Electronicam was a television recording system, based on a camera that shot film and television at the same time through a common lens. It was developed by the DuMont Television Network in the 1950's, before electronic recording on videotape was available. Since the film directly captured the live scene, its quality was much higher than the commonly-used kinescope films, which were shot from a TV screen. DuMont Televisions Logo The DuMont Television Network was an American television network, beginning operation in 1946. ... Bottom view of VHS videotape cassette with magnetic tape exposed Videotape is a means of recording television pictures and accompanying sound onto magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. ... The term kinescope originally referred to a type of early Video camera tube. ...

In the studio, when two or three Electronicam cameras were used, a kinescope system recorded the live feed that went out on the air, so the Electronicam films could later be edited to match.

The "classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners were shot with Electronicams, which meant they could be rerun on broadcast TV, and eventually transferred to home video. Without Electronicams, The Honeymooners would be unknown today. Cover of a book about the Honeymooners. ... The home video business rents and sells videocassettes and DVDs to the public. ...

External links

• Chuck Pharis Electronicam web page, with many photos and diagrams.