Hackaday

A look at the Vend-o-Vision by Mini-TV USA, a coin-operated black-and-white TV unit from 1989 designed for public spaces like laundromats and restaurants. A new-in-box unit was unboxed and tested by YouTuber Mark of SpaceTime Junction. The device used an off-the-shelf Panasonic TV inside a metal enclosure with a timer and coin mechanism offering 10–20 minutes of viewing per quarter. Despite its novel concept, the product failed commercially — the FTC settled with Mini-TV USA in 1995 for deceptive earnings projections, and the company had already ceased operations by then, making surviving units rare.

Vend-o-Vision: Trading Quarters For Watching TV In Public