View Full Version : Sylvania TV Slide viewer


Chad Hauris
03-01-2004, 07:57 AM
Anyone seen one of these or know of one? From around 1969, It uses a Kodak Carousel slide tray and a flying spot scanner w/three color phototubes to display color slides on a TV. It is a slightly oversized console with a Sylv. color TV and the slide mechanism to the right. Have read about one in a Photofact folder but have never found one in person.

Carmine
03-01-2004, 08:56 AM
I remember seeing them in ads that ran in National Geographic... which is good marketing if you think about it.

bgadow
03-01-2004, 01:12 PM
There was a nice dealer advertising banner for one on ebay last year. But, no, I've never seen the set.

Jeffhs
03-03-2004, 09:44 PM
I saw a how-it-works article on that model Sylvania console in a magazine (Popular Science, perhaps) in the early '70s, but have never actually seen one of those sets up close. The set used a color flying-spot scanner with three photomultiplier tubes to create a video signal from the slide image, which of course was treated by the TV as if it were an off-the-air color signal (only the outputs of the phototubes were fed directly into the video stages, completely bypassing the RF signal circuits). This was such a great idea at the time, IMO, I'm amazed other manufacturers didn't pick up on it and offer their own versions. :dunno: It would have been a great way to show 35mm slides in a small apartment or any other place one could not set up a conventional projector and screen.

Tim
03-17-2004, 09:14 PM
Here is a photo of one that sold on eBay last year for a whopping $39.00. It was claimed to be funtioning perfectly. If I would have had the space I would have bid on it.

kevinpreston
06-14-2005, 12:39 AM
I had been discussing under another website about this television. My uncle had one, he may still have it. As I remember it, it was just like the picture. He showed slides to us a few times.

At the time I thought it was neat but that maybe alot of TVs did that. Only recently did I recall it, and now I think it is rather amazing!

Kevin Preston

Chad Hauris
06-14-2005, 06:25 AM
This Sylvania is the only type I have ever heard of that had the flying spot scanner for slides. Thanks Kevin for sharing your recollection of it.

Bill R
06-14-2005, 03:05 PM
I think it was one of those ideas that was just a little late. Kinda of like Polavision movies. Home video recording was just around the corner and with the decrease in popularity of slides it just faded away. If I recall it was quite expensive and the one I saw only had a average picture quality. I agree a neat idea though and I would like to have one in the collection.
Bill R

captainmoody
06-14-2005, 06:15 PM
The only one I ever got to see up close was in 1980 at the tv shop I worked at. We repaired it for the town mayor, the picture quality left much to be desired when viewing slides and the thing weighed a ton! I should know, my boss and I had to bring it back to the mayor's house after the repair. Of course he kept it upstairs in a den (long staircase,victorian house) Wonder if it's still there...

old_tv_nut
06-16-2005, 03:17 PM
I saw one briefly when I worked for Motorola - even with the direct video connection, the resolution left something to be desired. Also, IIRC, there was no option to "letterbox", so the sides of the picture were always cropped off. Still, it was an amazing thing to a video nut to be able to put something like this in the home.

Telecolor 3007
03-19-2022, 02:49 AM
I stumbled upon an add for such a tv set... never thought that they ever made such a tv.
Here are some images of such a console: https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=169158

Electronic M
03-19-2022, 02:07 PM
Yup I have one of those. I'm thinking about fixing the TVs audio and the slide system and doing a YouTube video eventually...It could go sideways quickly depending on what the mice did inside the optics (and they were in there).

Telecolor 3007
03-19-2022, 03:25 PM
I want to see a clip of it. :thmbsp:

nasadowsk
03-19-2022, 04:59 PM
Given how the quality of slides projected would blow away the quality of them on a TV set, I imagine anyone wanting to see their slides just bought a projector instead. Heck, even scanned slides today are stunning on a computer screen…

old_tv_nut
03-19-2022, 05:23 PM
See this thread for a link to a Popular Mechanics article on a DIY rear projection console for your slide projector:
http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?p=3184034&highlight=slide+projector#post3184034

DavGoodlin
04-21-2022, 01:45 PM
I have one of these sitting. It uses a D16 hybrid chassis, great performer. Non-remote. Good 25CP22

Found on CL about 4 years ago, in a mold-infested garage.

204166

jhalphen
04-21-2022, 01:58 PM
Hi to all,

A complete article on the Sylvania 35mm color flying-spot scanner is described in the July 1968 issue of Electronics World.
Downloadable here (full magazine), 7.9Mb file.
See pages 34, 35 & 72

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electronics-World/60s/1968/Electronics-World-1968-07.pdf

Photo: scanner, light box, block-diagram

Best Regards
jhalphen
Paris/France

Electronic M
04-21-2022, 08:04 PM
I have one of these sitting. It uses a D16 hybrid chassis, great performer. Non-remote. Good 25CP22

Found on CL about 4 years ago, in a mold-infested garage.

204166

Fascinating. I own a Sylvania Slide Theater too and mine is the higher tube count D-13 Chassis (I believe it's a D-12 modified to drive the Slide Scanning CRT and support the optical system).
Interesting that it lasted long enough to have been used on 2 different years of TV chassis.

I used to own a TV only D-16 and know the difference well.

KentTeffeteller
04-21-2022, 10:08 PM
A note: In 1970, to the beginnings of decent digital cameras of 8 megapixels and higher and good lenses, transparency aka Slide film was a format in wide use for projection. Unlike Polavision (which got released about the time decent VHS and Beta video cameras and recorders did.

Telecolor 3007
04-22-2022, 06:06 AM
'Polavision' what that 8 m.m. movie that got almost instant processing (developing), but was to opaque and so the image wasn't very good. And the film itself was very short?
Slide was the standard up to the '90's.

DavGoodlin
04-22-2022, 10:28 AM
Fascinating. I own a Sylvania Slide Theater too and mine is the higher tube count D-13 Chassis (I believe it's a D-12 modified to drive the Slide Scanning CRT and support the optical system).
Interesting that it lasted long enough to have been used on 2 different years of TV chassis.

I used to own a TV only D-16 and know the difference well.

I actually confirmed mine is a D-13 chassis, thus the model may not have lasted. My dad used a slide projector and Da-lite screen, such advanced camera scrutinizers likely passed on this gimmick. :sigh:
Model is CFNP22. I also have not delved into it yet, it sits behind my scrap pile in the garage, which is finally being cashed in :D.