Dave Plowman
I believe some studios (eg TC 6 and TC7) could at one point be switched to 525/60. Not that I can remember this being done. Someone has said it would result in flicker from the lights running at 50 Hz. I suppose the idea of running at the US standard was conceived before digital standards converters arrived?
John Wardle
TC6, 7 and 8 shared the Combined Apparatus Room (a disaster which was then divided up) and the area was switchable for 525/60 working with lots of relays everywhere which gave problems when not used for a long period. I never changed the 50/60Hz changeover switch but I think 60Hz was used at sometime. We might have got away with the lighting as it was all tungsten.
Patrick Heigham
In my freelance career, I often worked for NBC, ABC and CBS on European locations, and shooting NTSC 525/60Hz (on Betacam). I quite liked the quality of 525 colour, slightly softer than our 625 stuff, looked good from direct record to playback, but I gather that the transmission in the States was a bit dire – (hence the acronym Never Twice The Same Colour (Color?) There was always a problem with florescent lights, which produced a cyclic flicker, being the interaction with 50/60Hz.
Dave Plowman
There would be. Although it does depend on the type of tube in the florrie.
However, studio lighting was always tungsten in those days. And modern decent fluorescents run at HF (about 30,000 Hz) rather than mains.
Peter Neill
I believe we did “Charley’s Aunt”, starring Danny La Rue in TC6 in 525 colour. I remember the Gram Op winding up the SS (can’t remember who either of them were) by saying that the 1/4″ tapes they were doing wouldn’t play at the right speed in America as they had 60 cycle mains there.
Ian Hillson and Dave Plowman
News Studios N1, N2 and N3 in the Spur were also similarly equipped with a 50/60Hz changeover and NTSC coders. We had a similar arrangement until 1969 at AP. It is probably far more likely that a news studio would be used for a contribution to a US broadcaster than a production studio.
The 60Hz mains distribution was short lived in the Spur.
When colour standards conversion became available (well done, BBC Research Dept. by the way) we used the wiring and changeover to distribute the tiny standby generator which was kept in that tin hut in TVC car park where stages 5 & 6 were eventually built. Known as “Henry’s Hut” after – and behind the back of – H. E. Tarner, who was H.E. Tel. News
When I first met Jimmy Purdie (LD of this parish) in the 1970s he said, “Ah, Henry Tarner – we used to call him Andy Pandy because of his rosy cheeks”. I gather this was in their very early days before Henry went off to seek fame and fortune with News at AP.
