Hand Set for Television Uses Midget Screen (Dec, 1938)
Hand Set for Television Uses Midget Screen
Nicknamed a “television monocle,” a miniature unit recently on display at an exhibition in London, England, is a complete sight-and-sound receiving set. Shaped like a hand-type telephone, the apparatus has an earphone through which the user hears the sound accompanying a televised broadcast while watching the moving images flash across a small built-in screen, two inches wide, placed so that it is directly before the eyes. The instrument, which weighs just under two pounds, can be used even in a lighted room with good results, it is said. An exhibition visitor is shown at the right trying out the television hand set.
It’s amazing how far advanced they were back then. A 2 inch TV is now hard to get, but Sony introduced an 8 inch OLED set recently, and they used to have smaller ones in the past.
However I don’t think that this is a comfortable viewing distance for such a screen.
Comment by Casandro — April 21, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Phew… i thought at first it was a television for midgets.
Not sure I am relieved to see it’s a handheld eyeball-melter though…
Comment by angrydroid — April 21, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
At under two pounds, I think a tripod or a pole would be a good accessory for veiwing a 30 minute program.
Comment by mike brisendine — April 21, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
Midget! Made my day.
Comment by Compwalla — April 21, 2008 @ 6:25 pm