CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[TheGuv97]

Hello there fellow CED fans! I recently acquired an SKT 400 that has never been taken out of the box. It's still in factory fresh condition, but I can imagine that after 30+ years, it probably needs some work before I can use it. Aside from checking the belt, is there anything else I should look at before running it for the first time? I really don't want to ruin it by firing it up without proper precautions.

Thanks, Tommy

[jsdspif]

if it truly has never been out of the box it should still have the "shipping pins" installed in the bottom of the unit. These stabilize the cartridge arm so it can't move during shipment. I believe you turn them 90 degrees and pull them out. I would also take a look at the cartridge if it were mine but I don't know if everyone would do that. I can't really think of anything else at the moment. I have somewhat of a hard time believing it hasn't ever been out of the box. It seems like somewhere along the way someone would have at least wanted to see what it looks like. And years ago I doubt anyone was thinking "oh I'm going to keep this in the box forever because someday they'll be rare..." that would have been like someone keeping a vcr in that type of condition. I'm not calling you a liar but on something like that the only way I'd believe it had never been out of the box would be if it had been in my possession from day one. Although it really doesn't matter, in the end I suppose I would want a player to work with as little as repair as possible, ideally it needing nothing at all. I'm curious to here how it goes.

[TheGuv97]

Thanks for the info. The guy I bought it from said it was a demonstration piece that was never used. His dad was a salesman or something and got it new for his job but never needed it. The packaging looks completely undisturbed and the original remote batteries are still in the package, albeit completely corroded. One of these days I’ll open it up and take video of the process.

[jsdspif]

Could very well be. This story is off topic but as far as tales go... I went to a garage sale when I was about 13 and there were these 2 things called vibra-bed. And for lack of a better term they were like giant vibrators, let's think of the tiny gizmos in cell phones that cause the phone to vibrate and not the other types ! Anyway you'd put them under your mattress and they made the bed shake. Like the magic finger contraptions at hotels back in the 60's or whenever. I saw these things (this was around 1976) and I asked what they were and the guy said "those are very rare. I invented these but I never could get money to mass produce them. This one I used as a demonstrator and this one still in it's box was to show what the packaged product would look like" I believed the guy and the one in the box did look like it had never been removed and he wanted $10 for the pair. So I bought them. Well years go by and the internet gets invented and every now and then I scour the internet but never can find any info. Finally about 4 or 5 years ago I saw one on ebay so I contacted the seller and told my story and they replied it was funny but not true because they remember seeing them in stores and said they knew people that bought them and other people would make jokes about them. For me it was a little more than a 40 year search for some type of info. I just searched now and did find a patent but no info so I don't know if this is the same thing. These you just plugged in and it would vibrate. You didn't have to put money in it for it to work.
Anyway, yeah I'd kind of like to see a video of the unboxing. Would be kind of like stepping back in time.

[kitchensynch]

I hope you didn't pay the guy wanting over $400 for his, the picture show the box on top of another box for something else. There is also a lady who joined the forums and she wants like 900 bucks for s 'serviced' player but this price has been bobbed up and down more than a good fishing lure.

After 32 years you could be certain that unused belts might have turned to goo or lubrication may have dried up. It's not really different than a vintage cassette or reel to reel deck in that regard. Go at it carefully.

At any rate, you have a short amount of time to check this player out and file a claim with eBay if it's amiss. get a disk in and fire it up. If you need to service it you can probably get a partial refund to cover service.
_________________
A New Vista of RCA Victor COLOR!

[jsdspif]

looking thru completed listings I see a sjt300 sold by "that seller" for $695.00 plus $63 for shipping. I can't believe someone actually paid that much . I tend to believe that one was somehow rigged? I believe that would be a shill/shilling??

[TheGuv97]

I got it locally about a year ago, not from eBay. I still haven't touched it yet. Only paid $200 too. Like I said before, I'll take a video of the unboxing once I decide to do it.

[jsdspif]

That doesn't sound too bad. If I could get one for 200 and not have shipping charges I think I may have done it. And I already have about 20 players sitting here already. I guess that one would be the top of the line player.