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Old 7th Jan 2020, 3:08 am   #1
SiriusHardware
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Default BBC news - monochrome man

A short interview with a gentleman who repairs old mono TVs and watches modern broadcast material on them. Is he among us, and if not, why not?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...-of-monochrome
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 11:41 am   #2
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Yes its me. They said they would advise me before putting this up so this is quite a shock to see this lol.
It all came about before Christmas when the TV Licencing figures were released and there was quite a shock about the number of TV licences still being issued. A feature about this was done on BBC Radio Bristol. The question was also asked about how an old black and white television could be made to work with digital television. A few people did explain but they liked my explanation and came around to my house to do a feature on it. He was there for over two hours. It was quite an interesting morning. With the highlight
being the look on the journalists face during the warm up period of the ITT hybrid set.
One thing they did get wrong was that I am not retired which sadly I am not. I am now employed as a Lab Technician at the University of Bath.
There is quite a storey to the run up to this interview including clearing a long standing fault on the ITT VC205, which I will try and put a write up on here, and trying to sort out a rather strange digital reception issue which is still on going.
I will try and put a write up here about the
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 2:15 pm   #3
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Well done Simon. You come across very well, not just made out to be some weirdo surrounded by old junk to remind him of the good old days!

The sets look wonderful too.

Nick.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 2:23 pm   #4
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

That was really good Simon. I get the impression that people in the Media nowadays have even less idea of how things work/ed.... then or today
I remember the panic in some quarters when Digit-Al was on his way and people were being told that their sets wouldn't function anymore!
Not by the Broadcasting Authorities I hasten to add, who tried to emphasise that a FV Box would keep license payers "looking in" on their existing set-even in B+W. They couldn't seem to get the message across initially to some viewers and the confused print/TV media didn't help very much.

I only watch in black and white in the sense that I have a 5" Sony Caravan Portable set that I use as a monitor with a VCR to indicate when the program I'm going to record is coming up! It might be psychological but B+W 2nd WW films look particularly good on that small screen! I'm "up to date" otherwise with Flat screens and DVD Recorders etc but I've a lot of the old stuff still. People look at older tech/78's and open fires etc with amazement these days.

There is now the excellent Talking Pictures FV Channel of course, with it's "mostly monochrome" output. One of the very best places to "view" really excellent B+W sets operating at maximum definition and efficiency [whether you are technical or not and my brother isn't] is one of the Mike Barker organised displays at Golbourne BVWS events in Warrington. Do you contribute to that in anyway I wonder?

Regarding the amount of time spent bemusing the TV Crew, did it not culminate in a longer item, for your local TV News channel as well, or perhaps elsewhere? Seem a shame if that didn't happen.
As Nick said, your presentation is very clear and professional.

Dave W

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Old 7th Jan 2020, 3:38 pm   #5
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave walsh View Post
It might be psychological but B+W 2nd WW films look particularly good on that small screen!
That reminds of occassions in the early days of colour television when some monochrome films were broadcast with the colour not supressed, and they looked awful unless you turned the colour saturation right down. I've not been particularly of this in recent years, but I can well believe that monochrome material does look better on a monochrome screen.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 4:37 pm   #6
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Things have moved on. Our local BBC regional magazine programme Points West are coming around tonight to do a couple of minutes live broadcast from my workshop. If all goes well it should go out at about 6.45pm tonight.
The only fly in the ointment is both my Freeview boxes are playing up since the Mendip channels were changed due to the 700Mhz band clearance, and both are suffering intermittent freezing and blocking. One of the boxes is only three years old!
There is a certain irony that the 1970's tech is working perfectly but its the modern digital tech which is causing so much grief.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 4:56 pm   #7
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

That was very good Simon - the journos usually have an 'agenda' but this one just let you talk which was brilliant.

Good luck for this evening!

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 5:00 pm   #8
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies View Post
There is a certain irony that the 1970's tech is working perfectly but its the modern digital tech which is causing so much grief.
... a point well worth putting across if things go awry.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 6:18 pm   #9
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Nick (the Dentist) - just love your turn of phraseology in post #3

When I read that, I was immediately reminded of an article in the 'Gloucester Echo' newspaper of many years ago, which featured a guy who had filled his entire house with old gas cookers . . . . that was his hobby, and I do believe that he was unmarried.
Oh, well, each to his own . . .

Al.

Last edited by Skywave; 7th Jan 2020 at 6:25 pm.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 6:53 pm   #10
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

I hope it all goes well for Simon. They might put a bit of it up on the BBC News Channel I suppose but if anyone in the Bristol area can record "Points West" that would be be great. I'm guessing that Simon may be too busy with the Transmission to record himself! It's not clear if he can record in colour anyway

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Old 7th Jan 2020, 7:33 pm   #11
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

BBC One west can be seen on SKY channel 966.


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Old 7th Jan 2020, 7:40 pm   #12
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Thanks Frank. I'm Murdoch averse but your info may help someone else to pick it up, or even to make a recording

Dave
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 7:44 pm   #13
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Hi Dave

Unfortunately I have no way to record off SKY or I would.


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Old 7th Jan 2020, 7:55 pm   #14
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

It's just finished and was 6 minutes late and I recorded it too.

Cheers
Neil.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 7:57 pm   #15
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

I suspect it's not possible with their current boxes. One of my lads used to get the odd program onto VHS Tape for me via the scart output but that was a couple of decades ago. I was talking about the Bristol Regional Program "Points West". I presume that's what you meant by BBC1 One west? If not there's no loss involved. Thanks for your contribution anyway

Dave

PS. So you got it all Neil?
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 8:02 pm   #16
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

I certainly did Dave.. along with the rest of the programme unfortunately.

Cheers
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 8:06 pm   #17
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

It's worth remembering that iplayer usually hosts the content from all the BBC regions: We often use this dodge to watch programmes or series only being broadcast in Wales or Scotland.

The Points West page is here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...t9/points-west

The evening programme for the 7/1/20 should appear there shortly and will be there until it is replaced by the same programme for 8/1/20, shortly after that one has been broadcast. Someone might be able to grab it with get_iplayer?
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 8:18 pm   #18
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Fantastic, well done. A vintage audio/video flag is flying high thanks to you.
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 8:22 pm   #19
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Hello Simon, Just watched your snip live via my almost vintage free to air satellite box. Lovely to see a VC200 again and with such a brilliant picture. One of the best of the last large screen mono sets. Never saw many in the workshop at Currys/Mastercare here back in the day. Just shows how reliable they were. Could you refresh my memory here. Was the video applied to the CRT grid on these sets rather than the cathode or am I getting mixed up with another set. Its been such a long time.

Alan
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Old 7th Jan 2020, 8:37 pm   #20
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Default Re: BBC news - monochrome man

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave walsh View Post
I was talking about the Bristol Regional Program "Points West". I presume that's what you meant by BBC1 One west? If not there's no loss involved. Thanks for your contribution anyway

Hi Dave.
Yes that's what I meant "BBC One West" is the way it appears on the SKY guide.


Well done Simon.
A great interview. You have some fine sets there and they are working great too.


Frank
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