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-   -   Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc. (https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=96824)

Station X 14th Apr 2020 11:33 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
In last night's episode of "Quiz" a would be "Who wants to be a millionaire" contestant builds himself a "Fastest Finger First" keypad so he can practice. However instead of soldering the component leads he arc welds them.

I hope the devices weren't static sensitive!!

https://www.itv.com/hub/quiz/2a7854a0001

AC/HL 14th Apr 2020 2:46 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Watched an episode of Endeavour last night. The usual basic record player, with the addition of a Tandberg tape recorder for the ransom call. Unfortunately, the telephone monitoring was done on an AVO signal generator.

Andrew2 14th Apr 2020 3:30 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Station X (Post 1234689)
In last night's episode of "Quiz" a would be "Who wants to be a millionaire" contestant builds himself a "Fastest Finger First" keypad so he can practice. However instead of soldering the component leads he arc welds them.

I hope the devices weren't static sensitive!!

https://www.itv.com/hub/quiz/2a7854a0001

Yes, I noticed this as well. We first see him through his workshop window and he's earing a leather apron which wouldn't look out of place in Frankenstein's laboratory! I wouldn't have been surprised to see a forge and an anvil...

Andrew2 16th Jun 2020 3:14 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
1 Attachment(s)
Just watched 'Dancing with Crime' on TPTV. Towards the end we see a police radio operator instructing his cars via an R1155 receiver. I wonder where he plugged the mic? There was no matching T1154 to be seen, btw.

Wendymott 18th Jun 2020 10:30 pm

Sas ww2
 
I dont know if this has been posted else where.. but the CH5 series about the "Real SAS " story has been re gurgitated again. In part 3 they showed supposedly a clandestine radio.... wrong BC221 frequency standard.... even had the charts showing in the lid...Ahhhhh program makers..

Herald1360 21st Jun 2020 5:01 pm

Re: Sas ww2
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendymott (Post 1260827)

In part 3 they showed supposedly a clandestine radio.... wrong BC221 frequency standard.... even had the charts showing in the lid...Ahhhhh program makers..

Wrong BC221 frequency meter? ;)

Graham G3ZVT 22nd Jul 2020 4:23 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Agatha Christie's Marple (Joan Hickson) "A Murder Is Announced"

showing now on ITV2

A shot of an old Gents wall clock with a replacement quartz movement. No problem with that, but why did they include a red second hand, and leave the battery in so we could see it stepping once a second?

PaulR 22nd Jul 2020 6:07 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Using quartz clocks sometimes in genuine cases and sometimes not is a common annoyance. They did it in the recent programme about the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they would show one with a sweep seconds hand which would be perfectly in keeping but on other occasions there was one that was clearly stepping in second intervals.

On another point why is the use of American telephone ring sound and interval becoming more common in programmes set in the UK? Could it be that more and more of the people involved have never heard a UK telephone bell, or even a land line ringing?

I should "just enjoy the programme" as my wife is always saying!

its ur aerial 18th Aug 2020 5:07 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
The XYL sat watching another depressing episode of that dreadful Call the Midwife on Sunday, I understand it is supposed to depict London's Dockland in the 50`s, however during Sundays episode, high winds blew down the Convent TV aerial, nothing wrong with that, as we know a very common occurrence, but the aforementioned antenna bore a striking resemblance to a horizontal polarized Band 4 and 5 UHF Yargi !
I therefore rest my case for the prosecution, Milord.

Snowy picture....it`s`yr`aerial...`Luv`.

Ken, G6HZG:beer:

barrymagrec 20th Aug 2020 2:24 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulR (Post 1272087)
Using quartz clocks sometimes in genuine cases and sometimes not is a common annoyance. They did it in the recent programme about the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they would show one with a sweep seconds hand which would be perfectly in keeping but on other occasions there was one that was clearly stepping in second intervals.

I would have expected that at the time of the Battle of Britain all the clocks in operations rooms would be controlled by a Gents or Synchronome master clock system which increments all the slave clocks at one second intervals. (If I remember correctly).

M0FYA Andy 20th Aug 2020 5:25 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
The standard Gents Pul-Syn-Etic or Synchronome system of the 1940's advances the slaves every 30 seconds, but both systems could be fitted with additional seconds switches if seconds hands were required on the slaves.

