TRANSMISSION OF PICTUREGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1929, Page 2

TRANSMISSION OF PICTUREGRAMS

PLANT NOT ORDERED ’ YET. PRACTICAL OPPOSITION IN MANY COUNTRIES. Although the Postmaster-General (the Hon J. B. Donald) stated at Christchurch recently that plant for the transmission of picturegrams would be operating shortly in New Zealand, there is little chance of any development in this matter for at least a year, if not longer. At present the postal authorities have neither ordered the necessary plant nor even decided upon the system to be employed. The recently introduced “carrier telephony” is occupying their particular attention and there is little desire to become involved in the added complexities of picturegrams until this is completed. No more advance has been made in this Dominion towards a practical picturegram installation than the bare fact' that when it is installed Wellington and Auckland will be the first postal centres to be so linked. Subsequently the plant will be extended to include Uuriistchurch and Dunedin, with possible further extensions to all other important centres. The picture, cheque, typescript, mathematical formula, or even fingerprint desired to be transmitted will, be handed in over the post office counter in the ordinary manner, similar to a pvesent-day telegram.

WHAT AMERICA HAS ACHIEVED.

Methods much the same as these have been employed in the Uinted States for a number of years. The American Telegraph and Telephone Company in fact transmitted a picture of Lindbergh as long ago as his return from his Altantic flight, to all parts of the country with completely satisfactory results. Recent research work has improved the transmission of pictures so much that it is now difficult, at a casual glance, to tell that original photograph of considerable merit, as well as judged from the example reproduced o.n this page. ( . The fictual transmission of a picture, or for that matter a complete sheet of newspaper (suitably, reduced)’ takes about four minutes. As in ordinary newspaper reproduction the picture is broken up into a number of fine subdivisions. It is sent out either by radio ir along wires as electrical currents of /arying. intensities. Owing to static and other interference breaking up the transmitted radio picture it' is generally more satisfactory ■ to employ the electric telegraph. '

~ AUSTRALIAN METHOD. In Australia, where a German system has been in use between Sydney and.;Melbourne. for nearly a mohth, a 1-inch picture costs about two pounds to transmit. The price, varies however according to the fineness of the Reproduction required. Another perfectly practical method, 'the Fultogruph, has been employed for over a year in the United States, Great Britain and on the Continent. It is a comparatively cheap device, and may be attached to almost any broadcast receiver. Results, although good, do not reach the very high standards now possible in the more costly commercial picturegram outfits. It is probable, however, that this method was.-used a few days, ago to transmit a picture ( hy radio from Sydney to London. DISTINCT FROM TELEVISION. The transmission of pictures, either by radio or telegraph must not be confused with television. At present this art of transmitting actual moving pictures of distant objects has not reached a commercial stage. It has been nevertheless, for some years to produce quite satisfactory television results. Unfortunately even quite a simple display requires the services of an expert scientific staff and unlimited money. The problem is still being attacked from various angles both by the Bell Laboratories in the United States, Baird in England, and Mihaly and others on the Continent.

As soon as picturegrams can be speeded up some five or six thousand times we shall have commercial television. The problem, however, is not unlike speeding * a car from say a modest fifty miles an Pour to something like a thousand miles an hour or more.