Quantel Paintbox
Paintbox V logo from 1990, and Paintbox 7001 | |
| Also known as | Quantel Digital Paint Box |
|---|---|
| Developer | Quantel |
| Type | 2D graphics workstation |
| Released | 1981 |
| Introductory price | $250,000 (1981) |
| Discontinued | 1993 |
| CPU | Motorola 68000 |
| Predecessor | IBC Paintbox prototype |
| Successor | Quantel Editbox |
| Related | Quantel Mirage |
The Quantel Paintbox is a dedicated computer graphics workstation for composition of broadcast television video and graphics. It was produced by the British production equipment manufacturer Quantel (which, via a series of mergers, became part of Grass Valley), its design emphasized the studio workflow efficiency required for live news production.
At a unit price of US$250,000 (equivalent to about $900,000 in 2025), they were used primarily by large TV networks such as NBC. In the UK, Peter Claridge's company CAL Videographics became the first commercial company to purchase one.
Following its initial launch in 1981, the Paintbox greatly influenced the production of television graphics.