Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

been active in development work since before World War II. Television control of drone aircraft was successfully demonstrated and used in the South Pacific by the Navy in 1944. More recently, as reported in the press, it has been used successfully in Korea. The employment of television for Naval purposes opens many new possibilities. Improvement in the equipment will, however, be necessary. Needed are further reduction in size and weight of camera and transmitting equipment, and considerable improvement in reliability under very adverse operating conditions with substantial increase in reception distance. These requirements sound somewhat contradictory but I am confident that the industry can solve the problems. Photo recording of television and cathode-ray tube images has been carried out in the Navy for some time. This utilization has progressed to the point where much of the work is done automatically. There is still room for progress, however, in the development of new and more sensitive emulsions and more rapid processing of these emulsions. Results obtained along these lines, to date, have been very gratifying. In the field of group instruction, television has been used experimentally and the Navy Special Devices Center is continuing study of this medium. Test instruction has been quite satisfactory and indicated a good percentage retention of transmitted information. Closed circuit, broadcast, and kinescope methods have been used in this program. The feasibility of using this system for briefing purposes and group instruction within task forces at sea is under development for evaluation. The uses of television in the testing and examination of devices and equipment for naval employment are almost limitless. Small television cameras can be placed within equipment where it is physically impossible for a human observer to be under such conditions as: limitations of space, atmospheric conditions, high G forces, high temperatures, or severe vibration. There are many more. The Navy is vitally interested in new developments in the field of television and motion pictures. Their parallel use holds great promise for the future. We look to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers for future developments that will make past successes seem insignificant by comparison. Engineering Activities 72d Convention Thirteen Engineering Committees held meetings at the 72d Convention in Washington, B.C., October 6-10. This in itself made for lively, efficient meetings. The schedule was tight and required the use of mornings, afternoons and evenings — including the "morning after" the Wednesday night banquet. On several occasions there was hardly time for the chairs to cool as one meeting adjourned and another was called to order. The meetings successfully furthered standards activity and provided opportunities for the exchange of "shop" talk. Standards activity is at a very high level today. In addition to the development of new standards required by growth and changes in the industry, the Society is in the process of actively reviewing (in accordance with ASA rules) all standards currently over three years old. The highlights of this activity as discussed in the various committee meetings will be presented below and also in the December Journal. Film Dimensions Dr. E. K. Carver, Chairman, was unable to be present and his alternate, Dr. A. C. Robertson, chaired the meeting. The status of active projects was reported as follows : PH22.1, Alternate Standards for Positive or Negative 35mm Raw Stock Film — This proposal was published for trial in the September 1951 Journal, approved by the Standards Committee in July 1952, by ASA Sectional Committee PH22 and SMPTE Board of Governors in October 1952 and is presently betore the Photographic Standards Correlating Committee. 440