Got a note from someone in western Maryland (Cumberland). He needs to quickly sell several 1970s/80s Zenith consoles--pick up only. They have some interesting features, so I thought I'd mention them here, to anyone in that area that's interested.

He has: a working 1980's Zenith TV with Space Phone, a mid 1980's Zenith with the picture within a picture feature, and a Zenith 1979 model with the zoom feature...

A photo of the Space Phone model is included. Please contact Jim direct: [email protected]

I know what P in P is, I can guess that Zoom cranks up the width and heigth, but what is Space Phone? The 80s marketing term for phone vision? Or perhaps some sort of device for comunicating with astronauts or aliens?

Tom C.

The latter.

:D

On my '79 system 3, the Zoom feature is on its own subchassis and there is some serious voltage going through a relay which boosts both width and vertical.

Space phone was a feature that allowed you to answer your phone while watching TV. It muted the TV audio, allowed you to hear and speak to the caller.

Space phone was a feature that allowed you to answer your phone while watching TV. It muted the TV audio, allowed you to hear and speak to the caller.

Correct - but it was before the sophisticated audio processing chips to reduce the room echo - people you talked to generally said it sounded like you were in a barrel.

Zenith really seemed to be grasping for ideas on that one!

IIRC they had a model with a built in Pong too...

-J

There WAS a console with a pong selection. I recall seeing it on the back of a National Geographic mag and thinking it was such a useless but amazing idea. Still not as dumb as that Sylvania that used a flying spot scanner with a slide projector so you can view your slides on television.

If it had Bang-Zoom Ralph Kramden would love it. :D

But seriously, I remember the ads for Space Phone back in the day, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I thought it was Magnavox that had the Pong game? It was outdated before it left the factory!

It was Magnavox that had the built in pong game.