Old color was much more beautiful

[Captain Video]

I have never had the opportunity to watch "old" NTSC, I mean, NTSC generated with the use of tube equipment. Last night I had this opportunity: I bought a DVD called "Ed Sullivan Rock and Roll Classics" with shows of black artists such as The Jackson 5 and James Brown on Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960's. Let me tell you, I was amazed. I always read about the "problems" of the old tube color cameras, and such, but not only the picture seemed VERY stable to me ( corrected for the DVD? ) but also, and even more important, the QUALITY of those colors seemed IMMENSELY superior ... more vivid, more brilliant, much more interesting, more beautiful to watch, a kind of "electronic technicolor" . Today's TV colors looks so ... opaque, in comparison.

I talked via Internet with some people and they said that today's picture is opaque because it's "safer to the eyes" . Well, even if that's true, I don't care. Those old vivid "technicolor" TV pictures were much more pleasing to watch.

Other thing that caught my attention was the fact that TV directors seemed much more creative back than, with less resources. They made good use of the effect of "overexposion" of different images on the same take, and this effect seemed very nice to me, made beautiful combinations. I don't see people using this anymore.

I am almost regretting having watched that DVD ... because, since color TV here in Brazil only began in 72 ( despite some color broadcasts in 1963, 64 and I think 66 ), I never had any intention of getting myself a color roundie. After all, my interest is primarily on B/W sets from the 50's, because those are representative of the very early days of Brazilian Television. But since I watched that DVD I cannot stop to think: "if NTSC generated with tube equipment looks THAT GOOD watched in a 1990's transistorized set ... just imagine what it must look like watched in a PROPER TV set, I mean, a color roundie of the 50's or 60's ?

I am afraid I caught the "color roundie bug" ... but shipping of a color roundie from the USA to Brazil would leave me starving!