Gebhard Sengmüller
«VinylVideo»

«VinylVideo is a fake archeology of media.
We designed a device that retrieves videosignals (moving imgae and sound) stored on a conventional Vinyl (LP) record. The discontinuity in the development of electronic film technology constitutes the historical background for this fictitioius video disc technology: Even though television, the electronic transmission of moving images, had been feasible since the late 1920‘s, storage of these images became possible only after development of the video recorder in 1958. Recording images for private use did not become available until the mass introduction of the VCR in the early 1980‘s (!). Before, the average consumer was confined to use Super-8 film, a technology dating back to 1900, usually without sound. Recording of television was not possible at all.
VinylVideo reconstructs a homemovie technology of the late 40‘s/early 50‘s and thus bridges a gap in the history of consumer technology. The images are stored on a conventional analogue record, with a running time of ca. 15 min / side (Singles 54[sic!] min / side). These records [...] are played on an standard turntable with an ordinary diamond needle, the signals are then processed by y ‹Black Box› into a videosignal that is displayed on a black and white TV-set.»

(source: Gebhard Sengmueller & Onlineloop (eds), Vinyl Video, August 1998.)