TV80
Encyclopedia
The Sinclair TV80, also known as the Flat Screen Pocket TV or FTV1, was a pocket television
launched by Sinclair Research in 1984. Unlike Sinclair's earlier attempts at a portable television, the TV80 used a flat CRT
with a side-mounted electron gun
instead of a conventional CRT; the picture was made to appear larger than it was by the use of a Fresnel lens
. It was a commercial failure, and did not recoup the £4m it cost to develop; only 15,000 units were sold. New Scientist
warned that the technology used by the device would be short-lived, in view of the liquid crystal display
technology being developed by Casio
.
Handheld television
A Handheld television is a portable device that usually uses a TFT LCD or Organic light-emitting diode color display. Many of these devices resemble handheld transistor radios.-Hardware:...
launched by Sinclair Research in 1984. Unlike Sinclair's earlier attempts at a portable television, the TV80 used a flat CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
with a side-mounted electron gun
Electron gun
An electron gun is an electrical component that produces an electron beam that has a precise kinetic energy and is most often used in television sets and computer displays which use cathode ray tube technology, as well as in other instruments, such as electron microscopes and particle...
instead of a conventional CRT; the picture was made to appear larger than it was by the use of a Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
. It was a commercial failure, and did not recoup the £4m it cost to develop; only 15,000 units were sold. New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
warned that the technology used by the device would be short-lived, in view of the liquid crystal display
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
technology being developed by Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
.