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

schedules is automatically assured that he will retain his full potential audience on all the receivers in his service area, both black-and-white receivers and new color receivers. The economics of the television broadcasting industry appear to be such that rcKular color broadcast- ing service mi>rht be seriously de- layed if the broadcaster must sacri- fice circulation, and therefore revenue, in order to provide color transmissions. "With a fully compatible system, however, the broadcaster can change at will, either from color to black- and-white or the reverse, without disturbing the viewers of either the e.xisting receivers or color re- ceivers, and without requiring ad- justments to either type of receiver. This means no loss of audience at the start or later, which will no doubt be an important factor for some time, because it is probable that many programs will be trans- mitted in black-and-white even when color becomes an established service." With appropriate production de- sign. Dr. Engstrom declared, RCA believes that new color receivers of reasonable cost, practical to install, and simple to operate can be made available by the radio industry. He pointed out that economies and price reductions have been achieved in black-and-white sets and simi- larly it may be expected that econo- mies and price reductions will be experienced in color receivers as de- mand and (|uantity production de- velop. Adapting Sets to Receive Color Existing black-and-white televi- sion receivers may be converted to receive color pictures by various methods in the RCA color system. Dr. Engstrom said. He described these methods as follows: 1. By using a separate converter unit containing appropriate elec- tronic gear and picture tube view- ing arrangement of a ten-inch dia- meter size. 2. By substituting a new projec- tion unit for the cathode ray tube in the black-and-white set. .3. By adding one tube to the cathode ray tube in the black-and- white set and changing the three- color signal to a two-color signal [RADIO AGE 5] to be viewed on the two-cathode- ray-tube combination. Scope for Future Improvement "In a medium of such tremendous social and economic impact as color television," continued Dr. Eng- strom, "RCA believes that it is vitally important that the system adopted be based upon such prin- ciples that its future improvement is unhampered. The RCA color tele- vision system provides this scope and flexibility. "It is the belief of RCA that this new system provides for the first time a sound basis for bringing color television service to the pub- lic, as well as full scope for the con- tinuing development of color as the art progresses, without involving obsolescence of present-day black- and-white receivers. RCA color is a complete departure from me- chanical color and the rotating color di.scs and moving parts which have characterized all the mechanical color systems invented since 192-5." Equipment Used in Demonstrations Dr. Engstrom said that the RCA color television equipment used in the demonstrations before the FCC and others was developed at RCA Laboratories, Princeton, New .ler- sey. It consisted of two cameras for live subjects in the studio, one camera for color motion picture film, and one camera for color slides. There were two color moni- tors and a control-room console. Color pick-ups also were viewed in the studio on a specially-l)uilt re- ceiving unit, designed with Ki-inch tubes. This studio equipment not only provides ample flexibility for cur- rent operations, but has the neces- sary elements for conducting the continuing color broadcasts |)lanncd by RCA. The WNBW transmitter used in the demonstrations operated on Channel 1 of the assigned standard black-and-white television band. Color receivers and black-and- white receivers for the demonstra- tions were installed at the Wash- ington Hotel, two miles from the transmitter. Since the RCA color system is comiiatible, RCA engi- neers pointed out that the ti-ans- missions in color did not interfere in any way with the regular black- and-white service of WNBW. In fact, any owner of a standard tele- vision receiver in Washington and surrounding areas was able to view THE 16-MM. COLOR MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR WHICH IS ONE OF THE UNITS OF THE RCA COLOR TELEVISION SYSTEM AND, AT LEFT, THE ELECTRON SAMPLER WHICH TAKES :?,800,000 SAMPLES OF EACH COLOR A SECOND.