WHAT BAIRD THINKS OF TELEVISION

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 11, 30 September 1927, Page 13

WHAT BAIRD THINKS OF TELEVISION

REMARKABLE STRIDES TOWARDS SUCCESS It is announced that Jno. L. Baird is preparing for a television test between London and New York. If successful, we may have placed on the market television sets at £30 apiece! This is how Mr. Baird’s success was recently outlined in the "Glasgow Herald."

"For many months Mr. Baird and his partner, Captain O. G. Hutchinson, have been quietly at work perfecting the apparatus by which the actnal images of people can be sent through the ether. ‘The success obtained over short distances encouraged the inventor to undertake the bold experiment of establishing televisory communication between the first and second cities of the Empire. "No doubt sentimental considerations also influenced Mr. Baird in choosing his native city as the setting of the greatest test to which his invention has yet been put. In a semi-darkened room on the fourth floor of the Central Hotel the receiving televisor was installed under the superintendence of Captain Hutchinson, and the transmitting end in London was in charge of Mr. Baird himself. "Among those who were privileged to be present at the first demonstration was Professor E. Taylor Jones, of thie Chair of Natural Philosophy in the University of Glasgow, who, in an interview with a representative of the ‘Glasgow Herald’ in his study at the University, gave his impressions of the process by which Glasgow obtained its first look into London. "Y saw it all quite distinctly,’ said Professor Taylor Jones, speaking of the screen transmission. The Professor explained that the transmission took place over a trunk telephone line, and owing to induction effects on the line the images were unsteady at times, but at other periods they were remarkably steady and clear. The first object to be shown at the transmitting end was from still life-the head of a dummy. "Tt was an office boy who had the distinction of being the first to exhibit himself to the eager gaze of those who were watching the receiving screen in Glasgow. ‘The operator at this end spoke instructions through the telephone which were immediately obeyed by the image on the screen. At request the boy turned his head from side to side, put his hands to his head, and even protruded his tongue---and each action was plainly seen at the receiving end, A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT. ‘Recognising the great difficulties of light and shade which had to be contended with, Professor Taylor Jones expressed surprise at the clearness with. which the image came through, The purts of the head have to be transmiit- | ted in very rapid succession, but so swiftly did the apparatus work that the impression given was that the face was being presented not piecemeal, but as one whole. Herein was the key to the success of the experiment. "QOnestioned as to whether the face was recognisable, tle Professor eplicd that the features were sufficiently clearly marked for 1 person to recognise an acquaintance. ‘There are great possibilities for future development,’ concluded Professor Tylor Jones, ‘but it is a remarkable achievement at the moment that a face transmitted from London. can be clearly seen in Glasgow, and its movements followed in detail.’ THE INVENTOR APPRARS. "Yowards the conelusion of the dem-_ onstration Mr. Baird, who operated from the London enu, was prevailed up-. on to appear in the ‘spotlight.’ To those | who know him, Mr, Baird’s features, even to his mass of wavy hair, were easily recognisable It was at this point. that television over a Jong distance was made an actuality,’ adds the "Glaszow Werald" later. — "Picking up the telephone rec2icur, Sir John Samuel engaged in aninated’ conversation with Mr. Baird, whose_ face, with the instrument at his lips, was reflected steadily on the screen. "Sir John Sammel conveyed heartiest congratulations to Mr. Baird on _ his wonderful achievement, which, he said, offered the greatest possibilities for the adyancement of international communication. It bordered on the mncanny, he confessed, to be able to speak by telephone from Glasgow to a man in London, and at the same time to see his features clearly depicted in front of him. Professor ‘aylor Jones also engaged in conversation with Mr. Baird; who still remained clearly in view, and remarked afterwards that even since the first demonstration three days ago remiarkable improvements had been male *n light and shade and in the steadiness of the imagine on the screen. "The most notable features of the details of the experiment, is that it is carried out by only two operators, one at either end. In a demonstration which took place recently in America with Mr. Baird's apparatus, over ZUU miles of Jand line; nearly 1000 men were engaged at various points, In the apparatus used by Mr. Baird in his latest demonstration the system of synchronism between the two machines has been simplified by means of a new method of filter circuits "The efficacy of this, is is claimed, is gsuch that anyone who can operate an ordinary listening-in set can work the televisor. The progress made by the inventor in scientific research has served to reduce greatly the compass of the apperatus, The receiving televisor now in use ig contained in a cabinet approximately 32in. in length by 29iu, in height. "Mr. Baird’s object is to link up television with wireless broadcasting over any distance, and definite steps towards this end are now heing taken so that in the near future it may be possible for

