INTRODUCTION

     This guide is to aid you in your purchase of an RCA Videodisc Player and/or Movies.  The reason for this is that the CED community I belong to has done nothing but complain about the CED stuff that they win from ebay sellers.  The purpose of this guide is to aid you in what it is that you are buying or selling.  So...let's get started!  Oh...don't confuse these with Laserdiscs...the technology is totally different and one will NOT play in the other.

     RCA VIDEODISC SHORT HISTORY & TECHNOLOGY INFO

     First...You need to know the technology.  RCA first got the patents to manufacture the players in 1969...10 years before the first player and movie line-up hit the markets.  The idea RCA had was how to put a movie on a vinyl record.  They finally managed to get 60 minutes worth of video to fit on one side of the disc.  The process for this was similar to the way an audio record was produced...the grooves were literally cut by a lathe.  The master disc was actually a copper-coated, aluminum platter.  When one side was completely grooved...the copper left could stretch for 12 miles!  Most discs were recorded in monural sound (MONO) with some select movies being coded for stereo sound to support the later models that did have stereo sound.

     The signal on the discs are, in fact, retrieved by a stylus (or needle).  The stylus is constructed of a diamond tip that was dipped in titanium.  The stylus is considered the most delicate part of the system as it tends to be the first part to end its useful life.  The playing time RCA stated as the life span of the stylus was 1000 hours.  That's a lot of movies! 

     The discs during production were washed several times and given a coating of a silicon oil to aid in the life of both the disc and the stylus. 

     The players were very durable but also fragile at the same time.  The first player to roll off the assembly line was the SFT-100W.  The player was a manual loading system (meaning that you had to put the entire disc, caddy and all, into the player, remove the caddy and manually switch the machine to PLAY) and offered PAUSE, VISUAL SCAN FWD/REV &  RAPID SCAN FWD/REV.  The initial cost was $500 per player with movies ranging from $19.95 and up.  During the years of the Videodisc era, RCA released over 12 different models to fit consumer's budget and to meet the change in technology and over 1700 movies were released for the system.

     Sadly...all good things eventually come to an end and it was the same for the short lived Videodisc technology.  RCA lost profits from rental stores.  RCA depended on the sales of the movies produced to stay in the green, but renting a movie was cheaper than buying them and it led to the end of RCA's videodisc era.  The videodisc player and movies mark the last All-American engineered and produced technology that is highly sought after by collectors.

    BUYING/SELLING VIDEODISC PLAYERS AND MOVIES

     Buying players and movies on ebay can be tricky because some don't even know what they are and will post them as laserdiscs.  Players are harder to come by because most systems sold either don't work or have been abused.  On rare occassions you will find a player that has been well cared for and does come with a few movies to get you started.  Others buy the players to replace parts on their exsisting system which is cheaper and better because the parts are hard to find and some are starting to deplete completely.

    If you are buying a player, either for parts or as your first system, there are some things to consider.  The first is shipping.  If you'll notice on some postings that the shipping may seem high compared to other players like a DVD or VCR.  The weight of these systems is over 20 pounds alone so shipping costs are going to be high.  The most common models are:  SFT-100W, SJT-100 or SGT-100 & SJT-090.  Here's a hint...the SFT-100W will have parts for all of the belt-driven models EXCEPT the SGT-200 & SGT-250 (the stereo models).  The SGT-200 & 250 have a different stylus model than the SFT-100W and will not fit the stereo models.  The SJT-100 will have parts that will interchange with the other SJT/SKT models including the stereo models (except your stereo sound circuits).  If the model you are bidding on doesn't say anything about trying the system out or if it even has a stylus (you will need this because it can be rebuilt if it doesn't work) it never hurts to ask the seller.  The decision to take the risk is yours.  As long as the player has minor scratches and doesn't show signs of any buttons missing or cracks in the case, then chances are the player will work, even if you need to do some minor repairs on it.  The average bid on these can go upto $100 for the SJT-100 and more for the stereo models.  The stereo models are rare and the SJT/SKT 400 is the most rare of all models.  This is the only "interactive" player of all the videodisc models.

     For selling a player, it's best to post the model number in your listing.  Pictures of the player are a plus.  If possible, try posting a picture with the player on and either the display lit or of a movie it is playing in the background.  If the player has problems, list these as well.  Collectors are more likely to buy the player for parts or repairs if you can list problems accurately.  To ship the item...bubble wrap it 2 times and make sure the player is evenly coated.  I suggest putting popcorn foam in the box that the player is going to ride in.  And sudden shocks to the machine can destroy it's delicate mechanisms.  It's best to sell your items in the catagories related to vintage movies/players and NOT in the LASERDISC catagory.  Laserdiscs use a laser, these don't use a laser.

     If you are buying movies, try to avoid those that have been stacked flat.  Videodiscs are supposed to be stored on one of its edges.  Stacking them flat will damage the disc from the weight of the others.  Also, if there are any kids movies (like cartoons, animated features) they have probably been played to death!  How the discs have been cared for and stored will determine the approximate condition of the disc.  Damaged discs can damage the machine!  Movies that were produced in STEREO will usually come in a blue caddy.  Also...since these are sometimes posted incorrectly, check on the disc's label for the RCA VIDEODISC logo which will always be in the upper right hand corner.

