I Am Cartrivision

This was the Cartrivision System demo, on cartridge video tape. Not sure it came with the Cartrivision home video system, introduced in 1972. I believe it did come with a taped user manual. The Cartrivision system is 100% made in the USA, brilliantly designed, and flopped horribly when brought to market. The design is brilliant if you are a student of Rube Goldberg! Note that the controls are at floor level. The prototype machines were all designed on a work bench. The engineers did not have to bend over to operate the deck. Department stores, like Wards and Sears, put the VTRs in the TV department and the tapes in the record section, usually on another floor. They were too cheap to have a demo tape with the VTR, because they were terrified of copyright infringement. (This was unknown territory back then) Enjoy America's first home VCR that never was!

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  • Science & Technology