Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07
TELEWS|ON METHOD.
DIVIDES ENGINEERS.
One School FavorS Wired Ra-
dio, Another Holds Broad
casting Best Medium.

Two schools of engineering thought
have developed with respect to tele-
NIs.on One nofds that teIeyision's best
chances lie with wired radio-that is,
along the carrier frequency paths of
telephone or power lines. The other
regards space radio as the more feasible
transmission medium for television
signals.
Wired radio is making progress and
its introduction as an additional audi
bic program service is only short dis
lance away. Wired radio interests are
not overlooking television in their de-
velopmental work. They are looking
to the day when they can offer visual
along with audible entertainment fea-
lures.
Space radio. better known as broad
casting, is, of course, firmly established.
Many experimenters in television are
working toward the end that the ether
channels shall carry signals to be trans
lated into moving images at the receiver
in fact, the space radio televislon
workers have been much more articulate
than these working with wired radio,
although it is fact that most expert
ments with television are usually first
conducted with wires.
Institute Head for Wired Radio.
J. E. Smith, president of the National
Radio Institute of Washington, is one
of those who believe that wired radio
will remove many of the perplexing
problems that must be solved in per-
fecting television.
"Wno knows" says Mr.. Smith, ''but
that the invention of wired radio may
bring about the same advancement
IN the development Of teleViSion that
the vacuum tube brought to the ex-
pansion of transmission and reception
In the early stages of radio?
There would be no necessity" he
continues, for considering the width
of the wave band, or, as 1t is sometimes
called, the I0-kilocycle channel allotted
by the Federal Radio Commission for
the television transmission, because by
wired radio television signals would be
restricted TO the metallic conductor
acting as carrier. The engineering prob
lem of finding methods to eliminate
blurs on the receiver picture, caused
by the atmospheric disturbances known
as static and fading, would be over
come"
Synchronizing the receiver with the
transmitter would be simpler along
wires, according to Mr.. Smith. The
wave length factor would be eliminated,
for the television by space radio re-
that required for audible broadcasting.
The ether is already crowded and no
one can foretell when emergency uses
may demand more channels in succeed
ing years. Congestion in the present
broadcast band has already constrained
the Federal Radio Commission to for
bid television transmission on broad
casting channels, except as experiments
during the hours after midnight.
Radio Engineers Differ.
All radio engineers are not in agree
ment on the practicability OF trans
hitting either audible or television
programs by wired radio. The indus
trial doubt is plainly prompted by fear
of a disturbed market for radio re-
seiving sets. It Is also the belief in
some circles that the public, accustomed
TO obtaining its space radio programs
free of direct cost, will not be willing
to pay for wired radio service Of a line
character, even though the wired pro-
grams contain no advertising.
Refusing to be quoted directly because
Of their corporate Affiliations, several
eminent engineers in the radio field
have admitted to the writer that they
regard wires as the logical medium Of
conveying television programs when