Andy

slidertogrid 18th Sep 2020 10:26 am

When is a Bush a Thorn?
 
2 Attachment(s)
When is a Bush Ranger mono portable a Ferguson TX9 ? When it's on TV it seems...
This is the TV programme "make me a dealer" The rear view of the set is a Bush Monochrome but then when you see the front view it suddenly becomes a Ferguson colour. What the motor trade calls a cut and shut ! :devil:

Nanozeugma 18th Sep 2020 10:41 am

Re: When is a Bush a Thorn?
 
I guess if this proves anything, it's an object lesson on how contrived these "programmes" are...

Radio Wrangler 18th Sep 2020 10:49 am

Re: When is a Bush a Thorn?
 
It's the importance of 'The Look'

Just think how much the TV producers had to pay to get a technician to saw two sets in two and glue the front half of one to the rear of the other.

The telly lot hired the use of a schoolfriend's parent's house for the first 'Last of the summer wine' film. The tale of what they changed to get the look right, and then had to replace afterwards.... Well Paul's folk were very, very, pleased with the full redecoration (to their tastes) new shed and new greenhouse on top of the fee!

The ends these people will go to.

But getting that telly working, now that took skill

David

Graham G3ZVT 20th Sep 2020 12:03 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
I caught the last 20 minutes of "Genevieve" on TPTV this afternoon, an absolutely gorgeous video transfer it is too, surprised me by carrying the "ITV Studios" end-cap complete with the two-note wind instrument , just like after "This Morning".

But I digress.

There are many technical goofs in this film but one I've noticed that hasn't even been catalogued by IMDb, is the BBC interviewer at the start of the run who's microphone changes to a completely different model between shots.

Graham G3ZVT 24th Oct 2020 10:47 pm

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Technically not an anachronism, but another kind of temporal error.

Wouldn't it have been better to spin the turntable at a sedate 33 rather than 78RPM?

It would help with the visual narrative, as well as preventing people like me suggesting that the production staff have never seen a record before...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3cX_PV2070

Malcolm G6ANZ 2nd Nov 2020 8:19 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
I was watching 'The saint' a few day ago, as one does. For some reason the walkie talkie they were using was a Sinclair Micromatic radio. Needless to say it gave perfect transmission and reception over several miles.
Malcolm

Richard_FM 2nd Nov 2020 10:58 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm G6ANZ (Post 1306215)
I was watching 'The saint' a few day ago, as one does. For some reason the walkie talkie they were using was a Sinclair Micromatic radio. Needless to say it gave perfect transmission and reception over several miles.
Malcolm

I remember Dusty Gizmos mentioning one being used in The Saint.

The same site identifies the tape recorders used in Mission: Impossible & Thunderbirds.

Pete_1966 10th Nov 2020 1:16 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Look up the official music video for Holly Johnson's (he was the lead singer from 'Frankie Goes to Hollywood') popular 1989 hit: 'Americanos' - it features an American family living in a big house with housekeeping staff. The family are watching a lottery draw on a large console TV in their plush living room while the housekeeping and maintenance staff are watching the same lottery on a table top RCA 14-S-7070-G television on the kitchen table. One of the young lads on the staff wins big while the main family have no luck, resulting in their daughter marrying one of the staff to share the loot! Brilliant song and a 'happy' video. Would love to know what is the make and model of the large console TV is in the living room, though - should be a good test for the members here. Also check out the official video of Holly Johnson's song: 'Atomic City' - at the very start, a Hitachi miniature portable TV is being watched by a young couple having a picnic before being lured into the underworld by a mysterious character who happens to be Holly himself. Another test for the members here to identify that model!

broadgage 10th Nov 2020 1:59 am

Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.
 
Something that I have noticed in several TV dramas, including Foyles war and others from that era is odd looking light switches.
Historically correct actual switches, but mounted on very over size wooden mounting blocks.

I suspect that these are non functional and affixed with blue tack or similar, and are very oversized in order to conceal a modern switch.

A very common error in TV dramas in general is when the actor turns on a switch and the room lighting comes up gradually over a second or two, obviously tv studio/stage lighting turned up on a dimmer.
In most cases, nothing important happens in that second or two, and the content could easily be edited to remove it.


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