[GreenKeys] Slightly OT: Colour TV

[Bruce Gentry]

From: 	Bruce Gentry <ka2ivy at verizon.net>

	



I add a few comments. I watched color TV grow from costly novelty and
rare treat  to universal, and worked in a TV shop from 1967-69. That was
arguably the most active time for the craft, servicing newly purchased
color sets and refurbishing older ones for customers who could not
afford new ones provided many jobs at that time.

On 3/24/17 9:21 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>     The first color TV I ever saw was larger than 12" but was probably
> around 1960.


  The original 15 inch tube was only used for a year or so before
the 21 inch round became more or less universal for several years


>   Color did not increase the audience size at all. Some people got
> color sets and watched programs in color but most people continued to
> watch in B&W.
        
The cost of the receivers AND the cost of maintanence-about
$125-150/yr. in 1960s dollars initially dissuaded all but the affluent or
        dedicated. Early receivers were sold for less than what it cost
to build them, and then for essentially zero profit or loss for several
more years.


> Both CBS and ABC waited until there was a substantial audience for
> color before adopting it. That is, they waited until sticking to B&W
> would reduce the audience size. A wise move. While color might be a
> more effective sales tool I think, for the most part, it was a minor
> influence.
        

  Reliabilty  of the receivers improved,  manufacturers had paid
back their research and development costs by 1965, and the economy of scale
         reduced purchase prices at a time when incomes were improving.
Some very aggressive male  role play advertising made providing a color tv
         socially mandatory if it was financially possible. Improvements
in operating ease were also presented in some very sexist commercials,
         implying  "Even a woman can tune the new color sets". These
factors made building the sets profitable for the first time, and very
profitable
         within a few years.

>     The FCC and industry group, the NTSC, probably did a good job in
> choosing the combination of systems they did. It allowed a lot of
> improvement over several decades.  The CBS sequential system would
> have been dead in the water pretty quickly and RCA's original system
> left a lot to be desired.  Like TV altogether, I think color came
> before the technology was really advanced enough but those holding
> patents did not want to see them expire before earning some profit
> from them.
>
> On 3/24/2017 5:50 PM, Dave Horsfall wrote:
>> RCA introduced the colour TV, way back in 1954; with a 12" screen and
>> costing a mere US$1,000, it remains to be seen whether the world was
>> thereby made a better place...
>>
>



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