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Clubs, Groups and Societies For discussions about various clubs, groups and societies relating to our hobbies, such as the BVWS (incl RetroTechUK), BATC, RSGB, APTS, CLPGS, THG, TCC, BECG, MCR21 etc. This is NOT an official forum for any of these organisations.

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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 12:16 am   #1
chipp1968
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Default Bvws Dvd

Just received the new dvd which is good as useual unfortunately mine seams to be faulty Any one else had a problem ?
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 12:32 am   #2
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

nope mine ran fine whats the matter with your dvd?
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 10:17 am   #3
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

In my copy "then and Now" has some repeated sections, where the screen will blank followed by a "wind back" to a part already seen.
The "then and now" is extremely funny, starring as it does a soon to be "Doctor Who".
ANDY
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 12:50 pm   #4
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

What a splendid DVD and a big thanks to the BVWS and in particular to those personally involved... you know who you are... your names are on the cover!

In the silent 'Marconiphones' film, made by amateurs, we are taken back to around 1931 and see several vignettes where a Marconiphone radio improves everyday life. There is an intimacy to the way this film was made that brings the characters alive. These are ordinary people living their lives 75 years ago. Admittedly the scruffy bachelor farmer shown here has a maid (wish I had!) but these are people just like us. And in the last part what an absolutely stunning young lady is dancing with her slightly bashful-looking Dad. She would be in her late 90s now.

On then to 1956, and the Story of Television. This film is a longstanding favourite of mine. RCA commissioned it from William.J Ganz. They made promotional films for various large US companies. In the opening section we are treated to mellifluous music accompanied by a honeyed American accent speaking in almost poetic terms... "the signature of every century has been its skyline", "imprints of Man's never-ending progress, silhouetted against the ageless canvas of the sky", "metal fingers beckoning to the invisible". I could go on... this is gorgeous stuff - the grand sweep of history. Then we meet David Sarnoff and Vladimir Zworykin in conversation. Seen from the perspective of RCA, this is the story of television told as romance, as indeed it should be.

The colour film describing the development of the Sutton Coldfield mast must date from around 1950. It's the same narrator here who was later barking to us that "Industry has tremendous opportunities for the young man" in the 1959 comedy "I'm all right Jack". Is this actually Leslie Mitchell? Whoever he is, he must have been well known for this sort of voice-over work in the 'fifties. The riggers look like interesting characters, with not a cloth cap to be seen.

On to the 60s for two Trade Test Films of technical interest by Mullard: "Colour Television" and "It's the Tube that Makes the Colour". Straight away we see the impact of the 1960s in the 'trendy' and minimalist influence on the graphics, strangely offset by an old-fashioned narration style that harks from further back. I remember (vaguely now) putting these films out from Network Control 2 at Television Centre. It was my first job from school, fading these films up and down and playing the trade test music. I remember being agog then at the complex industrial processes which made the production of colour tubes possible. It seemed so difficult and so much effort. The slightly scratchy quality of the films as seen here lends them a pleasant air of antiquity. I assure you though that when they went out originally the quality was creamy smooth.

Finally there's another Mullard film: "Then and Now". This looks like it dates from around 1960 and again we see the increased informality of style which was the hallmark of the era. Is this John Pertwee and his wife? In many ways, I think the 'modern age' started in the 1960s. The main difference with the present day is that people now are only rarely shown smoking, and young women are never seen in frocks and must only be depicted as feisty, assertive characters.

Anyway, thank you for this most enjoyable compilation from a more innocent era.

Steve
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Last edited by Panrock; 22nd Feb 2007 at 12:56 pm. Reason: typo
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 1:35 pm   #5
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

I found the Sutton Coldfield mast film really fascinating as a builder I dont mind heights, but I take my hat off to those riggers working at 700 ft on a very slim mast
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 2:57 pm   #6
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

well the problem seams to start with the end of the marconi film it seizes up on the radiogram and will not go further , the next film refuses to do anything , i managed to get the others to play but i did experience there jumpback as mentiond too .I will try on another machine soon , but my main machine should be fine.
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 3:27 pm   #7
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Chip try another machine this may work
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 3:32 pm   #8
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Quote:
Originally Posted by setsappeal View Post
In my copy "then and Now" has some repeated sections, where the screen will blank followed by a "wind back" to a part already seen.
Yes, mine does exactly the same thing. I'm not complaining though, I'm quite happy to watch the bits twice

David
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 3:48 pm   #9
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Panrock:
Quote:
...describing the development of the Sutton Coldfield mast ... The riggers look like interesting characters, with not a cloth cap to be seen.
And not a hard hat between them. Someday I should like to tie a job-lot of present-day Health and Safety experts down to their chairs and show them that film. Interestingly, nobody got killed... The construction of the AP mast ('television comes to London') was even more casual.

tvden:
Quote:
...I dont mind heights, but I take my hat off to those riggers working at 700 ft on a very slim mast
It was bigger than you think: 9 feet across a face, and felt extremely stable when you were standing on it. I'd rather have that to hang onto, than some scaffolding I've seen, at all events.

