Sylvania TV Slide viewer
 

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.

I remember seeing them in ads that ran in National Geographic... which is good marketing if you think about it.

There was a nice dealer advertising banner for one on ebay last year. But, no, I've never seen the set.

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.

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.

New here, was pointed by another member to this thread
 

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

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.

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

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...

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.

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/vie...p?f=3&t=169158

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).

I want to see a clip of it. :thmbsp:

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…

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...or#post3184034