Welcome to the wonderful world of the RCA CED Videodisc! I have created this page for all of those new to the format. You may have just won a player on eBay, aquired a collection at an Estate Sale, or someone might have just given it to you. However you obtained it, it can be in various states of disrepair, or might be new in the box still. This page will act as your first stepping stone into the format and I will try to answer all of your questions.
The most helpful resource is to download my CED Workshop Presentation. Every year I host a Workshop in Indianapolis, IN (No I am not from there, your CED’s are.) where I teach the fundamentals of the format and how to repair and maintain the players. You can download the presentation here. CED Workshop Presentation
Once you have familiarized yourself with the information in the presentation, you will understand a little more about what the format is, how it works, and weather this format is right for you or not.
The CED system takes a lot of care and maintence. It’s not for someone who just expects something to work every time, flawlessly. You can check my Disc Care Page for tips on how to care for the discs and why it’s important to check your discs before you play them. Likewise you can check my Player Care Page for tips on how to maintain your player between service.
The biggest hurdle to the format is that it is a stylus based system. It requires a stylus to maintain contact with the disc while it is playing. This obviously causes wear to the discs and to the stylus, no matter how faint it may be. Over time, styli do wear out and need to be replaced. The problem is new styli are not available. All the stylus that were built by RCA 40 years ago, is all there will ever be. If you somehow manage to find a NOS (New Old Stock) stylus, there is no guarantee it will work, over time the copper components can corrode and break, even without use. The only way to know that a stylus works is to test it.
Where can I get a replacement stylus you may ask. Well unfortunately since they are no longer made the only way to get one is to find someone selling a NOS one (again, not guaranteed to work) or to buy a replacement, or parts player, and hope that it has a good stylus in it still. (also, no guarantee that it will work) This is sadly what the format has come to and before you even ask why new styli can’t be made…they can. But the cost would be in the tens, to hundreds of thousands of dollars to get started, or more. It’s just not possible for how small the demand is. A used stylus may end up costing you $200 to $500 now, but a newly manufactured stylus would run a couple thousands dollars each to start. For now we just have to live with what’s out there.
What if my player doesn’t work? I hear a whirrling sound in the back, or my video keeps jumping back to the begging of the disc, or fast forwards all the way through the disc. These are signs that you need a new belt. A loading belt on the J/K players and a servo belt on the F/G players. You can see available parts here.
There are other players as well besides the RCA models, The early Sears model 274.54740150 and the Zenith VP2000 players are clones of the RCA SFT100 player. The Toshiba/Montgomery Wards model usually requires a modified pulley in order to use a new turntable belt, of which the original belt is no longer made. The Hitachi/Realistic/and other Sears models usually have a loading belt, and a stylus arm belt that need to be replaced. There is also a Sanyo player that requires a loading belt to be replaced.
Service manuals for most players can be found on the Downloads page, and videos on how to change most of these belts can be found in the Common Problems section.
Now that you have used these resources to learn about the format, discs, players, and common issues, we can go from there. If you are having further issues with your player beyond belt replacement and my service videos, please feel free to reach out to me and I will help you diagnose any further issues. Thanks for taking the time to educate yourself about the format and I hope you enjoy your new hobby.