UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

G6Tanuki · 2nd Jan 2018, 4:33 pm

Thanks: this thread's been really interesting, both from the historical timeline and the perspective of the different broadcasting/regulatory environments applying between the US and the UK (and Western Europe) over the years.

No doubt there was another factor rather involved in the choice of valves by TV manufacturers: the commercial tie-up between TV makers and valve-manufacturers who were part of the same organisation [Philips and Mullard for example, or K-B and Brimar]. TV designers would no doubt have been 'strongly encouraged' to specify only valves made by another branch of the organisation, rather than using those made by competitors, even if their competitors had potentially-better valves in their product line-up.

Smaller 'independent' manufacturers not linked to the big valve-makers would no doubt have had greater freedom in sourcing their parts [and so if something bad had emerged - like the appalling reliability/short life of some Mazda CRTs in the post-WWII-period they could choose a different supplier for their next design].

2nd Jan 2018, 4:33 pm	#40
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,996	Re: Vintage Television Technology. Thanks: this thread's been really interesting, both from the historical timeline and the perspective of the different broadcasting/regulatory environments applying between the US and the UK (and Western Europe) over the years. No doubt there was another factor rather involved in the choice of valves by TV manufacturers: the commercial tie-up between TV makers and valve-manufacturers who were part of the same organisation [Philips and Mullard for example, or K-B and Brimar]. TV designers would no doubt have been 'strongly encouraged' to specify only valves made by another branch of the organisation, rather than using those made by competitors, even if their competitors had potentially-better valves in their product line-up. Smaller 'independent' manufacturers not linked to the big valve-makers would no doubt have had greater freedom in sourcing their parts [and so if something bad had emerged - like the appalling reliability/short life of some Mazda CRTs in the post-WWII-period they could choose a different supplier for their next design].