Video tape recording equipment for both color and monochrome operation has been announced by the Broadcast and Television Equipment Department of RCA.

The color tape recorder was introduced in demonstrations to the trade press, television editors and broadcasters. In each case, reports were very favorable, the picture quality and color fidelity of the taped program very closely rivaling live presentations.

• Anmerkung : In 1957 waren die Amerikaner mit der Farbe im Fernsehen überhaupt nicht verwöhnt - wie später in 1967 die Deutschen. Das US-Farbfernsehen wurde bei uns nur als "Bunt-" Fernsehen mit allzu krassen Farben belächelt. Ende 1966 wurden die vier Orthicon Farbkameras der FESE wieder nach Darmstadt zurück geschickt, man solle dort erst mal seine Schularbeiten machen. Bereits das Studio-Farb-Bild sei ganz schlimm und so nicht akzeptabel - nämlich sehr oft deutlich verschwommen.

.

In New York City more than 30 representatives of the trade press and metropolitan newspapers viewed a special presentation in the RCA Exhibition Hall. The taped program originated in Camden and was sent via microwave to Philadelphia then via network cable to New York.

At its color studios in Burbank, California, NBC demonstrated to more than 100 television editors the kind of color pictures produced by the video tape recorder.

Excerpts from some of the network's major shows, which had been recorded in Camden, were fed via network lines to color receivers at Burbank for the demonstration.

Although these excerpts included portions of programs that originated in Burbank and thus traveled 6,000 miles (from Burbank to Camden and back again), color reproduction excited favorable reactions.

At this demonstration, Robert W. Sarnoff announced NBC's order for six pre-production equipments (wir ennen das Laborgeräte). Mr. Sarnoff said that video tape will open up a "new world for everyone concerned with network broadcasting."
.

Broadcasters who had the opportunity to visit Camden recently viewed a demonstration with considerable enthusiasm. Station VVBTV, Charlotte, North Carolina. has ordered the first pre-production model for use by a TV station.

Availability of the first production equipments is scheduled for December of 1958. Price on the color and monochrome equipment, Type TRT-1AC was announced at $63,000. The Type TRT-1A for monochrome only is priced at $49,500.

• Anmerkung : Natürlich kein Wort davon, daß Ampex aus Californien bereits liefern konnte, zwar mit einigem "Ruckeln", aber die Westcoast Ampexer hatten 2 Jahre Vorlauf. Auch kein Wort davon, daß die vergleichbare Ampex MAX deutlich teurer war, es sollen etwa 100.000 US Dollar gewesen sein. Weiterhin war die Ampex (Röhren-) MAZ deutlich kleiner als diese RCA (Röhren-) MAZ. All das hatte natürlich in einem Werbe-Artikel keinen Platz. Die amerikanische Presse für Funk und Fernsehen hatte aber den Vergleich angestellt. Diese Artikel kommen noch.

.

The RCA Video Tape Recorder provides a means of recording and playing back either color or monochrome video signals simultaneously with program sound. It will reproduce both video and audio signals with quality and fidelity that rival closely that of the original program material.

The entire color video tape recorder is contained in six standard cabinet racks. (See Fig. 5) Although designed specifically for color, it can handle monochrome as well as color. In addition, the equipment can be used for monochrome only operation simply by eliminating one rack, containing color processing equipment.

• Anmerkung : In den USA waren diese 19" Racks bereits Standard, als man in Deutschland noch versuchte, metrische Stahlschränke zu etablieren. Das ging später schief und auch wir hatten nur noch 19" Racks.

Conversely one could start with a monochrome system and advance to color at a later date.
.

A minimum of three racks of equipment is required at the recording location. The tape transport mechanism with recording and playback heads, supply and take-up reels is vertically mounted in the center.

The local control panel, picture monitor and waveform display are located at eye level in the adjacent racks. Also included in the system is a remote control panel which permits handling of all basic operating functions from a remote location.
.

• Anmerkung : Es wird hier indirekt durch Weglassen beschrieben, daß 3 von den 6 Racks im Arbeitsraum (control room) aufgestellt werden müssten und 3 weitere Racks irgendwo im Backend "hinter den Kulissen".

.

The RCA Video Tape Recorder records both audio and video signals on a single magnetic tape in the form of magnetic patterns. For playback these patterns are, in turn, scanned and processed to reproduce the original signals.

The magnetic patterns on the tape are comprised of "tracks" which are registered as the tape and magnetic recording heads move with respect to each other. The tracks containing picture information are transverse to the tape while the sound track is recorded along one edge. (See Fig. 3.)

Along the opposite edge of the tape art two narrow tracks, one for a control signal and the other for an audio cuing signal. The control signal is used in playback to assure that the magnetic heads properly trace the transverse recorded tracks.

The audio cuing signal is for the use of recording operators to relay special operative instructions for the information of personnel on playback.
.

Next along the path is the tape capstan which provides the prime moving force for the longitudinal motion of the tape. The tape is friction coupled to the capstan by means of a pressure roller.

During recording the capstan speed is stabilized by a method of control which utilizes a reference signal from the station sync generator. Once past the capstan, the tape passes over a tape guide and then is wound on the take-up reel.
.

The signals from the four heads on the rotating head wheel are fed by means of slip rings to four preamplifiers. An electronic switching system selects the successive groups of preamplifier output signals to reconstitute the recorded signal.

In the case of color operation, additional electronic processing of the color TV signal is accomplished to re-establish the sub-carrier burst to chrominance signal phase relationship that existed in the recorded color signal.
.