Television Broadcasts

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 20, 29 November 1929, Unnumbered Page

Television Broadcasts

HE first. public experimental broadcast of radiovision took place at the offices of the Baird Television Company: in London on September 30. This demonstration marks the close of a long and bitter struggle, for it _ is only at this stage that radiovision has been granted a recognised place on the ether. Even. now, the nannartinities afforded of vnubliclv' de-

veloping this new branch of science are extremely limited. Facilities are restricted to five half-hours per week; further, only one frequency is ‘available, where- © ‘as for the simultaneous transmission of sound and vision two are. necessary. The extra frequency will be available when the two transmitters of Brookman’s Park are working. Meanwhile the Baird Company will operate with single transmission, the speaker being first heard and then radiovised, instead of both operations taking place simultaneously.

At the first official demonstra- ‘a tion, the radiovised images of the speakers and artists were conveyed from a studio at the company’s offices by landline to the B.B.C.’s transmitter at Oxford Street, from which they were broadcast. The transmission was picked up and shown on a Baird radiovision set. The speech ‘was relayed direct from the studio by land-line. As seen by the assembled guests; the images were about an inch and a half long and half an inch wide, and the transmission throughout revealed a steadiness and clearness that was not thought possible a few months ago, First Mr. Sydney Moseley, the announcer, read a-message of goodwill from Mr. William Graham, president of the Board of Trade, and afterwards Sir A. Fleming spoke a few words in a similar

strain. He was then radiovised. Professor Andrade, a leading authority on the science of wireless, spoke arid was radiovised, his face being clearly discernible. After this there were "turns" by Sidney Howard, a comedian, who contributed a specially-written monologue, Miss Lulu Stanley, and Miss King, all of whom appeared in succession on the sereen. ;

Mr. Baird, the inventor of radiovision, stated after the ceremony that he was quite satisfied with the demonstration, but he hoped to obtain much better results as the experiments continued. He pointed out that there had been very little time indeed for tuning-in, a most important operation. There would be no difficulty whatever in broadcasting and receiving speech and vision simultaneously, as this was done during the test before. the Postmaster-General last March. Another official of the company said extremely few receiving sets were in the hands of the public yet. The company would not manufacture sets, but would license firms to do so. It would be possible to buy a model for receiving vision alone for about £12. All that would be

necessary would be to connect it up to an ordinary. set of, say, four valves. A model to receive both vision and sound would, of course, cost more. . [HE latest issue of "Wireless World," makes interesting comment concerning these broadcasts :- : "The past week has seen the inauguration of experimental transmission of the a a, ee a

bairad system OL LeieYinivil seve the B.B.C. London station, 2L0O, but the number of people who are the wiser now that these transmissions have begun is very limited indeed, and the whole position sappears to us to be so absurd that we wonder whether the inauguration of these experiments is really intended to be taken seriously or not. "Those who have witnessed Baird television demonstrations in the past will know that only two or three people can ‘look in’ at a time to one instrument, and there

mai are, we understand, at the very most, half a dozen instruments set up in this country to receive the B.B.C. transmissions. Add to this the fact that the transmissions are being conducted at 11 o’clock in the forenoon-a time when very few of those likely to be interested in the development of television are able to avail themselves of the transmissions -and we have altogether a collection of very good reasons why television is not likely to make much progress in this country at present. — "The Baird Company are not at present undertaking to manufacture television receiving sets; their object appears to be to endeavour to establish a patent situation under which they license radio manufacturers generally to draw royalties on every receiver sold. -Continued on page 2.

Me controversy is centring round the question of television (or radiovision ) ‘in England at the present time. It will be remembered that some ‘time ago, the B.B.C. consented to experimental broadcasts, and this only after a sustained appeal by the television promoters, the Baird Co. The first broadcast has now taken place and the accompanying article tells of limitations which will hamper radiovision development for some considerable time.

= Radiovision in England (Continued from front page.)

_ This is no doubt a policy which it is thought will, in the end, be to the advantage of the Baird ‘Television Company’s shareholders, but in the meantime manufacturers are, quite naturally, in no hurry to sign a licensing agreement which will presumably tie them .up to paying royalties over a period, whether or not they may be dependent on Baird patents in the manufacture of receivers. "The only way in which we can fore: see success attending the efforts to launch television is if these efforts are wholehearted, and there is a genuine endeavour made to rouse enthysiasm on all sides. The Baird Company will gain nothing by stifling the project at the outset because they desire to guarantee their own participation in the financial gain which may accrue, neither can we expect any headway to be made so long as the B.B.O, conduct the experimental transmissions at. a time when the amateurs and experimenters who are most likely to provide the enthusiasm needed to carry the thing through are unable to participate in the tests. "It would be far better that the transmissions, or at least some part of the transmissions, should take place in the evenings or over week-ends, for that is the only way in which publicity amongst enthusiasts can be attained and when it will become possible féy them to co-operate in the experimental- transmissions and probe the possibilities of the system." Prior to the commencement of the tests the following statement was issued jointly by the B.B.C. and the Baird Television, Development Company, Limited: "The experimental broadecasting of Baird Television outside programme hours will begin on September 30. These transmissions normally will take place through London (2L0) from 11 am. to 11,30 a.m. daily except on Saturday and Sunday. The object of the demonstrations is to afford tthe Baird Company wider opportunity than they have hitherto possessed for developing the possibilities,of their system of television and for extending the scope and improving the quality of reproduction, In granting facilities for these experimental demonstrations, in which the public can, if they so desire, take part, neither the PostmasterGeneral nor the B.B.O. accept any responsbility for the quality of the transmission or for the results obtained." It will be some time before radiovision broadcasts commence in New Zealand, but it must be remembered that as this science is but in its infancy, such transmissions are at present more for the purpose of experiment than for entertainment. However, as a compensation for the present lack of radiovision in this country, it should be realised that when transmissions do commence, they will, by virtue of improvements which are bound to result from research developments, be technically far more perfect than those at present being broadcast in Bngland. The result "of these experiments will be long in reaching the public and no one should hesitate before plunging into radio in the hope that next seaso will see a radiovision equipment attached to their receiver. In fact, it almost seems as if an entirely new systeam is necessary.