[78-L] end of 525-line television ^

[Michael Biel]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [78-L] end of 525-line television ^
From: Bertrand CHAUMELLE <chaumelle at orange.fr>
Date: Wed, January 07, 2009 3:28 pm
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>

> I'm no expert, but I would say that:
-there was no standard in 1939. NTSC *recommended* 525-line to FCC in 
March 1941. FCC announced that standard in May 1941 (black and white, 
with FM sound).


I'm far away from my reference books, but yes, the 1939 Worlds Fair
broadcasts were in the 440 line system under the FCC's "experimental"
mode.  The commercial standard of 525 lines came in on the same day
commercial TV broadcasting was authorized, the call letters changed, and
that first B-U-L-0-V-A commercial was aired, July 1, 1941.


> But then there was the was the FCC freeze from Feb. 1942 to Oct. 
'44.regarding transmitters and TV-sets.

Stations could stay on the air -- and schedules became comparatively
short --  but it became tougher to keep transmitters and receivers
operating as the war continued.


> In May 1944, James L. Fly (FCC) agreed with CBS: "If we begin to make 
525-line equipment now, we'll never upgrade to a higher definition".
Almost all of the sets in use then were 440-line. 


Not true.  They were very easily convertible to 525, and RCA had their
repair crews go to all the homes and convert the sets in time for the
July 1941 changeover.  In 1939 thru 41 RCA knew where every one of their
sets were, and each week every owner got a business reply card with the
program schedule asking them to check off what they watched and how they
liked it.  It was joked that their ratings used a 100% sample.


> CBS was working hard 
on a color system, they said they were ready but wanted to use UHF 
instead of VHF and a 735-line definition.
The first post-war TV-sets were sold to the public beginning Nov. 3, 
1946.

-As for mechanical television, the CBS color system which went 
commercial from June 25, 1951 to Oct. 20, 1951, WAS mechanical, at 
least on the receiving side.

BC

Also at the camera end.  Some of the early experimental programs got
good reviews.  The Early TV Museum outside of Columbus Ohio has several
mechanical color sets working and they look pretty good.  THere are
electronic converters to turn the NTSC signal into the CBS color system.
 They also have several 1953 and 54 RCA and RCA-Type sets operating that
can feed off of the same source.  Usually they show color bars, the
original CBS color test pattern, and The Wizard of Oz.  They also have
mechanical TVs from the 1920s and 30s in operation.  They have an annual
convention each spring.  

As for Vince's question, I have no news of any plans for special
progrms.  I recorded Channel 5 New York's special program surrounding
the test in November when they dropped NTSC for two minutes on all the
stations.  NTSC is not ending entirely like when France dropped 819 and
the UK dropped 405.  The rest of the hemishpere is still using NTSC and
perhaps only Canada is in a financial condition to even consider a
changeover.  I think there are going to be BIG problems when the change
comes.  I'm testing my Digital TV down in Birmingham and find it hard to
maintain a digital signal, and when I was in Brooklyn it was hard to get
all the stations at all.  In Kentucky I'm om range of only one station,
our local PBS.  What fringe I can get will be GONE!!!!!

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com

>
>
> Fitzpatrick Vincent wrote:
>>
>>
>> This question is especially for Dr. Biel, Elizabeth, and other 
>> broadcasting
>> experts:
>>
>> Is any special programming planned by the old networks marking the 
>> end of 70
>> years of 525-line broadcasting. I know, or think I know, that this 
>> was the
>> standard by the time of the New York World's Fair. Was there any 
>> other
>> standard for electronic scanning in "wide" use between the definitive 
>> death
>> of mechanical scanning and 1939?
>>


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