Monday, June 17, 2013

The First (Available) Instant Video Camera

Polavision set The Polaroid Polavision Player allowed users to view their Super8 films instantly, without sending out for processing.

You shot the action with the Polavision camera then removed the cartridge which automatically developed the film in a mere 90 seconds. Then drop the cartridge into a special viewer / projector to watch. This was in 1977.

It was a huge leap forward for home filming, but the movies had no sound and the home video recorder (VCR) was lurking just over the horizon. By 1980 you could buy a VCR for around $600, the cameras were much more expensive... but they had sound.

That spelled doom for Polavision, they were gone by 1979.



Did you have one of these gizmos?

More Classic TV fun at TVparty!

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