a person on this side not only to establish telephonic communication. with America, but to see the person to whont he is speaking, We are informed that a number of receiving televisors are now in process of completion, and that they will be distributed to different centres within the uext few weks in order to test reception by radio, which obviously sheuld give bette? results than the use of the land line, which is subject to so many outside disturbances. "The advance of scientific research in electrical communication is so swift in these days that it is difficult for the man in the street to keep pace with its developments ; but Scotland has reason for satisfaction that one of her sons is keeping well in the forefront, and bids fair to realise his immediate ambition, which is to have television receiving NO SERIOUS OBSTACLE TO LARGE PICTURES. "It would be idle to forecast the developments .that may be expected in television in the sphere of- world communication. But it is interesting to note Mr. Baird’s prophecy, speaking at a recent meeting in London, when he remarked that within ten years people would be able by means of the televisor to see such topical events as the finish of the Derby or the Boat Race. Questioned regarding future possibilities, an authority on the subject said the picture presented at present by the televisor was admittedly a small one, but'in his view the greatest difficulties had been overcome. The enlarging of the picture should not present any serious obstacle; it was merely a question of light at the receiving end. "The process by which Mr. Baird has atrived at his discoveries is best described in his own words. In ihe course of an interview with a ‘Glasgow Herald’ representative qnite recently he said that a great deal of confusion existed in the minds of the public between television and the sending of photographs and pictures by wireless. Television was not the sending of photographs by wireless, but was the instantaneous transinission of living and moving scenes. In the television process whatever was set hefore the transmitting apparatus was reproduced simultaneously, with every detail of -movement, in the image on the screcn of the receiving apparatus. HOW PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, "The ambition to achieve a form of television had been the cause of experiments for the past 50 yeas, said Mr. Baird. His own, and the latest contribution towards the accomplishment of what was formerly a scientific abstraction, began in practical form your years ago with the experiments at Hastings. In January, 1926, he was able to exhibit to the members of the Royal Institution the feasibility of transmitting living human images with light and shade and detail at the first demonstration of television in history. At this early demonstration, however, an intensely brilliant light was necessary in the operation of the process, and ‘this fact was advanced by the members as being the most serious disadyantage which the system appeared to offer. "After the demonstration Mr Baird made special research into the matter by reducing the use of intensely brilliant lights in transmission, and it was. while he was engaged in this work that the ided occurred to him of utilising the invisible rays ontside the spectrum. After considerable experimentation he achieved his purpose by the use of in-fra-red rays, and on December 30 last, almost exactly twelve months after his first demonstration, Mr. Baird appeared hefore the Royal Institution, and this time conducted the television operation in total darkness. "Jn television, said Mr. Baird, continuing his explanation of the process, the image or scene to be transmitted is first of all turned into undulating electrical current, This current is transmitted in precisely the same manner as the voice current in broadeasting is transmitted, and listeners-in may hear the television signals as noises in their head phones. Each scene, or object, gives a peculiar and distinct noise. "For example, different faces emit different noises. Phonograph recordings have been taken of different sounds given by individual faces, and it is now possible to hear the sound of a moving face, the sounds of various familiar objects, such as a cabbage, a bowler hat, and a cliest of drawers, These sounds, if applied to a televisor, recreate on the sereen the images of which they are the sound,’?