RCA Selectavision and the weird swingers

I thought I had posted this before, but apparently not.  RCA's Selectavision system was birthed in the late 1960s, but didn't come to market for a decade... just as VCRs and laserdisc players were also competing for consumer dollars.  The former had a lower cost and could record; the latter had superior sound and picture (and could not record).  In the middle was the already obsolete Selectavision (aka CED), which used a needle-and-groove format to play digital "records."

A website dedicated to the format is here and a link to the campy closed-circuit introduction for RCA dealers is here (with human-torch, Tom Brokaw). It went out from RCA/NBC's Studio 8H -- home of SNL -- on February 25, 1981... four days after Charles Rocket's infamous F-bomb. He may have been summoned that same day to apologize to some of the very executives you see in this video.

About the only other notable thing about the format is that a few of the music releases (such as The Beatles' 1970 documentary "Let It Be") are worth some money.  The rest are landfill.  However, I will give RCA props for trying, in 1984, to woo newly monied Baby Boomers to what was already a dying format (they pulled the plug in 1986).  This $19.98 sampler was "hosted" by the lady above, as if you were attending a party at her house.  But listen closely -- especially to her opening speech -- and it totally sounds like she's inviting you to a swinger's party.  Example: "the pleasure never stops."  So awkward.  And the opening music is like something from an inside look at the Pentagon!  Instead, it's suburban swingers.  No more spoilers; go see the video!

UPDATE: The Lombard, Illinois-based "Technology Connections" channel has made an exhaustive video series about the history of CED. Part 1 is here.

 The other video format preview I have found is here... it's from 1975, and introduces the Betamax (at first available only as part of a console with a then-much-sought-after Sony Trinitron TV).  The video makes Beta seem like a cure for cancer, but at least its claims are more legit than the CED sampler.  The weird animation is unexpected, and the grave tones of the couple wondering "think they'll ever bring [that show] back?" make it sound like they're discussing a dead relative.  Still, the semi-animated "history of television" is quite good.  Better is this history of television from the 1998 Emmy broadcast.  In the 17 years since this Emmy presentation, what could they add?  "The Sopranos"?  "American (M)Idol"?  9/11 coverage?  "Family Guy"?  "Lazy Sunday"?  "Mad Men"?  I'm not a fan of most of those, but they still might rank as important... everything else is either covered in the montage (i.e. Ellen DeGeneres) or is not necessary (sorry, "Dexter" fans).