Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

tensive study ami planning for the filming of special programs for dis- tribution to television stations. Networks and films alone, how- ever, will probably not be sufficient. Live talent shows of local origin will be desirable if the station is to render proper service to its public. This could impose an economic bur- den inasmuch as many of the sta- tions will be relatively inexperi- enced in the technique of television programming and consetiuently will require considerable rehearsal be- fore obtaining a studio show good enough to put on the air. There are several ways that this job can be lightened. One way is the extensive use of remote pick- ups, which are comparatively inex- pensive and need little or no re- hearsal, until such time as the station is in a position to stage the more elaborate inside studio shows. Another way to provide good programs without undue cost is by film, the electrical transcription of television. On this basis, many of the stations may start out using field pick-up and film equipment for the majority of their programs. Studio cameras and associated ap- paratus could then be used for de- veloping studio progi'am tech- niques, and building special shows, until such time as sufficient experi- ence has been obtained to permit extending the scope of program- ming operations. Film equipment for television use was developed by our engineers many years ago. A special pro- jector is necessary in order to pro- vide the "transformation" from the twenty-four pictures per second which is standard speed for 35 mil- limeter movie film and the thirty pictures per second standard speed employed in modern television sys- tems. The only other important reciuirement of television film ap- paratus is that it reproduce faith- fully. This is accomplished by care- ful design of wide band amplifiers, deflection circuits, and other system components. Wide Range of Uses Field pick-up equipment, how- ever, must comply with a wide range of specifications. This be- comes obvious from an inspection of its uses—outdoor and indoor sporting events, spot news pick-ups, on-the-street interviews, important public events, circuses, concerts, as well as telecasts from within the main studio. This imposes the need for design- ing the field equipment to be small, light in weight, yet rugged and durable to withstand rough han- dling; it must be easy to operate and maintain, capable of being put into operation in the shortest pos- sible time, and must operate satis- factorily under a wide variety of climatic conditions. High definition and good stability during operation are essential. Above all, it must have maximum sensitivity to per- mit use under conditions of low light. The need for such eciuipment was recognized early, and in ]i)37 the first step was taken to develop and design, for commercial use, a com- pact transportable television sys- tem. The result was the much- famed Type 510A Demonstration Unit which was extensively used at fairs, exhibitions, and demonstra- tions throughout the country, and also was employed to some extent in a few television stations. The unit consisted of a control cabinet which was about the size of a 12-inch television receiver and included all of the video control circuits and a monitor. Also pro- vided was an iconoscope-type cam- era. This demonstration apparatus was not entirely self-sufficient from the standpoint of producing stand- ard television signals and was also fairly large and heavy. It was rec- ognized that in order to provide an e(|uipment that would be suitable for field use, it would be necessary to break the system down into smaller units which could easily be cai'ried. In 1939, we first started the de- veloi)ment and design of such equip- ment. The cameras were much smaller than any that had ever been previously constructed and used a small version of the iconoscope pick-up tube. The other units com- jirising the equipment consisted of a master pulse generator, a pulse shaping unit, camera control, mas- ter control, and power supplies. Each of the units, with the excep- tion of the cameras, was construct- ed in suitcase style and was light enough to be easily carried by one man. Equipment of this type was constructed for the National Broad- RCA PORTABLE TELEVISION EQUIPMENT (LEFT) IS SO LIGHT THAT A ONE-CAMERA UNIT CAN BE EASILY CARRIED IN AN ORDINARY PASSENGER AUTOMOBILE. BELOW— THE FIRST TELEVISION EQUIP.MENT DESIGNED FOR OUTDOOR REMOTE PICK-UPS WAS INSTALLED IN TWO LARGE MOTOR VANS. ^ III [RADIO AGE 21