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The Forgotten Tale of Cartrivision's 1972 VCR

Posted by timothy on from the don't-remember-this-at-all dept.

harrymcc writes: In 1972 -- years before Betamax and VHS -- a Silicon Valley startup called Cartrivision started selling VCRs built into color TVs. They offered movies for sale and rent -- everything from blockbusters to porn -- using an analog form of DRM, and also let you record broadcast TV. There was also an optional video camera. And it was a spectacular flop. Over at Fast Company, Ross Rubin tells the fascinating story of this ambitious failure.

3 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Analog DRM, no way by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Informative

    using an analog form of DRM

    So, that'd be "RM", then.

    In case you're wondering, it was simply that only the rental store could rewind rental tapes (cartridges).

    Not so much rights management as blanket functionality removal.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  2. Re:Innovation: first != successful by Jhon · · Score: 3, Informative

    Edison didn't invent the light bulb -- he invented a way to make it cheaply (no platinum) and last longer.

  3. Re:Could not rewind rental titles by j2.718ff · · Score: 3, Informative

    One thing the article forgot to mention was that rental titles could not be rewound. You could pause, but not back up (much less watch it more than once during your rental period.)

    Allow me to quote the article:

    Cartrivision employed analog-rights management: rented tapes, offered in red casings, could be rewound only with equipment available at retailers. That ensured that a consumer could only watch a movie once.