In 1945, TV pioneer Allen B. DuMont modified a 15-inch Plymouth TV cabinet to house two separate 12-inch black‑and‑white CRTs. Each had its own tuner (TV channels 1–13 and FM band), audio output (with earpiece option), and even a built‑in phonograph. The idea behind this prototype was that two viewers could comfortably watch different programs in the same room, tells this IEEE Spectrum article.
Each CRT displayed independently, with dedicated audio that could be sent to a speaker or personal earpieces. A simple switching box allowed users to toggle audio feeds.
DuMont revisited the concept by superimposing two channels onto a single screen using two CRTs placed at right angles. The combined image relied on a half‑silvered mirror.
Viewers wearing polarized glasses (or using a polarized filter) would see only one of the two overlaid programs—and listen via earpiece.
The marketing pitch? Harmony in the home: “While he sees and hears the fights, she sees and hears her play.”
Why Did It Never Take Off?
Only prototypes were made—around 30 demonstration units—and one still exists at the South Carolina State Museum (with another at the Smithsonian). Ultimately, it made far more sense commercially to sell two separate TVs rather than a complex dual-viewer console—it was simpler and cheaper to deploy.
DuMont was a true TV pioneer—he built one of the first electronic TV sets (1938), launched a TV network in the early 1940s, and innovated throughout the early TV era. While his dual-screen ideas never reached mass production, they foreshadowed the modern “separate but together” viewing culture we see today—multiple screens, multiple streams, shared space.
In essence, DuMont’s 1945 dual ‑TV prototype—and his later 1954 Duoscopic—were bold early attempts to give individuals choice without isolating them, anticipating our multi-screen lives decades before streaming and mobile devices.