And console yourself with the thought: you're likely to end up just as dead if you fall 30 feet, as 700. It's just that, in the latter case, you get much longer to think about it.
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 4:10 pm   #10
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Not entirely true, actually. People who fall from that distance generally have a massive heart attack and are dead when they hit the deck.

As if it matters, like!

Cheers,

Steve P
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Old 22nd Feb 2007, 11:51 pm   #11
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Thumbs up Re: Bvws Dvd

Mine plays fine on my cheapo supermarket DVD player.

Really enjoyed the films. I didn't realise that in colour crt manufacture, the actual shadow mask to be used in 'that tube' was also previously used to burn the individual phosphor dots in place!

Thanks BVWS and well done to all involved

Greg
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 11:47 am   #12
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Mine is fine, I think what you may be experiencing is the unedited nature of the footage, each reel has been included in its entirety, so there's small recaps at times.

I really appreciated this DVD, I do hope we see more early TV related footage in the future, I'd love to see an offial release of the earliest surviving TV related footage, such as Television Comes To London (1936), Television Demonstration Film (1937), Televising The Coronation (1937), Television Demonstration Film (1939), Television Is Here Again (1946), Variety In Sepia (1947), How Television Came To The Midlands (1949), Pre War In Studio Footage and so on. I know that many would appreciate being able to have a DVD release of these and other similar footage.Thanks again to all involved in this years DVD, stunning!
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 12:20 pm   #13
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

In the early 1950s, the lovely Sylvia Peters introduced a film, repeated every morning as a test transmission, about the progress of TV and the various 'first's achieved. I for one would really like to see that film again - if it exists.
Very nice DVD, this time. Thanks to Jon and everyone for their efforts.
-Tony
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 5:59 pm   #14
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

The problem with a lot of the stuff that was made by the BBC is that while it does exist, the BBC will not grant the BVWS copyright clearance. I believe the BVWS have copies of several such programmes which we would love to release on future DVDs if only we could. The main restriction on DVD content is copyright, not material availability.

Mike Barker has spent many many hours pursuing numerous leads through the BBC to try to get copyright clearance, with no success so far. If anyone thinks they know a way through that maze that Mike hasn't tried already, please email him at the BVWS Chairman email address on www.bvws.org.uk.
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 6:12 pm   #15
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Managed to watch it when SWMBO went shopping. Well worth the effort!
Thanks to all who were involved.
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 11:06 pm   #16
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Have all the DVD's been sent out yet?
Mine has'nt turned up yet, and I have renewed my subscription.

ALAN
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 11:10 pm   #17
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

They usually all go out in one mailing from the museum. Give it a few more days in case it's delayed in the post, then give Graham (membership secretary) a call to check.

If your membership was only renewed in the last week or two it may have been too late for the mailing labels sent to the museum, in which case your DVD etc will probably need to be sent separately.
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Old 26th Feb 2007, 11:21 pm   #18
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Thumbs up Re: Bvws Dvd

Thanks to all concerned with the production of this DVD I found the Mullard films very informative it helped fill in no end of gaps in my knowledge, just when I thought I was old enough to know everything
a big from me!
As far as the BBC is concerned, having tried the nice way and failed, how about suggesting that as the public pay the licence fee the public have a right to see any productions the licence fee was spent on!?
In this crazy world we live in it might just make them roll over and submit, you never know we might even get our own $ky programme, " when grumpy old wireless men attack!"
Best regards, Thanks again!!
Rich.
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Old 27th Feb 2007, 10:17 am   #19
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Stenning View Post
The problem with a lot of the stuff that was made by the BBC is that while it does exist, the BBC will not grant the BVWS copyright clearance. I believe the BVWS have copies of several such programmes which we would love to release on future DVDs if only we could. The main restriction on DVD content is copyright, not material availability.

Mike Barker has spent many many hours pursuing numerous leads through the BBC to try to get copyright clearance, with no success so far. If anyone thinks they know a way through that maze that Mike hasn't tried already, please email him at the BVWS Chairman email address on www.bvws.org.uk.
Well this is only a thought, but isn't it possible that any footage over 50 years old is Public Domain?

I've followed the work of the BBC's Restoration Team who restore Doctor Who and who have also restored all of the survivine Quatermass episodes from the 50's plus the classic "Nineteen Eighty-Four".

I may well not have the correct understanding of this, but as I understand it a programme becomes public domain after 50 years SO LONG AS IT HASN'T BEEN RESTORED AND HAD AN OFFICIAL RELEASE. Is that correct?

Using Quatermass as an example, it seems that the restoration of the programme and then the DVD release of it, in effect, renewed the 50 year copyright, since it was a renewed production.

I may well be wrong here, if so please correct me, but it does suggest the possibility from this that any footage from before 1957 which has not been restored and released may well now be public domain and hence could be included on a future DVD.

Does anyone know the precise standing on this issue? It may well be that the BBC would not admit this of course, but I just wondered how this issue stands legally?
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Old 27th Feb 2007, 10:28 am   #20
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Default Re: Bvws Dvd

Some stuff on Intellectual Property rights here:-

http://www.intellectual-property.gov...t/how_long.htm

It's a minefield though, designed to keep lawyers in business.

Many copywrite periods were extended when the law was made common to all EU countries. Germany in particular had a longer copywrite period than other countries.
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