TELEVISION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 16

TELEVISION

GREAT BRITAIN LEADS INTEREST IN AMERICA AND GERMANY Germany and America are watching closely the 16 British manufacturers who are turning out television sets for the public, and have given Great Britain a definite lead in television sets over both countries. Indeed (says the London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald) while Germany and America are still concerned with ambitious plans for the construction of transmitting stations, Great Britain is concentrating on the manufacture of sets, the demand for which is keen as a result of the service transmitted by the 8.8. C. from Alexandra Palace. Nevertheless, there is a good deal of criticism of the fact that, while British manufacturers are doing all the exploratory work for the world s potential manufacturers, so far as the building of reliable sets is concerned, enough attention is not being given to the creation of stronger transmission stations. Some say that this will mean that by the time British manufacturers have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on experimental work with Sets, the Americans and‘Germans, profiting from the British work, will be able to forge ahead. In any case, it is argued Great Britain will have to have stronger stations if she is to meet the demand her own manufacturers are creating for television. It is pointed out, however, that, backed by the Government, the 8.8. C. is not neglecting this important side of television, and that new transmitters will in no way be inferior in power to those in Germany and America. Thus, the allround lead .in television is likely to remain with Great Britain. The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post radio correspondent states that there is still no regular public service in America comparable with that given by the 8.8. C. from Alexandra Palace. New York’s station, ideally situated on the summit of the Empire State Building, 1248 feet above the pavements, is purely experimental. Its programmes are picked up by 100 receivers operated by Radio Corporation of America experts, who are measuring field strength. As a contrast he refers to the 40 different models which are now offered to British purchasers, ranging in price from £3l 10s to £l7B 10s. Ten models cost less than £SO, and a complete all-wave radio set, televisor, and gramophone combined can be purchased for £4O 19s. Television engineers are already considering the problem of transmitting pictures from an aeroplane, to make ft possible to broadcast pictures of such events as the boat race from start to finish.