7/19/2016
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`April 20, 1964: Picturephone Dials Up First Transcontinental Video Call | WIRED
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`ESUBSCRIBE
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`DANIELA HERNANDEZ
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`04.20.12 6:30 AM
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`http://www.wired.com/2012/04/april-20-1964-picturephone-dials-up-first-transcontinental-video-call/
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`Exhibit 1046, Page 1
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`7/19/2016
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`April 20, 1964: Picturephone Dials Up First Transcontinental Video Call | WIRED
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`1964: Bell’s Picturephone service dials up the world’s first videophone call, and
`the New York World Fair’s science consultant William L. Laurence gets some
`face time with Anaheim Bulletin managing editor Donald Shaffer at Disneyland.
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`The video chat was part of a large public demonstration at the World’s Fair that
`included seven calling stations. New Yorkers could speak with Disneyland
`visitors at a similar set-up in the California theme park. “Long lines formed at
`either end as consumers clamored to see the telephone of the future,” wrote
`Steve Schnaars and Cliff Wymbs in a paper about the history of videophones.
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`But the clamoring stopped soon thereafter, even though most users had good
`things to say about the Picturephone, which had a video camera, screen, a push-
`button phone, speakers and a power supply. The Picturephone even let users
`control whether the video feed was transmitted to the person they were
`calling. The sound and quality were good, and people generally liked seeing the
`person they were speaking to.
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`But even company employees were not totally convinced. “We can’t hope to
`provide Picturephone service for the ordinary residence and business office in
`the near future but we are hopeful of offering the service in the next few
`months on a market trial basis,” an Bell engineer told the Star News in 1964.
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`Commercial service started on June 25, 1964 at calling booths in New York City,
`Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Interest was lukewarm, at best. For starters,
`customers needed to schedule their allotted 15 minutes of screen time in
`advance, which made video chatting nearly as tedious a doctor’s appointment.
`Only three cities had access to the futuristic telephone, so its reach was pretty
`limited. Plus, it was also incredibly expensive. A 3-minute video call from New
`York to Washington, D.C. cost $16, or the equivalent of about $120 today.
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`SING
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`Exhibit 1046, Page 2
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`7/19/2016
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`April 20, 1964: Picturephone Dials Up First Transcontinental Video Call | WIRED
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`The following year, AT&T slashed prices almost 50 percent to encourage
`customers to make videophone calls. When that strategy failed, the company
`relocated the video booths to Bell-owned buildings. That didn’t help either.
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`Finally in 1968, the company pulled up the white flag and admitted customers
`weren’t interested.
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`Sources: Various.
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`See also:
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`Videophone Gets a Booster Shot
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`Asus Announces World’s First Skype Video Phone
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`Put Some Clothes On: Video Calling Just Got Easier
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`#20TH CENTURY #COMMUNICATION #GADGETS
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`http://www.wired.com/2012/04/april-20-1964-picturephone-dials-up-first-transcontinental-video-call/
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`Exhibit 1046, Page 3