The Controla-Tone was an early do-it-yourself TV remote control, The Controla-Tone was a TV volume controller that worked by the user first removing the back of the TV set and connecting the lead wires of Controla-Tone to the speaker leads. The user could then control the volume output through a small knob on the Controla-Tone unit from his/her easy chair.
It only worked for sound. The Controla-Tone did not power on/off, change channels or adjust picture. It could also work for radio.
Not much else is known about The Controla-Tone Co. of Tacoma, WA other than this is believed to be their only product. It was advertised in the June 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics.
Although initial sales were good, TVs with dedicated remotes that could do far more than control volume were lowering in price and becoming increasingly affordable to the average consumer, making the Controla-Tone pretty much doomed.
Lamest product ever, considering - in 1955 dollars - you were paying a very hefty price for... a knob.
ReplyDeleteOnce word got out what this device was - and was not - anyone with the cojones to actually open a TV set would have enough common sense to get a hank of wire & a volume pot to do this at 25% the cost of a Controla Tone.