Television

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 22 June 1928, Page 5

Television

CHALLENGE TO BAIRD £1000 OFFERED FOR SUCCESSFUL PROOF 7PuL English radio magazine, "Popular Wireless," is not convinced that the methods of television adopted by Baird are likely to be completely successful, and has issued a challenge, offering to pay £1000 for a suecessful demonstration over a distance of 25 yards. It is pointed out that television is vastly different from photo transmission, which is now in successful operation. Sir Oliver Lodge backs up the paper in a warning to amateurs not to expect too much. ssPoruLsaR WIRELESS" says: "Wireless television during the last few months has received an extraordinary amount of publicity, and there can be no question that the majority of people are under the impression that the television problem has at last been solved, and that before very long a wireless television gervice will be inaugurated. "Component parts for television models have, in fact, already been advertised, and Mr Baird himself, at a recent luncheon given in his honour, has stated that amateurs with wireless television receivers may listen in after midnight to his station working at Long Acre, London, on a wWavelength of 45 metres, and will hear a peculiar humming noise, which, with the necessary apparatus, they may transform into pictorial images. "Phe question of what constitutes pictorial images is one which has not been clearly explained, and for that reason alone it is clear, from the correspondeuce we have received, and from the remarks we have heard expressed by members of the general public, that there is a prevalent impression that with a wireless television receiving apparatus to-day it is possible to receive in one's home moving pictures by wireless. And authough

that is tempered by the belief that these pictures are crude, it is equally obvious that the public do not realise how erude these pictures are. There is a Difference. FRWURTUERMORE, instructions have been published clsewhere regarding the construction of home television receiving sets, and, as we pointed out in a recent issue of this journal, ad‘vice has been offered to the effect that when working these machines a hightension supply of six or seven hundred yolts should be used. Mr. Kendall, the chief of our Research and Construction Department, has rightly pointed out that the use of such a voltage by people unaccustomed to electrical work may prove serious in the extreme, for even six 100-volt HLT. batteries wired up in series may give a fatal shock. In view of all this, and in particuJar in view of the optimism expressed in connection with the Baird Television System, we are making a friendly challenge to Mr. Baird to televise by radio, before a select and impartial investigatory committee, a series of objects, and if Mr. Baird can do this over a distance of twenty-five yards (using any power he likes providing the power at the receiving and at the transmitting ends is not taken from the same source), we will willingly ac: cept the verdict of the committee, and, if fayourable fo Mr. Baird, pay him £1000. In our opinion, and in the opinion of Sir Oliver Lodge, our scientific adviser-in-chief, and in the opinion of one 0 our scientifie consultants, Dr. J. IL T. Roberts-and furthermore in the opinion of many vfther scientific men whom we have privately consulted-a strong public warning is necessary with regard to television. And we feel that some means should be adopted in order to demonstrate that, although wireless television is scientitically not an impossibility, it has not yet by any means reached a stage whereby it can be termed or regarded as a publis utility service. Nor, in the opinion of our scientific advisers, is it scientifically correct to assume that certain known systems are capable of development to an extent or likely to mature in such 2 way 24

to provide a public television service in the near future. There are other systems of wireless television, in particular a system which makes use of cathode rays, which suggest possibilities, but Mr. Baird, for example, still clings to. a system which was demonstrated in this country some time ago; and an official of the Baird Wireless Television Development Co. has made statements, which have appeared in the daily Press, to the effect that further improvement as regards detail are in themselves details, More Than Details Ahead, ON scientific grounds we contest such statements and, as 4 result, make public this friendly challenge to Mr. Baird. We sincerely hope that Mr. Baird will accept this challenge, and nothing would give us greater pleasure than to be proved wrong in our belief that his system has detinite limitations. It would be a matter of great gratification to us to find that Mr. Baird, on accepting our challenge, could successfully carry out the details of the contest we suggest elsewhere in this issue, and thus win the £1000. We ourselves should be fhe first to congratulate him. Wireless television will undoubtedly become a practical proposition in the future, Whether it will be in the near future or whether many, many years will have to pass before the enormous difficulties which now confront the problem have been obviated, remains to be seen. In the words of our scientific adviser: "It is foolish these days to say that anything is impossible." And we at least claim that we have never taken up such an attitude with regard to wireless television as a whole, But in the interests of our readers and in the interests of those who are inclined to feel unduly optimistic hecause of certain recent experiments in television we have issued this challenge to Mr. Baird in the hope that it will help clearly to indicate what we consider to be, and what our scientific consultants consider to be, the exact position of television to-day; and that it will have the effect of dispelling many erroneous impressions which have been so current of late. Scientis?s Warning. | Qik OLIVER LODGE in concluding i? an article writes:-"I think it advisable and perhaps necessary to issue a caution to the public, and incidentally to the Press, reiterating my assertion that the subject of television is quite in its infancy, that it is not as yet possible to purchase any apparatus likely to be successful, and «that no amateur is likely to be able to adapt apparatus working in connection with a wireless receiver for fhe purpose of seeing moving objects af a distanee. "TF television is in ifs infaney, home reception of its results by wireless aid is still more in the frture, and in all probability in the somewhat distant future. "I would not say anything to dissuade amateurs from experimenting, but it seems only fair t9 issue this eaution, in order to minimise overPoo

enthusiastic rumours and prevent disappointment, If this attitude is considered over-conservative, then I must be content to plead guilty to that accusation, so far as my present knowledge extends. "No one ean say that anything is finally impossible; but it is fairly safe to say that a given development: has not yet been achieved. As far as I know. about the attitude of other scien‘tifie men I think I am in agreement with them. I shall rejoice if the labours of Mr. Baird and other workers, in this country and in America, are able to falsify this caution within what remains of my own lifetime,