     If you are selling discs, try to accurately discribe the movie.  Post any known flaws of the disc (or any disc if a LOT is being posted) both cosmetically and physically.  If the disc has trouble spots while playing, you need to post these as well.  There are a lot of rare movies that buyers will jump on if the price is right.  The average price of a videodisc is about $3 each with the more rare going for $10 or more.  Try to store the discs on their edge until you have sold them.  Bubble wrap them and put them in a strong box to help them keep from getting damaged during shipping.  USPS Media Mail is recommend as a shipping method.

     Shipping discs can be as costly as shipping a player because each disc weighs about 2 lbs each so a videodisc LOT can cost you a lot in shipping costs.  Carriers are also going to treat your ordered discs like a bowling ball...so ask about insurance when possible and if they will be well protected during shipping.  Things to look for if pictures are available is the cleanliness of the disc's cover.  If you see few or no rips or tears in the label then chances are that the disc will play with little or no flaws.

If you are looking for players & movies on ebay, try some of these keywords in the search engine:

RCA Videodisc, RCA Video Disc, CED & Videodisc

I've noticed that sometimes you will get different results with each key word.  Obmitting RCA will result in other videodisc players not manufactured by RCA.  Just read the item descriptions before you bid and if you have any doubt...don't bid.  Also...I've found one player that used a picture from another website's player database.  So, if the picture doesn't look like it was taken by the seller, then chances are they are hiding something.  But...then again...the risk is yours.

Another note to keep in mind is the age of this technology.  The age of anything you find on ebay related to RCA VideoDiscs is going to be at least 20 years old.  As I've stated before, the care given by the owner will determine how this technology will continue to perform.  The players & movies will remain faithful only if they are used periodically.  They will not want to work if stored away for years at a time.  Not using the player & movies is bad as it will cause them to be problematic.  Think of it this way...if an elderly person doesn't get enough exercise or is bed-ridden what happens?  They get to the point to where they can't move.  The same can be said for this technology.  It needs to work in order for it to "stretch" its parts.

There are plenty of on-line places you can turn to for help on this technology should you need it.  There are a few places left that still have parts and rebuilt stylus cartridges for the players.  Due to eBay rules, I can't post them here or I would.  The movies for the players are also starting to turn up on eBay in single title and LOT sales.  Buying a couple of LOTs can be fun in the fact that you may suddenly find those rare titles you were looking for.  Any duplicates can be resold to help buy more titles...but keep the better ones for yourself (haha).   

MODEL INFORMATION

Here is some helpful information on the various models that RCA produced.  Keep in mind that this is just a short description.  Again, this is just to give you an idea of what these are.  All RCA VideoDisc models start with "S", end with "T" and are then given a 3 digit number to simplify features.  The letter between "S" & "T" are given depending on the design and year manufactured.  There are two designs...one is belt-driven and the other is direct drive.  Belt driven means that the turntable is driven by a belt linked to a motor.  Direct drive means that the turntable makes up the other half of a motor, no belt is used to spin the turntable.  The "F/G" models are belt while the "J/K" models are direct driven.  All J/K models feature automatic loading mechanisms meaning that when a disc is inserted about 3/4 of the way into the machine, the machine will "grab" the disc, remove the disc with spine and return the empty caddy to you. Here's the features of the various models.

SFT/SGT 100  Manual Loading  Functions include Pause, Rapid Scan & Visual Scan.  Has digital time display and Side indicators.  This is the more common model.

SGT-075  The "economy" model.  Same as 100, functions limited to Visual Scan only.  No time display, power on indicator replaces Side indicators.

SGT-200 Same as 100 with the exception that this model is a stereo player, the first one of all videodisc players to have this feature.  Can connect to TV by coax or A/V.  Rare.

SGT-250 This is the granddaddy of all belt-driven players.  Features Auto-Load and is a stereo player.  All features of the F/G line are present.  Very Rare.

SJT-090  "economy" model.  Features Rapid Scan FWD, Pause & Reject.  Has time display and side indicators. 

SJT-100 Similar to the SFT-100 in features but with auto loading.  Common model

SJT-200 The first stereo model of the J/K line.  Features are same as SJT-100 with the exception that it supports dual audio tracks on supported discs.  Rare.

SJT-300 A more fancier version of the 200.  Rare.

SJT-400 The king of them all!  This player features on-screen display and is the only player to support "game" discs (interactive).  Also was supposed to be used as part of RCAs Dimension system.  Extremely Rare.

Just remember...F/G are belt driven and that NO stereo models exist in the "F" line.  J/K players are direct driven.

This is a technology worth having around as the movies and specials created for it are, for the majority of them, not on DVD or VHS.  Most of the movies and specials on this format are so rare that a collector would shell out a lump sum of cash just to have it.  The cartoons and animated features make great babysitting tools and, once you show the kids how to use it, the kids will love it too because they will be able to interact with it.   Good luck and have fun bidding!