The RCA 648PV set provided a 25" picture (measured diagonally) at a time when most sets offered 10" or less. Many believe that early rear projection sets fell out of favor due to their poor, dim image and limited viewing angle.
I believe their downfall was their large size, their weight and their high initial setup costs. Eventually of course, direct view picture tubes caught up to them. But if you had deep pockets, you were watching a 25" TV several years ahead of most folks!
The reel-to-reel tape recorder seen in the video to the right of the screen is a 1947 Brush BK-401. It was the first consumer tape recorder. Unlike later tape which was based on acetate or Mylar, the BK-401's tape was made of paper, with an oxide coating glued to one side.
Together, the RCA and the Brush could be considered a 1947 "home entertainment center," albeit an expensive one. The price of these two together, when adjusted for inflation (per the Consumer Price Index), approaches $30,000 in 2008 dollars!
Date: 11/05/07
Owner: Matt Kroll
Size: 14 items
(36 items total)
648PV-1
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 3051
648PV-2
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2386
648PV-4
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2548
Radio - record changer (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2498
Record changer (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2559
Radio stations - circa 1947 (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2580
648PV-3
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2993
648PV-5
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2744
648PV-6
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 3184
1947 RCA 648-PV with 1983 RCA SKT400 CED Player
Date: 03/20/08
Views: 4208
Album: "innards" exposed during early 2000 restoration
