U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

Early TVJanuary 23rd 1926: Mechanical TV demonstration by John Logie Baird

Achieved with spinning disks

Rotating drums of mirrors

and flickering neon lights

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television IndustryEarly TVThe video signal from this 30-line system was low enough to be audible

viewing window

Just plug it into the speaker socket of a radio and tune it to the correct frequency

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

Early TVThe Baird company experimented with "Phonovision" from 1927 - 28

The BBC took over from 1932 to 1935 before moving to the Marconi - EMI 405 line system

and transmitted from 1928 to 32

... which stopped transmitting in 1985

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

The Radio Times, 1936

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

2 hours a day: 3 - 4 pm and 9 - 10 pm

Amy Johnson, 1938James Mason & Marjorie Mars

The BBC shut down in 1939

... returning on 7th June 1946

In 1953, branding arrived with the introduction of commercial TV

... and in 1964, BBC 2 arrived

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

The first colour pictures in the UK were broadcast by BBC 2 in 1967 when it covered Wimbledon

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

First commercial VTR, 1956

Ampex VRX 1000

Cost: about $50K

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

First commercial VCR

Sony Portapak, 1965

Cost: about $1500

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

First popular home VCR

Sony Betamax, 1975

Cost: $2295

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

The first ever portable VHS recorder

The JVC HR-4100 EG 1978

Cost: £400 approx

Video tech timeline

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

Sony 8mm format, 1985

This went through several changes until DV appeared in 1995

List of digital formats

DVCPRO - the Panasonic version

DVCAM - the Sony version

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

British Satellite Broadcasting was launched in March 1990 on cable and in April 1990 as a direct-to-home satellite service via the Marco Polo Satellite

BSB SquarialTwo BSB satellites were launched (Marcopolo 1 and 2, at 31 degrees West), providing just five channels in high quality DMAC format

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television IndustryBritish Satellite Broadcasting was forced to merge with Sky TV in November 1990, becoming BSkyB

Early Sky diskThe Astra satellites broadcast in PAL, a much lower resolution than the BSB DMAC

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television IndustryIn 1984 the Cable Authority was formed to grant licences for broadcasting sound and vision signals

... to supply at least 16 channels to 10,000 houses simultaneously

By 1996, the small operators were being bought up by large multinationals

Telewest

Comcast

Diamond Cable

NTL

By 2000, the return path of the new Broadband system allowed interactive cable options

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television IndustryBBC Three is to be dropped from TV schedules and will move online, as part of the BBC's cost-cutting plans.

Gavin & Stacey only available through the iPlayer

U25A1: Structure of the UK Television Industry

Between these two streaming services, pretty much every device you can imagine is able to receive films and TV series