Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 alpha 3/24/83; site seismo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!rivers From: rivers@seismo.UUCP (Wilmer Rivers) Newsgroups: net.video Subject: RCA abandons CED format Message-ID: <835@seismo.UUCP> Date: Thu, 5-Apr-84 17:27:17 EST Article-I.D.: seismo.835 Posted: Thu Apr 5 17:27:17 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 03:16:42 EST Distribution: net Organization: Center for Seismic Studies, Arlington, VA Lines: 31 Quoting the Washington Post (without permission) : RCA Gets Out Of Videodisc Player Venture NEW YORK, April 4 - After $580 million in losses, RCA Corp. today announced plans to abandon the videodisc player business, ending a three-year effort and probably dooming the videodisc as a mass-market consumer item. "The evidence is clear as of right now that the time has come" to get out of the videodisc manufacturing and marketing business, said RCA Chairman Thornton F. Bradshaw. The company will continue to make and distribute videodiscs "for a period of time - we anticipate probably three years or so," Bradshaw said. Well, folks, this is clearly a red-letter day in the history of home video. I doubt that many out in net.video-land own CED format video- disc players, since they have been aimed primarily at those who are either naive about or are downright afraid of high technology, but this decision will undoubtedly have major ramifications for those of us who are fans of the LV format. Either the laser manufacturers will conclude : "Hey ! If RCA, who outsells us 3-for-1, can't make a go of it, then we're really doomed", or else they will see the demise of the competition as their big break & will start marketing the LV format like gangbusters. Let's all hope it's the latter. As for JVC's VHD format, I suppose that remains Very Highly Doubtful, as skeptics have been saying for the last couple of years. If there's anything to be learned from RCA's 580 megabuck debacle, it's that you can't fool all of the people all of the time, even if you use Gene Kelly to try. Let's just hope that this doesn't start a panic in the video industry, mainly among retailers, which brings down Laservision along with it. Good-bye, Needlevision, and good riddance !