[QuadList] History - what is the REAL story--details, source(s)

[C. Park Seward]

Thanks to Ted for pointing out the book. Interesting reading.

Some high points: Ampex did not use the RCA heterodyning color  
recording method when they produced the direct color recorder.

RCA lied in their press releases, taking credit for the quad recorder,  
just as they tried to discredit Fransworth years before. They wanted  
to re-write history and gave Ampex no credit at all for the  
development of the videotape recorder.

It seems there were two patent exchanges by Ampex, one to RCA (1957)  
and one to Sony (1960). Ampex came out on the short end with both  
agreements. Their "Gindsburg patent" which covered FM recording, would  
have prevented anyone for may years from making a VTR. As you all  
know, FM recording is the heart of every analog VTR, from the quad to  
VHS. Ampex made no use of the RCA color system and Sony didn't do much  
to design transistorized circuits for Ampex.

As Ampex made improvements,RCA was free to copy them.

Best,
Park

C. Park Seward
Visit us: http://www.videopark.com



On Apr 24, 2009, at 11:51 PM, Ted Langdell wrote:

> Hi, Park,
>
> On Apr 23, 2009, at 6:10 PM, C. Park Seward wrote:
>> Perhaps some of you can point to the true stories.
>
>
> My source for the stories I've related about Ampex and RCA about  
> patents and color and Ampex-Sony re: patents and transistors is  
> chronicled in Albert Abramson's book "The History of Television  
> 1942-2000"
>
> Timeframe for what led to the Ampex-RCA patent exchange is 1957, and  
> is found in various parts of Chapter 4" The Ampex Revolution,"
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=JMTnTBmt7F0C&pg=PA60&dq=The+Ampex+Revolution#PPA70,M1
>
> See particularly parts of Page 72, 75, 76, and in the following  
> chapter "Europe turns Down NTSC" pages 77 (bottom left through  
> middle right columns) where we learn that the third NBC machine was  
> sent to RCA and reverse engineered.
>
> Bottom left of page 78 has the invitation to Ampex execs to see that  
> machine playing RCA Labs Color at RCA in Camden... with a comment  
> from Ginsburg about being able to see that RCA had used much of the  
> Ampex machine.  The balance of the story is on pages 78, 79,  
> including taped color transmission tests from Camden to New York and  
> Burbank.
>
> The essence of the patent swap is that Ampex gave RCA access to the  
> FM recording method (and other important aspects of making things  
> work) and RCA held the color recording method.
>
> The cross licensing language and scope may have included the RCA  
> transistor technology Allan Dent mentioned in his post just a little  
> bit ago.
>
> The following pages have more about the ordering and delivery of  
> machines, and the background on how the Ampex transverse recording  
> method came to be named "Quadruplex" by RCA's H. A. Lind, author of  
> the paper on the TRT-1 presented at NAB in Los Angeles 51 years  
> ago.  I'll try to post that paper soon.
>
> Abramson's book says NBC "Burbank's Videotape Central" began  
> recording color in late April, 1958, on eight Ampex units converted  
> to use RCA Labs Color, and one RCA-built color machine. A monochrome  
> RCA machine was in use as were three monochrome Ampex machines.
>
> Ampex demoed its color system at NAB in 1958. A description of the  
> system is on page 82. It was very different from the RCA method, and  
> didn't use any of the RCA patents Ampex could have used.
>
> Page 85 (bottom left to upper right) has details of what was  
> happening with both companies Quad products at NAB in 1959. The  
> VR-1000B was introduced, and featured a 36db SNR.
>
> Later pages in the chapter denote the development of Japanese  
> helical recorders, and how that affected Ampex.
>
> Last two lines of Page 89 and top of 90 describe the famous VR-8000  
> shipment to Chicago.
>
>
> The Ampex and Sony story about the transistors (development of  
> transistor circuitry, actually) is
> here: http://books.google.com/books?id=JMTnTBmt7F0C&pg=PA92&dq=From+Helicals+to+High+Band
> beginning on the right column of page 92.
>
>> Story two:
>>
>> The WRC-TV dedication with Sarnoff and Eisenhower was recorded in  
>> Burbank OR at WRC. Was the AT&T microwave Long Lines good enough  
>> for color in 1958? And if they did record it in Burbank, why not at  
>> WRC? I was told this week it was recorded at WRC.
>>
>> Let's set history straight!
>>
>>
>> Best,
>> Park
>
> I spent much of this afternoon with James Snyder of the Library of  
> Congress talking about this and other things.
>
> He's going to pull up the LoC's copy, shoot pictures and see what  
> other paperwork is with it... and what that reveals.
>
> James has been told that a special RCA color recorder was send from  
> RCA Labs to WRC-TV for the dedication... so it may be that one tape  
> was recorded at WRC-TV and another was recorded in Burbank.
>
>
> If that's the case, determining who has which tape, and getting  
> photos of them in their current states would be helpful.
>
> The tape we saw at the UCLA screening is from the Eisenhower Library.
>
> As related on http://quadvideotapegroup.com/EiesnhowerQuadRestoration.htm
> Don Kent describes using the Eisenhower Library tape to make the D-2  
> master:
>
>
> Kent says "When we got the tape from The Eisenhower Library it was  
> in a mahogany box with blue velvet lining." I'll ask him whether he  
> remembers any particular labels or indications of where the tape was  
> recorded.
>
> "About two-thirds through the show the audio crapped out.  NBC had  
> the backup telco line, so they switched to it (during David  
> Sarnoff's speech).  Sounded like a phonecall!  I ran it through an  
> equalizer and did what I could to match it, but there just wasn't  
> much there."
>
> He says the same thing in another e-mail and describes that  
> "network" sound we all know from those years.
>
> Sooo... I'm sure we'll hear/see something from James as he can get  
> materials retrieved at LoC, and perhaps put in calls or e-mails to  
> find and get pix of the Eisenhower Library tape.
>
> I hope this helps provide some clarity to the situation.
>
> Still in Vegas after a good NAB... and heading home tomorrow (Sat.)
>
> Ted
>
> Ted Langdell
> Secretary
> Skype: 	TedLangdell
> e-mail:	ted at quadvideotapegroup.com
>
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