Imagine you're lying in bed and you want to watch tv. But you don't have room for that, all you have room for is an alarm clock. Surely there must be some solution to this dilemma? Well, in 1984 Panasonic unveiled their answer in the form of the TRF-438P. It is a digital clock, an AM/FM radio, and a VHF/UHF TV set with one of the tiniest CRT tubes I've ever seen. Behold:
In terms of dimensions, it's akin to some bigger flip clocks, but in a distinctly angular "80's" case. The clock and tiny CRT are mounted sideways in the case behind the radio, and are fired onto a mirror that reflects the screen back out at the viewer. For a cramped engineering solution, the screen is actually very easy to see from various angles. The TV, clock, and radio can all be turned on and off independently of each other, with the clock visible and overlaid onto the screen in "normal" operation. The alarm allows you to wake to the buzzer, radio, or TV.
As old clocks go, this is a strange one. TV/clock combos aren't unheard of, but an alarm clock with a TV built in and overlapping the clock is unique to this device as far as I know.
An addendum, the Radio Museum article on it is HERE.
In terms of dimensions, it's akin to some bigger flip clocks, but in a distinctly angular "80's" case. The clock and tiny CRT are mounted sideways in the case behind the radio, and are fired onto a mirror that reflects the screen back out at the viewer. For a cramped engineering solution, the screen is actually very easy to see from various angles. The TV, clock, and radio can all be turned on and off independently of each other, with the clock visible and overlaid onto the screen in "normal" operation. The alarm allows you to wake to the buzzer, radio, or TV.
As old clocks go, this is a strange one. TV/clock combos aren't unheard of, but an alarm clock with a TV built in and overlapping the clock is unique to this device as far as I know.
An addendum, the Radio Museum article on it is HERE.
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