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| Milestones
- 1950s
| 1950 |
Television: Comparison demonstrations
of 405-line and 625-line pictures to CCIR Study Group
11. |
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| 1951 |
Demonstrations of experimental colour
television, and high quality sound from magnetic
tape being two of the main exhibits at an open day.
Department builds and demonstrates
the first television standards converter, using a
special camera tube and a long-persistence CRT picture
monitor. |
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| 1952 |
Stockholm Conference to discuss VHF
TV and Radio Frequency allocations in Europe. A twin-channel
version of the first standards converter used to convert
French 819-line pictures to the 405-line UK standard,
enabling British viewers to see pictures simultaneously
with the French over temporary Paris to London link. |
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| 1953 |
Suppressed-frame telerecording equipment
designed, and used to record pictures of the Queen's
Coronation.
PGS/1 ribbon-microphone designed and
used for recording the Coronation Service. This microphone
was selected for commercial production and subsequently
marketed by STC as the 4038. |
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| 1954 |
The Postmaster General gives approval
for the use of frequency modulation (FM) for VHF
broadcasting.
16 mm colour film and slide scanner
designed and built.
405-line NTSC colour demonstrations
given to the Technical Sub-Committee of the Television
Advisory Committee, the Board of Governors, and many
other people from the Post Office, the radio industry
and from abroad. |
2 |
| 1955 |
Wrotham transmitter opened. First regular
VHF/FM service of the Home, Light and Third programmes. |
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| 1956 |
Demonstration of 405-line NTSC colour
television to CCIR Study Group 11 and many other important
bodies. |
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| 1957 |
First experimental 625-line television
transmissions at UHF in Band V from Crystal Palace. |
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| 1958 |
VERA (Vision Electronic Recording
Apparatus). Demonstration of Research Department's
video tape recorder on "Panorama" on 14th
April. The first video tape machine ever used by
the BBC. Unfortunately, its life was very short,
being overtaken by the creation of the Ampex VR1000A
from the USA.
General investigations begin into the
use of transistors.
First investigations into stereophonic
broadcasts (Crosby system). Experimental broadcasts
begin using television sound transmitters for the
right hand channel and the Third Programme transmitters
for the left hand channel. |
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| 1959 |
First transatlantic television transmission
by telephone cable using slow-speed transmission
equipment constructed by Designs Department at Research
Department and known as Cablefilm. The occasion was
the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway jointly by
the Queen and President Eisenhower.
Experimental standards converter built
and used operationally at Kingswood Warren to convert
French 819-line pictures to the American 525-line
standard to carry news of the Western Summit Conference
in Paris.
Stereophonic tests using the EMI-Percival
system.
Investigations into television picture
storage begin. |
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