Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

FILM CONTINUED FOUND: QUALITY NEWSFILM SOUND THROUGH OXIDE STRIPING METHOD A thin stripe of iron oxide along one edge of regular If) mm movie film is slowly revolutionizing the television newsfilm business. It is a kind of "magnetic tape" sound track applied to the film, resulting in "live" quality sound in contrast to the "rain barrel" effect found in some newsreel clips using the traditional hut lesser-quality photographic sound track. There hasn'l been much talk about this significant development because of the slow pace of introduction among tv station and other users who must adapt existing equipment and procedures and because of the highly technical nature of the innovation. There is also an element of slight extra cost, ranging from 1 1 2 to 2V2 cents per foot for the striping. But CBS Newsfilm, under the direction of Manager Howard L. Kany, has come up with a key unit of equipment which may well be the turning point for wider acceptance of the magnetic stripe and the distinctly higher quality sound film it makes possible. This equipment is a continuous contact film printer, designed and produced under the supervision of R. C. Rheineck, CBS Newsfilm chief engineer. This equipment, now at Du Art Labs., CBS Newsfilm processing plant in New York (see picture), permits the production of syndication prints involving magnetic stripe in a single operation and in the same fast time as ordinary photographic sound prints. The printer is the only one of its kind but it soon will be duplicated in other CBS Newsfilm distribution centers at Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, and later Seattle and St. Louis. The printer licks the one major bottleneck in newsfilm, especially syndication: the element of time. The magnetic stripe offers several factors which enhance the quality of the sound track over the optical system. These include improved frequency response, greater signal-to-noise ratio and lower harmonic distortion. Magnetic stripe in addition provides the operational advantage of permitting the camera crew to monitor the pickup during filming and to adjust sound controls immediately. There is also some reduction in size and weight of gear the camera crew must carry on any assignment. CBS News began practical use of magnetic stripe in November 1956 in footage for Douglas Edwards With the News. CBSTV Network use has expanded since then. CBS Newsfilm, which syndicates a minimum of 60 stories weekly to 109 stations in the U. S. and 16 foreign countries, shipped its first optical prints made from magnetic stripe originals earlier this year, the first story being Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Benson's April 24 news conference. About 40% of all footage now is being shot with magnetic stripe and is expected to hit 100% by the end of the year, Mr. Kany predicted. Conversion of existing camera gear and acquisition of new gear with magnetic heads included is underway. NBC-TV, which does not have the print problem since it is not involved in syndication, also has been converting to magnetic si ripe sound tracks over the past year and about H0'/( of all news footage is in the newer medium. NBC-TV has installed new projectors in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles to handle the film and is converting and acquiring new film camera equipment. NBC syndicated its news films for six years, dropping out of this phase in 1953. ABC-TV does not have its own news film crews like CBS and NBC. instead retaining INS-Telenews as basic supplier. Produced by Hearst Metrotone, Telenews uses the photographic sound system but has netic "when the users want it." Since all stations can project optical sound and very few can handle magnetic, UP feels any big demand for magnetic is still a long way in the future. Even foreign-language users of UP Movietone are not asking for magnetic stripe, content to voice-in live over film the local dialect, rather than use dubbing. The principal projector makers, RCA, Eastman Kodak and Bell & Howell, are reported making magnetic adaptors available to tv stations for their existing equipment and CBS engineers say the conversion job is fairly simple and can be handled by station personnel. Why does "rain barrel" sound occur in some news films using photographic sound and not in theatrical movies or feature news films using the same process? The difference is that spot news films, because of the precious time element, are shot by "single system" whereas the higher quality theatrical and feature films are done by the much slower "double system." In the single sys HOWARD L. KANY (left), manager of newsfilm, CBS News, nearns from inventor R. C. Rheineck, chief engineer, CBS News, how this custom-built prototype of a magnetic stripe film printer operates at Du Art Film Labs., New York. Mr. Rheineck's right hand is pointing to assembly which makes magnetic print directly from magnetic original (both film picture and magnetic sound stripe). Assembly below this makes regular optical sound-and-picture print from magnetic original. been considering magnetic stripe and will supply it when there is sufficient demand, according to Manager Robert H. Reed. A limited amount of footage for foreign consumption is supplied in magnetic stripe to permit language voice dubbing. Telenews' New York processor, Deluxe Labs., which handles magnetic stripe in the theatrical field, explained it must still use a double process to produce magnetic stripe prints. Telenews entered tv news syndication in 1948 and now serves over 100 stations in the U. S. and some 20 foreign markets. UP Movietone, which has been syndicating to tv since 1951 and supplies 94 stations domestically and abroad, sees the photographic system long entrenched as far as syndication is concerned but will go mag Page 48 June 2, 1958 tern, both the picture and accompanying sound track are captured on one piece of film simultaneously. Only one film needs to be processed and only a single step is required to make a print. However, the quality of the sound track may suffer since development of the negative and the making of the print is keyed to production of the best quality of picture. In spot news situations, both the lighting conditions and sound pickup conditions are highly variable and require different processing treatment to achieve the optimum. With both portions on the same piece of film, meeting the demands of both variables is difficult. Under the double system two films are used, one for picture, one for sound, and the variables can be closely con Broadcasting