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Television systems before 1940

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TV introduction by decade
  1930-39
  1940-49
  1950-59
  1960-69
  1970-79
  1980-89
  1990-99
  2000--
  No broadcasts
  No data

A number of experimental and broadcast pre World War II television systems were tested. The first ones were mechanical based (mechanical television) and of very low resolution, sometimes with no sound. Later TV systems were electronic (electronic television).

For a list of mechanical system tests and development, see mechanical television. For a station list see Prewar television stations

France

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Germany

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  • Doberitz 1932 (mechanical): 48 lines, 25 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, ~64×48 pixels per frame, sound, talking movies
  • Berlin R.P.Z. 1932 (mechanical): 60 lines, 25 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, ~83×60 pixels per frame, test movies and live images
  • Germany 1932: 90 lines
  • Germany 1935: 180 lines[10][11][12][2][13][14]
  • Germany 1936: 375 lines
  • Germany 1937: 441 lines, 25 frame/s, line frequency 11,025 Hz. Vision 46.0 MHz Sound 43.2 MHz.[15][4][16]
  • Germany 1940: 1,000 lines signal projection, no glass screen but projection screen (successful experiments in Reichspost laboratories, but no mass production, note that in Germany public telegraphy, telephone, and radio services were subject to the Reichspostministerium since the early 20th century, and TV was regarded a postal issue as well until the 1980s)

Netherlands

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Poland

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  • Warsaw 1937 (mechanical): 120 lines, test movies and live images from a studio
  • Electronic TV (343 lines) was under development and was publicly demonstrated during the Radio Exhibition in Warsaw in August 1939, regular operations planned to start at the beginning of 1940, work stopped because of the outbreak of World War II.

Switzerland

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  • Switzerland 1932 (mechanical): 30 lines, 16.6 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, ~40×30 pixels per frame, test movies and live images

Italy

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During the 1930s there were also experimental transmissions from the Vatican - but further details are unknown. Later Arturo Castellani emerges as the main figure being early regular broadcasts.[20][21][22]

  • Italy 1932 (mechanical): 60 lines, 20 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, ~45x60 pixels per frame, test movies and live images
  • Italy 1937 (electronic): 375 lines, 25 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, daily from Rome, between 6pm and 9.30pm on 6.9 meters with a power of 2 kW[23]
  • Italy 1939 (electronic): 441 lines, 25 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, regular service from Rome and Milan. 2 kW transmission power on VHF 45 MHz[4]

UK

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Mechanical

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  • England 1926 (Baird mechanical): 30 lines, 5 frame/s, black-and-white experimental transmissions
  • England 1928 (Baird mechanical): 30 lines, 5 frame/s, first experimental colour TV transmissions
  • London 1932 (Baird mechanical): 30 lines, 12.5 frame/s, 3:7 vertical aspect ratio, vertical scanning, ~70×30 pixels per frame, sound, live TV from studio
  • England 1936 (Baird): 240 lines, 25 frame/s, line frequency 6000 Hz, used from November 1936 to February 1937

Electronic

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  • UK (1936, EMI): 405 lines / 50 Hz. Used by the BBC Alexandra Palace television station initially from November 1936 to 1939 and then 1946 to 1985 (interruption due to Second World War).[24][25]
    • The EMI 405 lines system was the first to have an ITU System Letter Designation, and is known as System A. As the EMI system predates PAL, there is no PAL designator in the ITU television system table.

USSR

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  • 1932 (mechanical): 30 lines, 12.5 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio, ~40x30 pixels per frame, test movies and live images
  • Leningrad (St. Petersburg), 1935 (electronic): 180 lines, 25 frame/s with progressive scanning
  • Leningrad (St. Petersburg), 1937 (electronic): 240 lines, 25 frame/s with progressive scanning
  • Moscow, 1938 (electronic): 343 lines, 25 frame/s, 4:3 horizontal aspect ratio (RCA provided broadcast equipment and documentation for TV sets)

North America

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See also

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Individual television stations

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Broadcast television systems

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References

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  1. ^ Herbert, Stephen (2004). A History of Early Television. p. 15. ISBN 9780415326674.
  2. ^ a b "Early Electronic Television - Grammont". Early Television Museum.
  3. ^ "Early French Broadcasting". Early Television Museum.
  4. ^ a b c d "405-Line Television in History FAQs". 405 Alive. 2002. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  5. ^ Brice, Richard (June 14, 2003). Newnes Guide to Digital TV. Newnes. p. 8. ISBN 9780750657211 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Gripsrud, Jostein; Weibull, Lennart (2010). Media, Markets & Public Spheres: European Media at the Crossroads. Intellect Books. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-84150-305-9.
  7. ^ "Early Electronic Television - Rene Barthelemy". Early Television Museum.
  8. ^ "Early Electronic Television - Emyradio". Early Television Museum.
  9. ^ "Early Electronic European Stations". Early Television Museum.
  10. ^ "Early Electronic Television - Telefunken". Early Television Museum.
  11. ^ Larrosa, Miranda (2016). Information Sheet - BROADCASTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES (PDF). The Olympic Museum. p. 2.
  12. ^ Scott, Peter. "Berlin Olympics Television 1936". Peter's Nostalgia Site. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  13. ^ "Gerolf Poetschke's Site - Telefunken FE III". Early Television Museum. 2009.
  14. ^ "Gerolf Poetschke's Site - Fernseh Tischmodell". Early Television Museum. 2009.
  15. ^ Russell, Richard (2005). "Colour Test Card Generator". R. T. RUSSELL - The home of BBC BASIC.
  16. ^ "Einheits-Fernseh-Empfänger E l" (PDF). 1939. pp. 320–321. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-28.
  17. ^ "Funktechnik- Philips bringt ein neues Fernsehsystem, Heft 2 1948".
  18. ^ "Funktechnik - Philips bringt ein neues Fernsehsystem, Heft 2 1948".
  19. ^ "Fernsehen: Vorträge über neuere Probleme der Fernsehtechnik".
  20. ^ Battocchio, Josè. "History of Television". Undaradio. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  21. ^ Arturo Castellani (1932). Televisione radiovisione. Ulrico Hoepli Editore.
  22. ^ "Early Electronic Television - Safar". Early Television Museum. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  23. ^ Reporter, Television (March 1937). "Italy's Progress in the Video Art" (PDF). Radio News: 575.
  24. ^ "First live BBC recording". ALEXANDRA PALACE TELEVISION SOCIETY. 2000. Archived from the original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  25. ^ Pemberton, Alan (2003-07-01). "World Analogue Television Standards and Waveforms - Line Standards". Pembers' Ponderings. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  26. ^ Reitan, Ed (2006). "CBS Color Television System Chronology". Ed Reitan's Color Television History. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  27. ^ "Early Electronic Television - DuMont 183X". Early Television Museum.
  28. ^ Abramson, Albert (1955). Electronic Motion Pictures: A History of the Television Camera. University of California Press. p. 95.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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