezoelectric cutterhead 
used to make copper VideoDisc masters. He published two technical 
articles on this subject in the March 1982 issue of _RCA Review_. His 
personal web site and biography page at CED Magic can be viewed at 
the following URL's:

http://gaa-associates.com/

http://www.cedmagic.com/mem/whos-who/alphonse-gerard.html

--Tom
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