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: 2976
648PV-2
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2321
648PV-4
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2493
Radio - record changer (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2456
Record changer (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2504
Radio stations - circa 1947 (Custom)
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2507
648PV-3
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2924
648PV-5
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 2676
648PV-6
Date: 11/05/07
Views: 3125
1947 RCA 648-PV with 1983 RCA SKT400 CED Player
Date: 03/20/08
Views: 4146
Album: "innards" exposed during early 2000 restoration
