Television in the Near Future

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 23 January 1936, Page 9

Television in the Near Future

pAPTAIN A. G. D. West, technical , director of Baird Televisiou Limited, road a paper in the engineer ingseetion of the British Association h meeting recently in London on "Th. Present. Position oil Television." He said that in transmission, wher. the radio link was used, expcrienci was showing' that seven metres wa? the best wave-length to employ, am high aerials were necessary to got tli> rays to pass over the tops of hill and to curve down to points beyond them.

Alternatively, the transmission might be by cable, and within the last fc\ months special cables had been tie veloped capable of carrying televisini signals over distances of from 10 U 100 miles, whereas the radius of tin ultra-wave wireless transmission i only 30 to 40 miles. The cable, there fore, would probably be the usua. means of reaching important centre? of population, and work had already been begun by the post oftice on laying one between London and Birming ham. Provision of Prograirimes.

The provision of television programmes for the kome or the cinema had still to go through an experimental period, and from a technical point ol view television itself was delinitely not. so much an extension of broadcasting as a combination of talking picture and broadcasting technique, with the former predominant. A new technique of artistic production, ami a new type of artist, would have to grow. up.

Plans were in hand for coveriug at least 70 per cent, of the population of Great Britain by a network of 10 television stations during the next three or four years. During that period the price of television receivers (now about 30gns.), would be greatly reduced, and it was safe to say that by 1939 receivers available at the price of the average honie radio receiver and giving' a, bright picture with arnple definition l2in| square, and ol' real entertainment, value, yvould occupy the space at present., devoted in the home to .the broadcast receiver. This meant.that television was going to 'be a, powerful influence in pur civilisation.. Used in .conjuriefion wif.Ji sound, it .would represent; a more important step than the ajdvent ol' sound alone up to now had done.