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SHOWCASE
SHOWCASE
The Sony FD-210- The First Watchman
The Sony FD-210- The First Watchman
One of the last technological efforts to change the picture tube (CRT) to save space was to move the scanning area (the part you see) from a front face to a face on the rear and project the picture out. This would allow the tube to be thinner as the neck of the CRT and the screen would be on the same plane. The concept was demonstrated in the 1960's, but Sony perfected the concept to allow mass production of handheld, truly portable line of tv's called the Watchman. All Watchmans were black and white or monochrome. Some Watchmans became mini "boomboxes" which included am/fm stereo radios, an alarm clock and even featuring a cassette recorder. Most Watchmans used AA cells which made them lightweight. The emergence and advances in liquid crystal displays (LCD) ended the Watchman's life as a product. Sony would drop the CRT in the early 1990's due to advancements in color LCD panels, and introduce the Color Watchman which were all LCD. The LCD allowed all Watchmans to be pocket size, like transistor radios were in the late 1950's.
The First Sony Watchman Model FD 210 (1982) 1.5 inch DIAG CRT
The First Sony Watchman Model FD 210 (1982) 1.5 inch DIAG CRT
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Second Generation Watchman 1983-84
Model FD-20 (1983) 2" DIAG Basic Model. The FD-30 has an AM/FM stereo radio.
Third Generation Watchman 1986-87
Model FD-2A (1986) 1.5"DIAG Basic Model
Model FD-3 (1987) 1.5" DIAG with Clock and FM Stereo
FD-42A (1987) 4.5" DIAG comes in different colors. This was the largest Watchman with this type of low profile CRT.
FD-20 Picture BELOW
FD-280 Handheld grip style BELOW
The Last Watchmans (1993-94)
Sony FD-280 (FD-285) 1994 3" DIAG with Electronic TuningLast Sony Watchman using flat CRT as Sony replace it withthe Color LCD Watchmans.
The Mega Watchman
Sony brought out the Mega Watchman around 1990. These sets have a 5 inch diagonal, standard CRT.
Model FD-555 (1991) Mega Watchman and Boom Box.5" DIAG Conventional CRT with Am/FM/FM Stereo andStereo Cassette Recorder
FD-555 Top Panel BELOW
FD-525 (1994) Mega Watchman 5" DIAG conventional CRTwith Electronic Tuning and AM/FM radio.
SONY Corporation
Formerly known as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (東京通信工業株式会社, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation) and Sony Corporation (ソニー株式会社), commonly known as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation. Sony was established in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. This electronics company, known for creating products such as the transistor radio TR-55, the home video tape recorder CV-2000, the portable audio player Walkman, and the compact disc player CDP-101. (from Wikipedia)
The 1990's The "Boombox"
The 1990's The "Boombox"
Carrying your entertainment around!
Boomboxes are carry around entertainment that has been around since the late 1970's. However by the late 1980's, production costs and microchips made it possible to have a battery/ac stereo cassette recorder, small television and AM-FM-FM stereo tuner in a package that can be carried around with ease. Some boomboxes were huge for parties and special events, Others were very compact for personal enjoyment. Later models included CD players and color television.
Emerson TBO540 (1992) FM Stereo-FM-AM Receiver with 5 inch diagonal BW TV and Stereo Cassette Recorder. Emersion Radio and Television, Secaucus NJ
ABOVE: Shown in FM STEREO Radio Mode. UPPER RIGHT: Shown in TV Mode. CENTER RIGHT: Rear controls for TV, AC operation and EXT antenna operation. BOTTOM RIGHT: Requires 11 D Cells for portable operation. BOTTOM: Top controls,
SONY FD-555 (1991) Mega Watchman and Boom Box.5" DIAG Conventional CRT with AM/FM/FM Stereo andStereo Cassette Recorder.
Compared with the Emerson, SONY produced a Boombox with the same features but at HALF the size. You can call it a compact boombox. The SONY however is an exceptional performer and has better sound separation and dispersion, supporting the idea that big is not always better or more fun.
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