23-03-2020, 03:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 23-03-2020, 03:51 PM by Mike Watterson.)
The 1945 restart of TV in the UK was totally political and the only practical thing was to simply continue with pre-war 405 lines.
European / Russian 625 line transmissions started in 1948. As to when it was actually proposed by the Russians and others?
The 1946 405 lines was a typical egotistical political decision. Hardly anyone compared to radio had sets. Initially one transmitter in London and then a second in Birmingham. It was only a rich elite that could receive. People argue over how many sets from 1939 were actually operational or repairable. I think that misses the point.
There were huge shortages of materials and radio makers couldn't even get enough wood to meet their allocated permitted production. Hence sets in steel and perspex cabinets as well as Bakelite. Bakelite needed expensive to produce moulds/presses. So restarting UK TV before 1949 was crazy. Two volt battery valve sets still being released in 1949. A fifth of of the UK in 1948 didn't even have mains electricity!
Then from the late 1960s to 1985 the UK had the cost of dual transmission. Even Ireland politically made the decision to start TV with 405 in some regions, and 625 in others when they started on the 31st Dec 1961. Due to imported 405 sets for BBC (and later ITV) in Dublin and border areas.
The 1946 restart of TV in the UK was far too soon. It was 405 lines simply so that existing TV sets in existence in 1939 would work. The French also suffered with the NIH syndrome by going for 819 lines (I think about 441 before it closed due to WWII?). The Belgian 819 was totally crazy.
The USA didn't close their TV during the War, but ceased production of sets sometime after 1941. The post WWII 525 lines was a compromise to achieve at least 16mm news film quality, before that they had similar to pre-war French and German numbers of lines, 44x something. They also changed FM radio (pre war Band I) to Band II, 87.5 to 108 MHz in 1945. Germany started Band II, but maybe originally only up to 102 MHz in 1949 due to US, French, UK and Russians taking over German AM frequencies. So unlike UK which stupidly only simulcast from 1955 to nearly 1971 on VHF-FM and also only had BBC, despite starting ITV in 1955, the German VHF-FM was popular and the first portables were from 1952 or 1953 (EC something, DC90 then DF97 for VHF osc/mixer).
European / Russian 625 line transmissions started in 1948. As to when it was actually proposed by the Russians and others?
The 1946 405 lines was a typical egotistical political decision. Hardly anyone compared to radio had sets. Initially one transmitter in London and then a second in Birmingham. It was only a rich elite that could receive. People argue over how many sets from 1939 were actually operational or repairable. I think that misses the point.
There were huge shortages of materials and radio makers couldn't even get enough wood to meet their allocated permitted production. Hence sets in steel and perspex cabinets as well as Bakelite. Bakelite needed expensive to produce moulds/presses. So restarting UK TV before 1949 was crazy. Two volt battery valve sets still being released in 1949. A fifth of of the UK in 1948 didn't even have mains electricity!
Then from the late 1960s to 1985 the UK had the cost of dual transmission. Even Ireland politically made the decision to start TV with 405 in some regions, and 625 in others when they started on the 31st Dec 1961. Due to imported 405 sets for BBC (and later ITV) in Dublin and border areas.
The 1946 restart of TV in the UK was far too soon. It was 405 lines simply so that existing TV sets in existence in 1939 would work. The French also suffered with the NIH syndrome by going for 819 lines (I think about 441 before it closed due to WWII?). The Belgian 819 was totally crazy.
The USA didn't close their TV during the War, but ceased production of sets sometime after 1941. The post WWII 525 lines was a compromise to achieve at least 16mm news film quality, before that they had similar to pre-war French and German numbers of lines, 44x something. They also changed FM radio (pre war Band I) to Band II, 87.5 to 108 MHz in 1945. Germany started Band II, but maybe originally only up to 102 MHz in 1949 due to US, French, UK and Russians taking over German AM frequencies. So unlike UK which stupidly only simulcast from 1955 to nearly 1971 on VHF-FM and also only had BBC, despite starting ITV in 1955, the German VHF-FM was popular and the first portables were from 1952 or 1953 (EC something, DC90 then DF97 for VHF osc/mixer).
