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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. Innovation: first != successful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In the history of technology, the first to develop a technology and attempt to bring it to market is usually not the one that is ultimately successful.

  2. The early bird gets the worm by Overzeetop · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  3. Re:Analog DRM, no way by houstonbofh · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    DRM is "blanket functionality removal." That is it's intention. It fails, but that is not the point...