Television comes to London
 

For some time only the YouTube video has been available which is poor quality. The 1936 BBC original film clip had for some time eluded me.

I am pleased to say "No longer."

The BBC has from 22 May this year re-released it for public viewing.

Search the title and below the BBC 20MAR2018 clip, not viewable, is the post.

Chris

Re: Television comes to London
 

Thanks for that Chris.

I did have a BBC copy if you scroll to be foot of this webpage but unfortunately it had been carelessly posted to YouTube with the wrong aspect ratio. Now sorted.

That's much better. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c98sw3

Peter

Re: Television comes to London
 

I never get bored with this film. I can't help thinking that the real purpose of television must have been more than just a few footling programmes and fashion parades for a very few people. We will never know.
The expense must have been incredible to say nothing of the conversion of AP.
Thank goodness they did it! John.

Re: Television comes to London
 

Thanks for posting that. We think we're so clever nowadays, but looking back when safety equiment was a flat cap we perhaps aren't all that advanced!
Nice to hear some Dvorak as well. I also liked the top and tail of the original reels - seeing the count down to 3 and the sound blip still has me reacing for the projector changeoover switch!

Re: Television comes to London
 

Thanks for the heads-up about this. What was available previously was dire, particularly the "Colorized" effort on Youtube yuck. I've used OBS to grab the player window so this reel can join "Television comes to the Midlands".

The countdown leader seemed a bit odd at the head of reel 2, so I've used my virtual Steenbeck and moved it to the beginning!

Re: Television comes to London
 

I like the shot when about to go on air and switches are thrown.
Then we see an ammeter at full scale dropping back to zero amps. :-)

Re: Television comes to London
 

Virtual Steenbeck? I've got a real one in the shed!
Nice to see even then they did things for dramatic effect. Now they'd have a V/O making terrible puns about 'current affars' and so on...

Re: Television comes to London
 

Glyn

You are so right and whilst a little off topic, may I include the playing of well known artists love songs when a "love seen" is shown and to one of sadness when the couple break up!!

Not so with the "Public Infirmation" film on TV interference. No messing about here, the guilty man does the right thing and gats his car's ignition suppressor fitted although the old banger exploding is just OTT!!

Chris

Re: Television comes to London
 

There are a few oddities in the recent version. In addition to the leader appearance at the start of reel 2, the initial title is offset to the left and the projector framing is incorrectly adjusted for part of the time. I'm also not convinced that the poor gamma setting results from the original film.

Peter

Re: Television comes to London
 

I noticed the title offset to the left. The crushed blacks throughout is particularly unfortunate. I don’t think the second reel leader followed by the poor framing was an artistic decision, rather I think it was done in a hurry.

All that said, it's a massive improvement on what we had before.

Re: Television comes to London
 

I used to work for the UK company that sold these, & some we converted to video.

Dave.

Re: Television comes to London
 

The opening music sounds like it's the introduction to an execution. Never mind. Something that has always intrigued me is how, on old films that (especially) words on the screen wobble around a tad. Is it due to mechanical 'slackness' in the recording and or playback process?

Re: Television comes to London
 

It's called "gate weave" and yes, the camara, optical printer and the projector all contribute. I imagine modern film scanning can eliminate the playback contribution, and digital image stabilisation can help.

Re: Television comes to London
 

I agree.

P. :wave:

Re: Television comes to London
 

I wonder who paid: Government, BBC, bit of each...

The need to run both systems can't have helped the bill either!

Re: Television comes to London
 

I have heard several reports that it was really a good cover for early radar research, all those EF80s, as well as staff getting used to VHF techniques