Myths about early color proven wrong

[Steve McVoy]

I worked at a RCA dealership in the mid to late 50s. Though the technicians spent a lot of time trying to keep the sets on our showroom floor set up, it was an impossible job. Each network required a different hue setting. There was also variation from show to show on the same channel. Also, the color settings drifted during the day. At the end of the day each set had a different color picture.

If competent technicians couldn't keep the sets looking right, it is unreasonable to expect that customers could. The stories about "how unnatural the color looks, how hard it is to get the sets to operate properly" are absolutely accurate.

[oldtvman]

Originally Posted by Steve McVoy

I worked at a RCA dealership in the mid to late 50s. Though the technicians spent a lot of time trying to keep the sets on our showroom floor set up, it was an impossible job. Each network required a different hue setting. There was also variation from show to show on the same channel. Also, the color settings drifted during the day. At the end of the day each set had a different color picture.

If competent technicians couldn't keep the sets looking right, it is unreasonable to expect that customers could. The stories about "how unnatural the color looks, how hard it is to get the sets to operate properly" are absolutely accurate.

take the movie Moulin Rouge. Played on any color set the flesh tones may seem unnatural, but that problem lies with the film not the broadcasts. My only point was looking at some of these early video tape restorations it seems like for the most part the Nbc processing looked very good. Look at Fred Astaire and the Eisenhower tape. Yes the stability of the early color sets was questionable, but for the technically savy I'm sure that was part of the challenge was getting the sets looking good.

[marty59]

Back during my tech school days in the late seventies the daily watcher was my CTC-16E (which I still have plus I had started servicing sets during my high school years) and guys coming over to the apartment just couldn't believe the picture on it...but then again I always knew how to make it look good!

I know it's been mentioned on other threads about the "color test" of watching the Simpsons...but back in the day I always thought Warner Bros. did a really good job with their cartoons ala Bugs Bunny etc. Even back then it was cool to watch classics on my dated "classic" tv!