Definition: CED

(Capacitance Electronic Disc) An earlier videodisc technology from RCA that was released in 1981 under the RCA SelectaVision brand. With more than a decade and a half of development, the CED was like an analog, vinyl phonograph record with spiral grooves. However, the grooves were much finer than vinyl records, and the stylus that tracked the grooves used a much smaller electrode.

CEDs had approximately 240 lines of resolution, similar to the resolution of half-inch VHS and Beta videotapes. However, by the mid-1980s, videotapes, especially VHS, were extremely popular and helped bring about the CED's demise in 1986. See LaserDisc and VHS.

An RCA Videodisc

RCA's VideoDiscs were similar to LaserDiscs in size, but like a high-resolution vinyl record in structure. When the caddy-like cover was inserted into the player and removed, the disc and spine remained inside. With 60 playback minutes per side, the award-winning, three-hour Godfather movie came on two CED discs, compared to the single Blu-ray disc shown on the left.