The Vergecast Version History: Sony Watchman
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Oct 19, 2025 The podcast explores the iconic Sony Watchman, the first portable TV that shaped media consumption. Hosts discuss its innovative flat display and design, as well as its cultural significance in the 1980s. They analyze early marketing efforts, including a vintage ad featuring a young Jason Alexander. Critics’ mixed reactions at launch and the ways consumers used the device are highlighted. The hosts debate potential redesigns and what features could benefit modern tech, all while pondering if a dedicated portable TV could thrive in today's streaming era.
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TV Goes Mobile Decades Early
- The Watchman made television genuinely portable decades before smartphones.
- Sony framed it as the next step from Walkman: personal, mobile media on demand.
Flat Display CRT Breakthrough
- Sony's flat display picture tube reoriented the CRT to shave depth dramatically.
- That engineering tweak enabled a one-and-a-half inch thick portable TV.
Demand Outran Supply In Japan
- The Watchman was so popular in Japan Sony couldn't meet U.S. demand immediately.
- Customers reportedly chased Sony employees to complain they couldn't buy one.
