A Vidicon tube is a sort of 'reverse CRT'. Instead of sweeping a beam of electrons across a phosphor coating to display a picture, Vidicon tubes sweep an electron beam across a photosensitive target to generate an image from the light striking the target. The 7038 is a fairly standard Vidicon tube, with a length of 5.6 inches and a diameter of 1.1 inches. Vidicon tubes were a staple in the construction of security cameras up until the 1990s, many of which are still in service to this day. Whenever grainy, crummy security camera footage is preposterously enhanced in a TV crime drama, a Vidicon tube likely was to blame.
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