Television programme origination: the engineering technique

This survey paper has been written with the object of presenting information about the development in Great Britain of the engineering technique associated with the origination of the B.B.C. television programmes. In any developing art a decision made at a certain time depends upon previous experience. In order to present an understandable account of television engineering methods as at present practised, it is desirable to trace their origins back to the beginning.The paper starts by considering very briefly the development of the pre-war B.B.C. television service and refers, for further information, to other papers published during that period. The paper then records the results of post-war planning for expansion and discusses the origin of the White City scheme, the Lime Grove studio building and lastly the marked development in television outside broadcasts which has been such a feature of the period from 1946 to 1951.Up to this point the paper is concerned with the broader basis of planning and not with technical detail. Section 4 discusses the several types of camera equipment which have been used in this country for studio or outside-broadcast purposes. The technique of television engineering operations is closely concerned with the properties of camera tubes and their associated circuits, so that this subject has been treated in some detail. Brief mention is also made of the associated sound equipment.Certain points of interest in the design of control and apparatus rooms are treated next. This is followed by a discussion of the purposes and technique of presentation as opposed to production, presentation being an aspect of television activity which has assumed considerable importance in recent years. It is acknowledged that the televising of film has been brought to a high standard of perfection in this country. Some account is given of the development of telecine and telefilm recording. In addition to such matters as camera channels, telecine apparatus, studios and control rooms, a television system requires a number of other mechanical and electrical aids to production. Some of these are of special interest and are surveyed in Section 10.Section 11 discusses the standards of circuit performance which it has been found both desirable and practicable to ask the manufacturer to meet in designing his apparatus.The paper is written largely from the standpoint of the user, but not, it is hoped, without some sympathy for the problems of the designer. However, several supporting papers have been contributed by designers, so that the complete series should present a comprehensive picture.