RCA Hawkeye Camera Confusion

[J Ballard]

Hello Brian-

After speaking with two former RCA employees, the HC-2 had a more robust enclosure similar to the CCD-1, replacing the thin sheet metal cover. It was painted similar to the CCD-1 colour scheme. The VF may have been different, and the switch cluster was rearranged in the -2 model.

RCA had hoped that Philips would produce a 1/2" format PBO tube, but they never delivered, so the cameras used Saticons. Both used the Chromatrak component recording format, which did indeed look better than Umatic.

The following year at NAB 1984, Sony introduced Betacam, and the rest is history.

The plan was that RCA and Matsushita would join in a competitive alliance against Sony, but RCA's available capital money was going into Video disc. The RCA Board in NY starved the division, and it announced its closing in Oct.1985. Any "New" projects came out of sustaining funds.

Enjoy your camera museum site immensely!

Regards
JB