17-02-2024, 07:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 17-02-2024, 07:25 PM by Mike Watterson.)
I seem to remember someone did use a magnetic disk or drum based system for freeze frame or instant replay on broadcast. Possibly even in the BBC for a while. How else would you do it before sufficient RAM and digital conversion? Though the BBC Research was looking at digital video at least as early as 1970, because I presented a project idea based on that and laser based carriage of the signals. I think long distance fibre was demoed in 1972.
In the 1970s even the clocks were old. An electrically energized pendulum clock in CTA drove all the dumb clocks in the building.
However with Umatic and time codes by 1970s no-one considered splicing video tape to edit. I think about 1975 I saw a pair of 1/4″ stereo audio tape machines on a time code editor as a demo. The issue with audio editing by cut and splice was that you could make a mistake or lose the original, though with audio tape at broadcast quality the degradation on a copy wasn't so bad as with video. Earlier systems used mono on full width of tape and 15 ips for almost all work at Broadcasting House. Later at 15 ips for music and 7½ ips for speech. Even mono 2 track (flippable tapes) at 3¼ ips in mid 1960s (Uher, Nagra, Magnetophon Reporter) was exceptional quality on professional portable machines compared to domestic tape or most 1970s cassette decks, for wow, flutter, S/N and frequency response. I have a 1965 Magnetophon Reporter with original mic and it's pretty amazing. It was the poor reporter/local radio choice instead of a Uher or Nagra for off-site interviews, so has a VU meter and volume control on the mic! Optional rechargeable pack.
The first quality tape machines used by the BBC were "liberated" Magnetophons from Germany in 1945 or 1946 and replaced by EMI models from maybe 1950. I think the 1956 approx EMI "portable" (needs two people and mains) I sent to Jeffery may have been the second or third in that series and used full tape width in only one direction, with oxide on the outside! It's original, so needs re-capped at least to go. I did open it and resisted pinching all the lovely valves!
In the 1970s even the clocks were old. An electrically energized pendulum clock in CTA drove all the dumb clocks in the building.
However with Umatic and time codes by 1970s no-one considered splicing video tape to edit. I think about 1975 I saw a pair of 1/4″ stereo audio tape machines on a time code editor as a demo. The issue with audio editing by cut and splice was that you could make a mistake or lose the original, though with audio tape at broadcast quality the degradation on a copy wasn't so bad as with video. Earlier systems used mono on full width of tape and 15 ips for almost all work at Broadcasting House. Later at 15 ips for music and 7½ ips for speech. Even mono 2 track (flippable tapes) at 3¼ ips in mid 1960s (Uher, Nagra, Magnetophon Reporter) was exceptional quality on professional portable machines compared to domestic tape or most 1970s cassette decks, for wow, flutter, S/N and frequency response. I have a 1965 Magnetophon Reporter with original mic and it's pretty amazing. It was the poor reporter/local radio choice instead of a Uher or Nagra for off-site interviews, so has a VU meter and volume control on the mic! Optional rechargeable pack.
The first quality tape machines used by the BBC were "liberated" Magnetophons from Germany in 1945 or 1946 and replaced by EMI models from maybe 1950. I think the 1956 approx EMI "portable" (needs two people and mains) I sent to Jeffery may have been the second or third in that series and used full tape width in only one direction, with oxide on the outside! It's original, so needs re-capped at least to go. I did open it and resisted pinching all the lovely valves!
