[QuadList] Question about NBC color TZ delay prior to Quad

[Jeffrey Martin]

NBC showed the process to the press in September, 1956; the New York Times wasn't impressed, saying "blue tends to have a purplish tint and images tend to be fuzzy. Overlapping or bleeding of one color into another also was frequently evident." The first telecast to use it was "The Aqua Spectacle of 1957" on 9/29. LA critics griped about the poor quality of the process, especially on b/w sets, during '56 and '57.

One of these days, someone's got to take a crack at transferring one of the surviving lenticular kines.

Jeff Martin
Chicago, IL

----- Original Message -----
From: dcfwtx at aol.com
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:05 am
Subject: Re: [QuadList] Question about NBC color TZ delay prior to Quad
To: quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com


> Regarding Lenticular: Several years ago, a friend and co-worker of 
> mine (since deceased), who was an engineer at NBC Burbank in the 
> Lenticular film and RCA labs color conversion days of the VR 1000's in 
> Burbank, gave me a rare publication (maybe it's available elsewhere?) 
> titled: "Color Kinescope Recording on Embossed Film"; dated March 19, 
> 1956. It's very descriptive with text, photos, and drawings (two 
> attachments here). You may note that this publication date was very 
> close to the date of the Ampex  demonstration of the quad machine in 
> Chicago. 
>  
>  
>  In the coming weeks, I'll be posting some notes from conversations 
> I've had with one of the last remaining individuals who were present 
> at NBC Burbank during those initial color recording days (film and 
> videotape). 
>  
>  
>  David
>  
>  
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: Ted Langdell <ted at quadvideotapegroup.com>
>  To: Gary Stark <gary161 at sbcglobal.net>
>  Cc: Quad List <QuadList at quadvideotapegroup.com>
>  Sent: Mon, Oct 26, 2009 8:21 pm
>  Subject: Re: [QuadList] Question about NBC color TZ delay prior to Quad
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  Hi, Gary, 
>   
>  
>  On Oct 26, 2009, at 6:42 PM, Gary Stark wrote: 
>  
>  > I found your website almost by accident and it's terrific. I have a 
> > question that I hope you or someone can answer. Since color > 
> videotape recording didn't really get started until 1958 or later, > 
> how were NBC's color programs seen by west coast viewers prior to > 
> then? 
>   
>  
>  That's a good question and people on the QuadList may have some 
> information.  You can join the list and receive their answers by 
> e-mail, or go here: 
>   
>  
>  
> http://mail.quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/ 
> 
>  
>  to see what people have said. 
>   
>  
>  > Were they shown on a delay in black and white or did NBC air the > 
> color programs live in all time zones? I'm just curious as to > 
> whether west coast viewers were essentially shut out of color > 
> programming prior to the invention of color tape recording. Many > 
> thanks and keep up the great work on this site. 
>  
>  > 
>   
>  
>  Generally, networks used a kinescope recorder to create a filmed 
> recording of a high-resolution TV monitor. 
>   
>  
>  This could be done in black and white very easily, and was used for 
> time-zone delay by some networks until they felt comfortable with 
> videotape. 
>   
>  
>  Color kinescopes could also be made using color film, but I don't 
> have any handy info about what NBC did as a regular practice. 
>   
>  
>  RCA/NBC did work on a lenticular film process that encoded color 
> information into black and white film. The results weren't all that 
> spectacular, I understand. 
>   
>  
>  Glad you've enjoyed the site. Thanks for the kind words. 
>   
>  
>  Ted 
>  
>  > 
>   
>  
>  Ted Langdell 
>  
>  Secretary 
>   
>  
>  
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>  
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>  
>  
>  
> _______________________________________________
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