The Story of Television

Tape about the development of television, produced by RCA and emphasizing their contributions.

0:23Copy video clip URL Opening credits. RCA presents The Story of Television. 1956. Voice over discusses imprints of progress on the earth. He describes our era as the era of television. He describes the limitations of the eye and claims that television is the most advanced type of vision. Credits the development of television to the heads of RCA. David Sarnoff and Dr. Vladimir Zworykin talk about the early days of television’s development. They are clearly reading cue cards for their “informal discussion.”  They show early and contemporary versions of the television pickup tube.

5:54Copy video clip URL Voice over describes inventions that have improved the quality of television. We then see an illustration that explains how a television works.

8:24Copy video clip URL 1931. Television antenna is hooked up on top of the Empire State Building. Then voice over discusses improvements in television resolution.

9:43Copy video clip URL 1939. Television is introduced at the World’s Fair. First President ever televised was FDR. Voice over discusses the development of television programs.

11:43Copy video clip URL 1941. War. Television is halted for the duration of the war. Much television research is completed at this time, some of which contributed to war technology.

12:57Copy video clip URL 1945. War over. Television enters the peacetime picture. RCA realized that competition was necessary for television to blossom, so it made its blueprints public.

14:01Copy video clip URL NBC studios were beginning to flourish. Programming was improving and becoming more varied.

15:41Copy video clip URL 1949. Truman’s inauguration televised. Television could be broadcast nationally.

16:15Copy video clip URL Voice over begins to describe the development of color TV. Sarnoff talks of the desire for color TV and congratulates the pioneers of color television.

18:26Copy video clip URL Voice over begins to explain how color TV works. Talks about the first west to east color transmission in 1954.

21:08Copy video clip URL Voice over talks about how the addition of color was integrated into television production. 1955 the first color transmission of the World Series. Also in 1955 the first color transmission of the Davis Cup.

24:23Copy video clip URL Voice over describes hope for the future that international television will be available around the world in our homes – the world will be linked by instantaneous television communication.

26:09Copy video clip URL Closing credits.

26:35Copy video clip URL End of tape.