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

RCA Demonstrates Latest Developments in Black-and-White Television GENERAL SARNOrF OUTLINES POLICIES AND PLANS AT MEETING OF PRESS AT PRINCE7CN. N. J. THE latest developments in tel- evision, including vastly im- proved black-and-white pictures and color pictures in three dimensions, were demonstrated to the press on December 13 at RCA Laboratories, Princeton, N. J. The black-and- white pictures were transmitted by radio from WNBT, the National Broadcasting Company station atop the Empire State Building in New York, a distance of 47 miles. The color pictures were transmitted by radio from RCA Laboratories to the Princeton Inn, two and a half miles away. The black - and - white pictures, produced by the RCA all-electronic system, featured greater detail, brilliancy and contrast than ever before achieved in television — all of which have been made possible by receivers containing new and greatly improved Kinescopes, or pic- ture tubes. These television pic- tures were bright enough to be seen in a fully lighted room. Indoor studio scenes of live tal- ent in action were picked up di- rectly by the RCA color television camera, and transmitted through the air. The action was reproduced with all the hues and tints that would be viewed by the human eye. The television camera and receiver employed mechanically driven color filters. Stereoscopic pictures in color, with depth of background, clearly portrayed young women wearing bright-hued dresses and scarves. The perspective of the pictures was emphasized when the models held out flowers as if offering them to the audience. Cigarette smoke drifted toward the audience as if to waft out of the picture. A cane, pointed toward the audience, pro- ENTERTAINERS FACE THE CAMERA DUR- ING THE RECENT TELEVISION DEMON- STRATION AT THE RCA LABORATORIES, PRINCETON, N. J. truded with amazing realism. Spe- cial polarized filters in the camera and receiver, and polaroid glasses worn by the spectators produced the three-dimensional effect. Although the pictures reproduced by the mechanical color system show promise, RCA engineers pointed out that color television is still distinct- ly in the laboratory stage of devel- opment, with obvious shortcomings. Much technical development, they said, needs to be completed before a practical color television system will be ready for home service to the public. They estimated that this will require about five years. On the other hand, the demon- stration of the RCA black-and- white all-electronic television sys- tem clearly showed its readiness for the home. It presents sharp pic- tures on a screen as large as a news- paper page, with brilliancy, defini- tion and contrast equal to motion pictures. A Post-war Progress Report Brig. General David Sarnoff, President of Radio Corporation of America, describing the demonstra- tion as "the first of a series of progress reports on the advance of television," said that the accom- plishments as revealed by the dem- onstration wei'e the result of years of research and the expenditure of millions of dollars in pioneering and development. "Our research men and engineers have built a practical all-electronic television system for the transmis- sion and reception of excellent pic- tures in black-and-white," said Gen- eral Sarnoff. "There is every rea- son why television should go ahead as a service to the public. Fre- quency allocations, rules and regu- lations for commercial television service have been approved by the Federal Communications Commis- sion. Any further technical ad- vances—and they will be continuous —will bring new benefits in tele- vision to the public. If we wait for all the new developments of the future, the American people will always be waiting for the enjoy- ment of television and will be de- nied its thrills in the present." Stating the television policies of Radio Corporation of America and its subsidiaries. General Sarnoff said: 1. The RCA organization will continue research and devel- [RADIO AGE 3]