Various companies such as Covideo and Televista, alongside well-known brands like General Electric, emerged after World War II and created televisions that could be used with a pay-as-you-go system.
These devices were primarily marketed for commercial use, including spaces such as hotels, hospital waiting rooms, laundromats, and airports, where individuals had some spare time to pass.
To remedy this problem, companies attempted to solve the issue by installing a coin-operated box, which ultimately made it nearly impossible to watch regular TV broadcasts.
The coin-operated converter, equipped with a router, provided viewers with the option to select between broadcast channels and the closed circuit network transmitted through a wired coaxial connection.
This groundbreaking concept paved the way for the future of pay-per-view TV, providing viewers with a more diverse range of choices and convenient payment options.
Paramount's decision to invest in Telemeter not only provided financial support to the corporation, but also helped to establish the latter's reputation as a savvy investor, capable of recognizing opportunities with the potential for long-term growth and profitability.
Overall, this strategic move by Paramount signaled its commitment to staying ahead of the curve and investing in innovative technologies that would pave the way for its success in the years to come.
This approach had the advantage of not interfering with traditional closed-spectrum television signals, as Telemeter used a closed circuit system that operated with a film chain.
In February 1952, Telemeter underwent various trials, one of which involved a press demonstration comprising six sets at the KTLA television station situated in Los Angeles.
The test commenced at precisely 1:30 PM and caused an uproar amongst the residents who called the station in great numbers, expressing concern about the scrambled images they were witnessing on KTLA.
In 1953, Paramount and Telemeter set up their inaugural closed-circuit network in Palm Springs, California, with the intention of prioritizing coverage of current events, sports, and a small selection of both sitcoms and serialized television shows.
The first feature film broadcast on pay television was the world premiere of Forever Female, starring Ginger Rogers and William Holden.
Normal community antenna television services, which gave subscribers the major Los Angeles stations, cost about $5.40 (equivalent to $61 in 2023) a month.
During the period spanning from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, International Telemeter persisted in attempting to create novel variations of CATV and pay-TV equipment; however, these efforts proved largely futile and unproductive.
In 1991 The Simpsons episode "Like Father, Like Clown," a depressed Krusty secludes himself in a bus station and watches a coin-operated television; when the video cuts out, he inserts another quarter.