Black and white tv to colour - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

rockinmark · 31st Mar 2018, 8:29 pm

Hi someone sent me this today I know nouthing about it never seen it before does anyone else used or seen one

G6Tanuki · 31st Mar 2018, 8:39 pm

There was a brief fad for such things in the early-1950s. I guess they were the logical follow-on from the paraffin-filled "magnifiers" you hung in front of your TV to make the picture look bigger.

The colour gradations were supposedly because you tended to have green grass on the ground and the sky was usually blue - I guess these 'colorizers' assumed you never watched studio scenes or anything televized indoors!

See also http://earlytelevision.org/color_filter.html

Amusing that it says "Color by Eastmon" - this is clearly a rip-off of the "Color by Eastman" and "Eastmancolor" tags which appeared on the intro to loads of 1950s/60s movies, "Eastman" being a division of Kodak.

slidertogrid · 31st Mar 2018, 10:29 pm

There was an old episode of Coronation street featuring one of these, Hilda's lodger Eddie Yates bought one but Hilda was having none of it!
Later on she got a Proper colour TV. A Gec I think and was very proud of it!
There was an episode of On the Buses where the main plot centres around getting a new Colour telly and stitching Blakey up with the old clapped out black and white set. I suppose it was a subliminal way of advertising to the masses.. if the likes of Butler and the Ogdens have a colour telly you are lagging behind if you haven't got one yet.
A lot of the programmes were made by Granada, who of course rented colour tellies...

Rich.

Philips210 · 31st Mar 2018, 11:47 pm

Hi.

I remember that funny scene in Coronation Street, Hilda and Stan Ogden, and Eddie Yates, great characters!

The On the Buses scene with the TV that was to be sold to Blakey, I believe Jack was meddling with the voltage dropper taps so that it was set for a lower mains voltage so the set was effectively over driven to produce a higher HT and valve heater voltages in an attempt to produce a brighter picture from the clapped out CRT. Quite funny, poor old Blakey!

Regards
Symon

Focus Diode · 1st Apr 2018, 5:48 am

Hilda's GEC colour set, appearing to be a cable variation of the 2028 or early single std. version was in 1971. It was quickly reprocessed. The scene where Eddie Yeates buys the Ogdens
a colour filter was in early 1978!

The set in the latter looked like a Granada rental variant of a Thorn 1400.

Graham G3ZVT · 1st Apr 2018, 9:41 am

At that time the TV distribution system around the Quay St site was a multi-pair system similar to Rediffusion, but branded Top Rank. The place was full of Rediffusion Doric sets that I looked after. It was replaced with a UHF system in the mid 80s

thermionic · 1st Apr 2018, 9:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by slidertogrid

...A lot of the programmes were made by Granada, who of course rented colour tellies...

On the Buses was produced by London Weekend...

electronicskip · 1st Apr 2018, 10:25 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by slidertogrid

There was an old episode of Coronation street featuring one of these, Hilda's lodger Eddie Yates bought one but Hilda was having none of it!

And here it is!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6w1b1XLrqs

The Ogdens get a colour tv (sort of) 1978

Peter.N. · 1st Apr 2018, 10:34 am

Well done finding that, don't they look young! I remember those 'filters' in the '50s.

Peter

malvision · 1st Apr 2018, 11:02 am

And here is on the buses episode The new telly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81BFMr1qFk&t=1292s

electronicskip · 1st Apr 2018, 1:18 pm

The question is..... Would you need to buy a Colour TV Licence?

Focus Diode · 2nd Apr 2018, 6:30 am

The Coronation Street episode is included on the Network 1970-1979 compilation box set. The TV (or at least another model of it) was seen in some other episodes. The badge is the old style compass N point Granada logo used on their programmes upto mid 1968.

Unfortunately the episode where Hilda's proudly admiring the Granada Test Card F on the 19" GEC is not included. We get to see the episode where it's first delivered and the one where it's reprocessed.

The Rediffusion set is exactly the same as the model used by relatives in the Walker area of Newcastle upon Tyne until replaced by a Mk1 colour cable model. The service closed down in the early '80s with aerials all looking down to Bilsdale sprouting up.

This suggests reception from Burnhope and Pontop Pike must've been difficult there.

The same set also appears in some late 1960s Thames tv productions including "Public Eye" and an episode from the first series of "Special Branch". Both made an surviving on 2" Quad B&W VT.

