Hey guys,

Just noticed one of those weird Sylvania color consoles with the built-in slide scanner on eBay (item #6289391390):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sylvania-Color-Television-Slide-Theatre-CFNP-20BT_W0QQitemZ6289391390QQihZ010QQcategoryZ3638QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's in Louisiana and has zero bids, but it's got a reserve. I don't know anything about the seller.

BTW, anyone here have (or had) one of these sets? I've always wondered just how well the flying spot scanner really worked on these things.

Never had one, but got a glimpse when I worked at Motorola and the color TV dept. bought one for evaluation. Only thing I remember is the cropping of the slide could be a problem (slide is 1.5:1, screen is 1.33:1, plus there is some overscan in all directions). Don't remember if the RGB went directly to the CRT or what the video quality was (and would probably have a different opinion today after using hi-res computer graphics).

Good point about the cropping..! Plus, I suppose they designed it specifically for 35mm slides rotated horizontally, because verticals would get chopped top-and-bottom, and the cropping or sizing would be pretty suboptimal for other film formats in 2x2 mounts, especially 127 'Super Slides'. Perhaps they should have included a scanning size control for the slide viewer mode-- they could have called it a "zoom" control and touted it as a special feature! :)

I think this one has been on ebay several times before and not sold. Best I recall the picture was not all that good. I don't think they sold many of them. At least not in my area.

Bill R

I saw one once at somebody's home and it was not working. I guess in '68 it seemed kinda cool. The cropping and picture quality would kill it for me. Slides are almost like being there with a good screen but on a regular TV screen I think it would not be good enough to see the details. It has the owner's manual which I suspect is rare. Shouldn't a set like that be remote control? I guess the slide set-up has a wired remote.
I think it is most interesting that one of those is in the Smithsonian. I wonder if they bought it new or when and where they got it from? Maybe they got one of those that never sold and got all the original paperwork? Do they ever show it working? What other sets are in the Smithsonian?
Thanks

I think the slide advance was controlled by the cassette deck that is in there as well. I think you would record your naration, and when you advanced the projector it recorded a tone on the tape. When you started at the begining of the slide show you would play the cassette with your naration and the projector would advance automatically. That was pretty common at the time.

Bill R

I think the slide advance was controlled by the cassette deck that is in there as well. I think you would record your naration, and when you advanced the projector it recorded a tone on the tape. When you started at the begining of the slide show you would play the cassette with your naration and the projector would advance automatically. That was pretty common at the time.

Bill R


kinda like the slideshows in middleschool with the narration on the record and the slides that would ALWAYS seem to end up being 1 slide off! (my teacher always fell asleep at the projector :boring: )