The
Telemeter pay television system used a converter box which accepted
coins. Scrambled video was transmitted over a cable television
system, and when the proper amount of money was put in the coin
slot, an unscrambled picture and sound would appear on the
television set.
International Telemeter Corp. was half owned by Paramount Pictures.
The first public test of Telemeter took place on a cable system
owned by Paramount in Palm Springs, California, in 1953. Seventy
homes were equipped with converters. On November 28 a
Paramount Film Forever Female was broadcast for a charge of $1.
By 1954,
an average of $10 per month was being spent on movies through
Telemeter by 148 households. International Telemeter Corporation was
pleased with the early results, which were above their initial
estimates. The Palm Springs experiment ended during the summer of
1954.
The
International Telemeter Company began a long-term test of its
closed-circuit system in Toronto, Canada in February of 1960.
Within a year, however, the Toronto experiment was losing money and
Paramount Pictures stepped in to take over from a Canadian company.
The Toronto experiment was shut down on April 30th, 1965, a
technical success but a commercial failure.
This
converter box is most likely from the Toronto experiment.
Here are advertisements and newspaper cliipings from the Toronto experiment
(Courtesy of Mike Simunek)
Another style box used in the Toronto experiment. Courtey of Sean Brady
November 2, 1957 - View of a telemeter box on top of a television. Viewer inserts coins to watch television programs. Television picture shows C. Page of the Herald-Express, hearing about the system from Paul McNamara, Telemeter vice president.
Close-up view of a telemeter box, which sits on top of a television. It shows the coin slot along with two small windows that show the price of the program and possible remaining credit. View of a telemeter box, which sits on top of a television. An unidentified person points to the channel rack, which shows how the price of paid TV shows are set and transmitted
View of a telemeter box, which sits on top of a television. An unidentified person points to the channel rack, which shows how the price of paid TV shows are set and transmitted.
