1 of 1- RadioActive
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The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
A SOWNY member and I were emailing each other off board about these things. Did anyone's dad ever buy one of these ridiculous contraptions? It was a "TV screen" you slipped over your old black and white set, that was supposed to let you see a show in glorious colour. (Well, OK, "colour effects." At least they include a warning that it's not really colour TV at all.)
There's no way it worked, of course. But does anyone here know what it actually looked like? Either way, you can't beat the price of just $2.98 U.S. (1964 dollars.) Boy, what a bargain!
- turkeytop
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
I never actually saw it but I was around that long ago. I belive it was just a sheet of plastic film like Glad Wrap. The lower side was green like the grass and the upper half was blue like the sky. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- SpinningWheel
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
I asked Google about the screens and someone came up with this. Looks like a scam to me! 
Last edited by SpinningWheel (March 29, 2024 9:23 pm)
- newsguy1
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
Yes, I actually saw this.
When I was a kid in Vancouver we had a local electronics store that briefly sold them.
They were these weird plastic screens that you'd cover the front of the black and white TV with.
They had various colours on them in no particular order.
They were so obviously a failure they didn't last long.
- RadioActive
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
Thanks for the answers, especially the visual one. I've often wondered what this silly thing looked like and having seen a sample of it above, I'm guessing black and white was actually preferable!
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
34 EAST 12th street in 2024:
,+New+York,+NY+10003,+USA/@43.596,-79.5093732,3a,75y,260.51h,92.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sApY2W-_GaoJMvgKmyDWtZA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x89c25999a3fc87bd:0x9e09e145b871e81e!8m2!3d40.7335487!4d-73.9924202!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11bw41vbrm?entry=ttu
Not sure what it was back in 1964...maybe a post office with a PO box?
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- fyshtalk
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
I do remember these. One of the original scams. Something P.T Barnum ...and Trump would love !
Last edited by fyshtalk (March 31, 2024 9:34 am)
- Radiowiz
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Re: The Worst Gimmick In Early Black & White TV History
Interesting point.
$2.98 back then converts to $28.80 today.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.