Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

Record Details:

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— 4 — RCA ENTERS TV TAPE RECORDER BATTLE: TV tape recording will be as hot a topic as ever at this year's NAB convention March 15-18 — perhaps even hotter, with 2 companies now actively out to get telecasters to sign on the dotted line for recording equipment. At this 4th convention A.T. (after tape) — in the same Hilton Hotel where Ampex's demonstrations electrified the TV industry in 1956 (Vol. 12:16) — the delegate who doesn't see his own picture recorded in color on a piece of oxide-coated acetate will be the delegate who didn't visit the equipment exhibits. This year RCA is ready — and loaded — to offer real competition in TV tape recorder field. In its huge exhibit, feature attraction will be first production model of its color recorder, full of extras. These "most wanted features" include variable speed control, cueing system, cue track, master erase head, cue signal erase head, extra-capacity tape reel big enough to hold 96 minutes of programming, built-in video & audio monitors, CRO, etc. Price of complete monochrome package is $49,500, color $63,000. Ampex is girding for competition this year with the 2nd largest exhibit space in show (2470 sq. ft. to RCA's 3150 & GE's 2465). It will have 3 Videotape recorders in action, with color camera & stage and, like RCA, the customary girl models (to show reproduction of flesh tones). Ampex will stick to its "basic recorder" approach: Buy your recorder now for $45,000, add accessories later. Color accessory costs $19,500. Ampex will unveil new batch of accessories — cue & erase kit, tape timer, accessory rack, etc. — and can be counted on to remind teleasters that it has already delivered 300 recorders. (For details on TV tape recorders and other equipment to be displayed at NAB convention, see p. 12. For a tape-commercial producer's comments on what tape can and what it can't do, see p. 13.) NSRC GETS 17 STEREO-SYSTEM PROPOSALS: Stereo-broadcast systems seemed to be com ing out of the woodwork March 4 when systems specifications panel of National Stereo Radio Committee held its first meeting in N.Y. Total of 17 systems was proposed for TV, AM or FM — almost as many as there were companies represented. And there will probably be more. RCA put on sneak-preview test of this new single-channel AM stereo system (Vol. 15:9) 2 days before NSRC panel met. Day before meeting, Westinghouse demonstrated its own similar system. RCA engineers were delighted with first on-air test-put on with no fanfare — and it's understood company has finalized on this new system as its AM stereo entry, dropping the system demonstrated last fall in Princeton (Vol. 14:43) and presumably several others in various developmental stages. New RCA technique got first test on WRCA, N.Y., 3:20-4:45 a.m. March 2. It will be tested further for 90 days. Westinghouse & RCA systems both use combination of FM & AM on single AM channel to achieve compatible stereo. Full monophonic broadcast signal is amplitude-modulated, and "stereo information" is frequency-modulated on same channel. Westinghouse held non-broadcast demonstration of its system March 3 and is applying to FCC for on-air tests on Pittsburgh's KDKA. (For details of both systems, see p. 9.) • • • • There were few surprises at first meeting of NSRC's Panel 1, chaired by Hazeltine's Charles J. Hirsch and attended by 25 industry engineers. Little technical information was given about the proposed systems. Some companies merely wrote to panel stating they had systems they wanted considered & tested. Proposed at meeting were 8 FM systems, 4 for AM, 2 for TV, plus Bell Labs' 2-channel time-delay technique (Vol. 15:9) and 2 systems unidentified as to use or band. Latter were proposed in writing by CBS and Standard Coil. Other new and unpublicized systems were proposed by Zenith (similar to Philco's FM system) and by Electroplex Corp. (which would use vacant TV channels in conjunction with FM band). All proposed systems are listed on p. 9. Systems panel got right down to business, gave each member 5 minutes to state his views or espouse his system. The inevitable question — what is stereo? — came up, too, as expected. Subcommittee under Norman Parker of Motorola was named to define terms & compile references. Another, under Dorman Israel of Emerson (Ben Tyson, Sylvania, vice chairman), will classify characteristics of all proposed systems. They'll report to next meeting early in April. Panel meeting was highly satisfactory to most members — even grizzled old-timers of NTSC — who felt a strong get-down-to-business spirit in the air and were optimistic that some speed could be made. Note: British EMI's Percival system — one of those thrown into hat in a letter to panel — is understood to be scheduled for first U.S, demonstration at March 15-18 Chicago NAB convention.