Viewlex Super Sound

• Marketed circa 1966, Viewlex Inc made the first 8-mm cine projector for the M format, also called Maurer 8 format. This film format was designed by engineer John A. Maurer in the early sixties with the idea of adding a optical soundtrack to he 8-mm film format. For this new format, the sprocket holes were reduced in size, were made more narrow than standard 8 mm.  Thus the soundtrack was put on a strip between the sprocket holes and the edge of the film, and the frame was 16% larger than standard 8 mm.
• Viewlex Super Sound was made for optical and magnetic sound playback, but not for sound recording. It has a input jack of microphone for public address. The lamp is low voltage, 150W, 21.5V. Amplifier: transistorized. Amplifier output: 6W. Reel capacity: 200m. Projection speed: 16 (silent film speed) and 24 fps (sound film speed). Picture/sound distance: 56 frames (magnetic sound), 52 frames (optical sound). Built-in speaker in the projector cover. The projection is capable of showing standard 8 and Maurer 8 films. Located atop the film gate area is a slide lever which changes the film aperture size from convetional 8 mm to the larger optical sound 8 mm frame size.
• US patent 3,404,937, Motion picture projection using optical and magnetic sound tracks, filed May 13 1965, publication date October 8 1968, Ben Peirez and Marvin I. Mindell (Great Neck, New York), assignors to Viewlex Inc, Holbrok, New York. "This invention relates to motion picture projectors and more particularly to such a projectors which are adapted to use both optical and magnetic sound tracks. Recently 8 mm,  film has been developed using optical sound tracks, and therefore there is a need for motion picture projector means which are adapted to receive both the optical sound track and the magnetic sound track. [...] The 8 milimeter sound projector of the present invention represents a novel development in 8 mm sound motion picture projection. The projection is capable os showing 8 mm. silent, 8 mm. magnetic sound, 8 mm. optical sound films. The new 8 milimeter optical sound system features larger picture area and high quality sound. Sound on the film is derived from a sound track similar to the sound track which now appears on conventional 16 milimeter and 35 milimeter sound films. [...] FIGURE 6 shows the configuration of the 8 mm. sound film per SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) -ASA (American Standards Association) standard for 8 mm. optical and magnetic film. In each case the sound track T is carried on a strip between the sprocket holes and the edge of the film."