Very, very early CoLoR TV

[Carmine]

Today I read the thread about color TV circa early 50s. I was intrigued by the idea of sets pre-dating the well known RCA designs. For example, this photo shows a mirror-in-lid color set from 1949:



I'd love to know more about these super-early sets, but that's obviously limited to what's already published... Or is it? What ever became of these prototype sets? Did any survive? Are any in the hands of collectors today? Are there any better photos? (Would love to see the guts in that mirror-lid set.)

It even got me to thinking it might be a fun project to build some kind of alternate-reality early color sets. (Lots of cool gear out there with trashed cabinets..) For example, what if R&D stalled in certain areas, but advanced in others and the first color sets for the public used low-defelction angles and were mirror-lid?

Just a little food for thought.

[miniman82]

Something's wrong with your pic links...


But beyond that, how early are we talking? JLB had a workable color system way back in 1928, that early enough for you?

http://earlytelevision.org/baird_mechanical_color.html

What ever became of these prototype sets? Did any survive? Are any in the hands of collectors today?

I have an early RCA CPA chassis at the museum, here's the thread on it:

http://earlytelevision.org/rca_cpa_restoration.html


Ed Reitan is a noted collector of early sets, and John Folsom has quite a menagerie of rare stuff as well. Have you seen the early stuff on ETF website?

http://earlytelevision.org/color_gallery.html

[Carmine]

I think my pic isn't working because it links back to something already hosted on VK (although it displays fine on my screen, likely because of the cache). But if you've seen that 1949 prototype set, you know what I mean. I'm aware of your CPA set, and read the thread with much interest.

However, I'm thinking much earlier but still in the all-electronic era... Perhaps to a time when we wouldn't even recognize some of the components. I think there were some early concepts that contained three guns in separate CRT necks, firing at a common screen... Far out stuff like that.

I'll check through those websites again, there may be some updates since the last time I looked.

A "parallel universe" of sorts exists in the automotive world, with people rendering what-if concept car ideas, like a contemporary full-sized Mercury coupe:



Sort of like a stillborn museum of failed early color TV ideas... If that makes any sense?

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by miniman82

Ed Reitan is a noted collector of early sets, and John Folsom has quite a menagerie of rare stuff as well. Have you seen the early stuff on ETF website?

http://earlytelevision.org/color_gallery.html

I think I'd forgotten about this link, but this is a some of what I had in mind, although I tend to think of the color-wheel sets as a "cheat".

[miniman82]

Originally Posted by Carmine

I think I'd forgotten about this link, but this is a some of what I had in mind, although I tend to think of the color-wheel sets as a "cheat".

Here's Ed's site, in case you hadn't seen it.


http://www.novia.net/~ereitan/


I think the info you're after is out there and has been for some time, you just have to look for it.

[Username1]

That mirror in the lid color set was a reverse of the three tube color camera's of the time. It's amazing to think that they made a monster of a set with three picture tubes in it, and thought that somehow they would sell such a monster to the public.....

But I guess those were only for development. I once read about the Commodore 64 and it's development. Before they got all the specialty chips made that computer, in development, was larger than 3 S-100 style IMSAI 8080's... (those were bigger than early VCR's, and maybe 50lbs....)

Anyway, I bet there were lots of ideas that never went very far.....

Now I wanna read about that mechanical color set....

[David Roper]

The mirror lid color prototypes are properly called triniscopes and a couple survive, one of which is for sale and can be yours if you've got 20K burning a hole in your piggy bank.

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by David Roper

The mirror lid color prototypes are properly called triniscopes and a couple survive, one of which is for sale and can be yours if you've got 20K burning a hole in your piggy bank.

Incorporating the base of the CRT into the leg of the cabinet seems like a profoundly bad idea. So on that basis, I'll pass.

Very interesting none the less. Who made this contraption, and when?

[David Roper]

Originally Posted by Carmine

Who made this contraption, and when?

One or another division of RCA for sure. IIRC it was the very last triniscope made, so probably early 1950.

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by David Roper

One or another division of RCA for sure. IIRC it was the very last triniscope made, so probably early 1950.

I thought I saw somewhere that a color set using the three-tube principle was actually put into production in Japan, circa 1963. I doubt they actually produced more than a few of them.

[Username1]

There ya- go....

That's the thing I was thinking of........

Thank you.....

[Username1]

Why a cheat??? If it could be done, and cheap, and work reasonably well, it would have sold...... $600. vs $1000. est.

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by Username1

Why a cheat??? If it could be done, and cheap, and work reasonably well, it would have sold...... $600. vs $1000. est.

If there were all-electronic systems (admittedly with problems) near-ready for production; it amazes me that work even continued on a system that had as much in common with a clothes dryer (and nearly the size). It would be like a cell phone with a rotary dial, in the same era as push-button land lines.

[Einar72]

Curious, but in one of my 1950's TV books, and on ETF, they are called Trinoscopes. I notice on this site, I see Triniscope a lot. Jus' sayin'...

[Steve McVoy]

Trinoscope is correct