Evening star., 1951-07-10
On the Air
RCA Shows
Improved
|CoIor TV
By Harry Macarthur
NEW YORK.


vision yet seen. The hues pro-
duced on. the face of the tri-color
tube are both pleasant to the
eye and widely varied in shade.
The approval by the FEC of the
Columbia Broadcasting Systems S
field -sequential color system OBJ
viously has not dampened the en-
Ithusiasm for their own system of
the scientists in the RCA labora-
tories. They have managed to
eliminate almost all of the short
Icomings of the then vastly inn
proved system seen last Decem-
Der in Washington. at least as far
as the naked eye can determine
RCA now has color system, its
engineers and executives obviously
feel, which needs to fear no COM
petition from any other. It is
ready. DR.. E. w. Engstrom, RCA
vice president in charge of re-
search, said in reply to the di-
rect question. to be tested along
side of any other color television
in the simultaneous televising of
the same scene and action.
** **
The demonstration yesterday
was the first of a series of field
tests to show "the flexibility and
effectiveness of the RCA system
under regular broadcasting con-
ditions." The color programs are
to be broadcast outside of regular
program hours over WNBTs reg
ular Channel 4 from the antenna
atop the Empire State Building.
Since the RCA system is COM
patible-producing a black-and-
white picture at least as good as
the normal one on monochrome
sets-viewers in the Manhattan
area are being asked to report by
postcard on their reception. The
NBC switchboard was jammed be-
fore the end of yesterdays first
colorcast, by viewers who couldn I
wait to write to record their en-
thusiasm for compatibility.
Yesterdays initial program ir
the field test series was a varied
one which amply proved the ver-
satility of RCA's color TV. Nan.
cite Fabray, Dancer Ray Malone
Singer Yma Sumac, Howdy-
Doody. George Burton and his
love birds and a set of Powers
models paraded a variety of color
before the cameras and it was
handsomely reproduced.
AS a surprise finale, the pro-
gram was switched to a remote
location for a performance by
Buster Crabbe and a set of swim
ming beauties at the Palisades
Amusement Park, across the Hud-
son. 1t was this which gave final
emphasis to RCA's claims for its
method of producing color tele-
vision.
It Is impossible to judge the
fidelity of any color reproduction
without seeing the object and the
color picture of 1t at the same
time. Flesh tones are about the
only hint you have when you see
only the picture and those seer
Yesterday on RCA's color set were
the most natural, most life-like
yet seen.
They did not vary, but held
true to life when the switch was
made from one camera to another
| in the studio and, more signifi-
Icantly. when the switch was made
from indoor artificial light to out
door natural light of day.
Another hint of the RCA sys.
TENS color fidelity could be seer
during the outdoor scenes, wher
the camera picked up a row oi
breeze-swept trees in the far back.
ground. The deep green of the
foliage and the pale green of the
underside of the wind-turnec
leaves were as rue-to-life as any
you ever saw without looking at q
real tree.
VI ~ - -
One Of the reflnements of the
dot-sequential color TV methoc
since last December seems to have
produced more color fidelity ane
a wider variety of subtle differ.
ences in shade. In this method
as you probably already know
color dots. or phosphors, on the
face of the kinescope tube ART
lighted in sequence. There are
100000 of these phosphors on thu
face of the tube 100000 on tn,
new 21-inch tube) and they ar,
lighted so rapidly that your eyt
sees full color picture.
The order of scanning of these
dots used to be the same-say
red, green, blue-for each field
or half, of a television picture
The order now has been changed
so that If the first field is scanned
red, green, blue, the second run
red, blue, green. You'll have t,
take the scientists word for i
that this is responsible for i'm
proving the quality of the color.
| Yesterdays first demonstration
in New York of the latest develop
ments in RCA's color may hav,
been done under some laborator,
rather than everyday conditions
but it was an off f-the-air, hands
off showing seen in the Johnn.
Victor Theater in Radio City. TIL
first portion of the program wen
by coaxial cable to the Empir
State Building, from where it wa
broadcast. The remote portion
was sent by microwave relay t
the RCA Building, and then b
the regular route.
Five receivers were employed
Two 14-inch sets g by Il inc
p1cture) and one 21-inch set (pic
ture about IL by 16 inches) wer
f1anked by two black-and-whit