The BBC's 'full colour TV service' opened on Dec 2nd 1967 using Marconi MkVII colour cameras at Television Centre. The earlier July Wimbledon date was just a 'PR exercise' for the BBC to try to claim 'first in Europe' as Germany was well ahead of the game with both of their TV services in colour by August 25th 1967. Politics and more politics!
We will be demonstrating two of our 'Southern TV' MkVIIs in operational state at the 'Colour TV Comes to Town' event in Birmingham on 15th November, see:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/colou...ts-75577425113
You can then judge for yourself what the black and white pictures from the colour cameras looked like. It was good, especially with Marconi's 2 line Vertical Aperture Corrector which definitely gives a bit of 'zing' to the otherwise rather 'flat' plumbicon pictures (compared to an IO).
The MkVIIs were designed in 1965/66 in an incredibly short time-frame of 9 months to catch the booming US market. The 4 tube (separate luminance) was really a BBC requirement so it had to be incorporated into the design. Philips resolutely held to the view that 4 tubes were not necessary and as a result cleaned-up with colour camera sales all over the world!
With hindsight, 4 tube was a mistake as such cameras are huge, heavy and above all else very expensive to run. The black and white pictures are good though.
The slightly later EMI 2001, another 4 tube BBC inspired design (finally on sale in 1968), only used the 'highs' out of the luminance tube because of patent problems and were forced into a complex arrangement called 'Delta L' to achieve the same result. The EMI 2001 did not sell outside the UK (except a handful almost given away on demo) - the time for 4 tube cameras had gone by the time it appeared and the design was seriously dated. Marconi's next design - surprisingly (!) called the MkVIII which appeared in 1970 is a 3 tube - the lesson had been learned, and sales were excellent other than to the BBC.
The 60s was an interesting period in TV history but as ever, you need to keep an eye on the background politics - it's a very significant factor in status symbols such as colour TV and all developed countries were keen to be seen as 'first' and/or 'best'. The UK was not alone . . .
Paul M