I've seen lots of circuit bent musical instruments, but this is the first piece of video gear I've seen get bent. Waterhed modifies old Fisher Price PXL-2000 cameras in order to give them RCA outputs and some built in "effects".
With this modified camera you have your choice of recording onto the onboard cassette as normal or sending the signal into an external recording source for pro playback via the rca output jacks ive added. Also, inludes a signal amp that will allow you to shoot to any DIGITAL CAMCORDER OR VHS DECK without the frustrating blue screen or very dark image that that usually accompany todays modern camcorders. You simply connect this box between your PXL2000 and DV cam, it runs on a 9v battery and comes with on/off switch and LED indicator... In case you aren't hip to the whole PXL2000 trip, it is a "KIDS TOY CAMERA" made in the 80's that shoots a pixelated black and white image to a audio cassette or to external vhs decks. WATERHED tweaks, restores, and improves them to BEYOND their STOCK BEST.... but if you get the CIRCUIT BENT VERSION it opens up even more realms of morphing fun.
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5 comments:
I want a PXL really badly, but they're beyond rare here in the UK. And the US versions are of course NTSC. I'm not even sure if they ever came out here, but I think they did, possibly under a different brand name.
My friend Byron had one when we were growing up and we used it constantly. I love that it recorded to cassette tapes.
I'm surprised that no one has made a reduced price kids digital video camera... with cellphone tech being what it is now, you could make one easily, and it could be tiny. Give it a ruggedized plastic body and a big red trigger-style record button.
wiley - there are a few, actually. my cousin got one for christmas and I was really impressed by it. it even has a flip-out LCD screen! I might buy one just because the video is so awesomeley lo-fi.
Here's a site that will show you a bunch of Modifications for the PXL 2000
http://www.cline-company.com/pxl2000/
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