RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc

This FAQ about RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc was compiled and written by tom@cedmagic.com (Tom Howe) with numerous contributions by others.

Copyright (c) 1996-2003 by Tom Howe. All rights reserved.

This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. If this FAQ is reproduced in off-line media (e.g., CD-ROM, print form, etc.), a complimentary copy should be sent to Tom Howe, P.O. Box 5604, Portland, OR 97228 USA.

RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc FAQ

This is a list of frequently asked questions regarding the RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc System, a delivery platform for home video marketed by RCA from March 1981 through June 1986. In the mid 1990's, defunct electronic technology from the 70's and 80's became collectible, as evidenced by the creation of Usenet news groups devoted to collecting items as diverse as 8-Track tapes and Atari 2600 video game cartridges. In this same time frame I was contacted by a number of people interested in getting more information on the RCA VideoDisc system, rather than to just sell their player and discs, and there were postings to the Usenet groups rec.video, rec.collecting, misc.wanted, and alt.video.laserdisc from people wanting to purchase discs. These events led me to start this FAQ, in part to provide answers to the increasing volume of questions regarding the SelectaVision VideoDisc system, and also to dispel some inaccuracies (such as the rumor that new stylus cartridges have been unobtainable for years). I saved all references to the RCA VideoDisc system that appeared in the above newsgroups since 1990, and it is from this data, as well as questions that have been asked of me by other collectors, that the questions in this FAQ are derived.