Evening star., 1950-10-14
Color ~ Acceptance
Entirely Up 10 Public,
Set Makers Say
BY the Assoeiuied Press

0Vt sEuNVH IVY
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Oct. 14.-It be-
came apparent today the battle
of color television will be fought
all over again. with the public as
referee this time.
Most big manufacturers made
it clear yesterday they have. no
present intention of making sets
for the color method of the
Columbia Broadcasting System,
approved Wednesday by the Fed
eral Communications Commission.
CHS contends there will be a
heavy demand for such sets. Net
work officials say CHS offices have
received thousands of calls from
video fans wanting to know how
soon color programs will be on
the air and from service men
wanting instructions on how to
convert present type sets to receive
CHS color.
Smaller Manufacturers Ready.
Some smaller manufacturers
already have announced plans for
making the converters, and have
been making inquiries of CHS as
to the manufacture of color sets.
Industry observers declare the
public's reaction to converters and
sets offered by smaller manu-
facturers probably will tell the
tale-whether CHS color will
catch on and the big set makers
will have to turn out sets, or
whether the public will be in
different.
The attitude of the big manu-
facturers refusing to 60 along
with CHS color was fairly well
summed up here by Robert w.
Calvin. executive vice president of
Motorola. Inc, who said his COM
pany had no plans for making
color sets.
TuDllc opinion Awaited.
Mr.. Calvin said the company
did not believe there would be
sufficient demand for sets or for
converters for present sets to war
rant their manufacture by
Motorola. He declared the com
pany planned no legal action
against the decision of the FEC,
as planned by at least one other
manufacturer, because it felt
public opinion will make the
decision.
All sides, meanwhile, sought to
reassure present and prospective
set owners that the present black
and white service-with its big
time programs-Will not be dis
turbed and that CHS color will be
supplementary. at least for a long
time.
j. R. Poppele, president of the
Television Broadcasters Associa-
ton, issued statement emphasiz-
ing that the decision specifically
authorized the continuance of
black-and-white television on the
fpresent basis.
Conversion Will Be Gradual.
He predicted any conversion to
color would be gradual, both in
studios OF television stations and
in sets in homes, with the process
being slowed by demands on the
industry arising from the present
national emergency. ,k So
A spot check across the country
by the Associated Press. showed
public uncertainties sover the
meaning of the color decision had
slowed television set sales in some
areas. but that sales were normal
in others.
Most dealers forecast sales
would quickly return to normal
when the public fully understood
the sltuation-that present black
and-white programs would be un-
disturbed and that color would
be supplementary and optional.
Two Points Still Criticized.
Set makers continued to direct
criticism mostly against two fea-
lures OF CHS color: The fact that
1t is incompatible with present
standards and cannot be received
on present sets even in black-and-
white unless they are adapted, and
the limitation of the size of
color picture to 1912 inches at
the present stage of DEVELOPMENT
in which a motor driven color
disc is used to give color to the
images.
CHS and the FEC both have
pointed out that development of a
satisfactory tri-color direct view
tube would remove the size limi-
tation and make it possible to dis
card the motor and disc. The
commission also said it made a de-
cision at this time instead of watt
ing longer because any further
delay would have increased the
number Of sets built without pro-
visions for receiving even black
and-white images from CHS color
telecaSts. This, it said, would
|aggravate the problem of adopting
CHS color later.