Kinematograph year book (1939)

Equipment and Technique in 1938. 259 will play a highly important part in the development of television. It is unlikely that the public will be satisfied with programmes that are less entertaining than the present-day motion picture presentation, and consequently the B.B.C. are endeavouring to satisfy that demand, firstly, by excerpts from the current news-reels ; and, more recently, by full length feature films, the initial transmission of which, in August, indicated the significant possibilities of television as a form of competitive entertainment. It will thus be seen that the Trade opposition to the use of the film in television has not been wholly successful. It has been advocated that news reel facilities might be withdrawn, but in that case the B.B.C. is expected to develop its own news-reel. As regards feature films, the K.R.S. has flatly refused the B.B.C. permission to use current subjects ana an agreement exists that features shall not be televised until a very lengthy period has elapsed after the last date upon which the film concerned was exhibited. But the success attending the presentation of the film referred to, which was a silent of Continental origin, proves that, notwithstanding the assurance given in March by a prominent B.B.C. official that it was not their intention to broadcast feature films, a situation exists which is fraught with danger to the exhibitor. The other aspect of Television involves its employment as an integral feature of the kinema entertainment, and in this direction the C.E.A. is doing invaluable work by considering at bi-monthly intervals the progress made during the period and its possible effect upon exhibitor business. Chief interest naturally concerns the use of the big screen, and in this connection it is interesting to note the opinion of the C.E.A. Technical Department that " the optimum economic luminosity of cathode tubes has been nearly reached, and that brilliantly lighted, large screen television reproduction is more likely to be achieved by the ' diavisor ' method. This system comprises an exterior light source, such as a kinematype high intensity arc lamp. The base of the cathode tube, which performs a duty equivalent to the film in the gate, intercepts the projector light beams. The cathode tube picture, instead of being of varying luminous intensities, builds up the televised picture by means of rendering the otherwise opaque tube transparent. The projector light beam, after passing through the cathode picture, is focused by means of a lens on to the screen. Several technical difficulties have to be surmounted, the most difficult being the manufacture of a compound which, while very opaque in its normal state, will give a wide range of transparencies when subjected to electron beams of varying strengths." The outstanding feature of the year's development was, of course, the successful reception in London by the Baird and Scophony systems of televised records of the Derby. Here we had for the first time big-screen television under theatre conditions. The Baird method, which employed the principle of a projected cathode-ray tube image, was demonstrated at the Tatler Theatre, Charing Cross Road, and showed an 8-ft. by 6-ft. picture sufficiently clear and bright to be seen by hundreds of people. The occasion was doubly interesting, for it afforded the opportunity of comparing exterior views and a studio transmission. In the latter case the improved standard was noticeable, which indicated that the quality of reproduction was actually superior to that of transmission. The Scophony system, which was used at Deny & Toms, Kensington, utilises purely mechanical screening systems, and projected a 6-ft. picture which appeared as bright as many kinema screens. In summing up the lessons of the demonstrations, R. H. Cricks, the Kine. technical expert, indicates the basic difference between the two systems : Absence of synchronising difficulties, but light restricted to that obtainable from a cathode-ray tube image as in Baird ; or, alternatively, a high intensity arc familiar to every projectionist, but with synchronism dependent upon the perfection of transmission. Nevertheless, the occasion was an historic one, and the major contributing factor to its success was the efficiency of operation of the Gramophone Company's outside broadcast unit with its two Emitron cameras employed by I 2