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

Thu Jan 8 15:54:49 PST 2009

Hello Al,

I have a picture (in a book about Philo Farnsworth) taken at that time  
showing a crowd around a RCA TV set of the type that you describe. I  
can scan it for you if you like.

BC
Le 8 janv. 09, à 01:43, simmonssomer a écrit :

>
> Yup. I saw those sets at the 1939 Worlds Fair. The tube was mounted
> vertcally and the lid was a mirror that opened ,perhaps, 60 or 70  
> degrees so
> that you actually watched a reflection of the tube's image in it.
>
>
> Al S.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 6:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [78-L] end of 525-line television ^
>
>
>>
>>
>> -------- 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?
>>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 78-L mailing list
>> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 78-L mailing list
>> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
>> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> ---------
>
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.4/1880 - Release Date:  
> 1/7/2009
> 8:49 AM
>
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>