31st Mar 2018, 8:29 pm	#1
rockinmark Heptode Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 594	Black and white tv to colour Hi someone sent me this today I know nouthing about it never seen it before does anyone else used or seen one Attached Thumbnails

31st Mar 2018, 8:39 pm	#2
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: Black and white tv to colour There was a brief fad for such things in the early-1950s. I guess they were the logical follow-on from the paraffin-filled "magnifiers" you hung in front of your TV to make the picture look bigger. The colour gradations were supposedly because you tended to have green grass on the ground and the sky was usually blue - I guess these 'colorizers' assumed you never watched studio scenes or anything televized indoors! See also http://earlytelevision.org/color_filter.html Amusing that it says "Color by Eastmon" - this is clearly a rip-off of the "Color by Eastman" and "Eastmancolor" tags which appeared on the intro to loads of 1950s/60s movies, "Eastman" being a division of Kodak.

31st Mar 2018, 10:29 pm	#3
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Black and white tv to colour There was an old episode of Coronation street featuring one of these, Hilda's lodger Eddie Yates bought one but Hilda was having none of it! Later on she got a Proper colour TV. A Gec I think and was very proud of it! There was an episode of On the Buses where the main plot centres around getting a new Colour telly and stitching Blakey up with the old clapped out black and white set. I suppose it was a subliminal way of advertising to the masses.. if the likes of Butler and the Ogdens have a colour telly you are lagging behind if you haven't got one yet. A lot of the programmes were made by Granada, who of course rented colour tellies... Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

31st Mar 2018, 11:47 pm	#4
Philips210 Nonode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Redruth, Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,573	Re: Black and white tv to colour Hi. I remember that funny scene in Coronation Street, Hilda and Stan Ogden, and Eddie Yates, great characters! The On the Buses scene with the TV that was to be sold to Blakey, I believe Jack was meddling with the voltage dropper taps so that it was set for a lower mains voltage so the set was effectively over driven to produce a higher HT and valve heater voltages in an attempt to produce a brighter picture from the clapped out CRT. Quite funny, poor old Blakey! Regards Symon

1st Apr 2018, 5:48 am	#5
Focus Diode Octode Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Borough of Gateshead, UK. Posts: 1,420	Re: Black and white tv to colour Hilda's GEC colour set, appearing to be a cable variation of the 2028 or early single std. version was in 1971. It was quickly reprocessed. The scene where Eddie Yeates buys the Ogdens a colour filter was in early 1978! The set in the latter looked like a Granada rental variant of a Thorn 1400.

1st Apr 2018, 9:41 am	#6
Graham G3ZVT Dekatron Join Date: May 2010 Location: Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 18,715	Re: Black and white tv to colour At that time the TV distribution system around the Quay St site was a multi-pair system similar to Rediffusion, but branded Top Rank. The place was full of Rediffusion Doric sets that I looked after. It was replaced with a UHF system in the mid 80s __________________ -- Graham. G3ZVT

1st Apr 2018, 10:34 am	#9
Peter.N. Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK. Posts: 3,601	Re: Black and white tv to colour Well done finding that, don't they look young! I remember those 'filters' in the '50s. Peter

1st Apr 2018, 11:02 am	#10
malvision Pentode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Wirral, Merseyside, UK. Posts: 118	Re: Black and white tv to colour And here is on the buses episode The new telly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81BFMr1qFk&t=1292s

1st Apr 2018, 1:18 pm	#11
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Black and white tv to colour The question is..... Would you need to buy a Colour TV Licence?

2nd Apr 2018, 6:30 am	#12
Focus Diode Octode Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Borough of Gateshead, UK. Posts: 1,420	Re: Black and white tv to colour The Coronation Street episode is included on the Network 1970-1979 compilation box set. The TV (or at least another model of it) was seen in some other episodes. The badge is the old style compass N point Granada logo used on their programmes upto mid 1968. Unfortunately the episode where Hilda's proudly admiring the Granada Test Card F on the 19" GEC is not included. We get to see the episode where it's first delivered and the one where it's reprocessed. The Rediffusion set is exactly the same as the model used by relatives in the Walker area of Newcastle upon Tyne until replaced by a Mk1 colour cable model. The service closed down in the early '80s with aerials all looking down to Bilsdale sprouting up. This suggests reception from Burnhope and Pontop Pike must've been difficult there. The same set also appears in some late 1960s Thames tv productions including "Public Eye" and an episode from the first series of "Special Branch". Both made an surviving on 2" Quad B&W VT.