COW - Computer Originated World

[ppppenguin]

I think the origin of the COW equipment was first used for the animated BBC2 symbol some time before.? If you recall it was a coloured stripe 'effort' that animated from camera left to right. During a re-equipment at BFBS we got the BBC to design a unit with the animated BFBS logo (and clock) to replace the original analogue version*. The chap who designed it (Richard?) came over the our control centre at Stonebridge Park to look at what was required - it was delivered a short time later and was of course very successful - would have been 1983ish I think. I think this was before the BBC came to a commercial production arrangement with some company or other.

*The original version was 'made' on the vision mixer desk (Prowest). It was a simple circular coloured wipe on a black background with a horizontal split wipe applied to it. The orangey colour was simply a colour fill which, if viewed on a vectorscope, was the same vector as the colour burst so easily repeatable. I hope the link below works to illiustrate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS9YCtoqyk4

Probably Richard Russell of Designs Department. I knew him quite well at one time but have lost touch. He did a lot of work with computer based graphics. Also with the BBC Micro.

As has already been referred to I think you are referring to the Ampex HS100.

We have a platter from a HS100. Mounted in a wooden display case, on loan from BBC Archives.