10-09-2020, 10:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-09-2020, 10:53 AM by ppppenguin.)
This thread mentions the ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) TV studios:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/show...ost1287892
I went to an ILEA school and have done some production work at the studios.
The studios were in Battersea. I don't remember the exact address, but it may well have been Ingate Place, where Decca also had premises at one time. The studios were equipped to broadcast standards with EMI 203 image orthicon cameras and 2" quadruplex VTRs. I don't remember how many studios there were, possibly three.
I think there were 7 channels in the VHF cable distribution system which reached all schools and colleges within the ILEA area. There was also a 140MHz pilot tone, presumably to help equalise the cables. Each school had a box where the incoming cable was terminated. Then there was a cable distribution system to a number of classrooms. I think channels 1-4 were for schools and Channel 7 was for colleges and universities. BBC1 and ITV were relayed on channels 5 and 6 but I'm hazy about that. The whole thing must have cost a fortune in equipment and cable rental from the GPO. At least I presume it was the Post Office that provided the physical cables in the ground.
The receivers were made by Decca with 25" CRTs and a special VHF tuner. Many were also monitors, with video/audio input/output. I remember using these at school with a Sony CV2100ACE VTR. The signals could also be received on a standrd TV by using a Labgear VHF-UHF converter. The receivers were in large cases with doors and a sort of sun shield. They lived on heavy duty Unicol stands with wheels.
When I was at Imperial College in the 1970s the student TV service (STOIC) made a number of programmes at the ILEA studios. I worked on several of these. Mostly interviews with film stars who were doing the publicity rounds. One notable interviewee was Tim Curry, which must have been in Summer 1975, just before I went to Imperial. I have the 2 photos shown of Tim Curry in the studio at Battersea. The resulting programme is on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=G5sTIGLo79g&feature=emb_logo&has_verified=1
The original pictures were a LOT better. Original recording was on IVC 1" VTR which we dubbed to 1" Ampex "A format" which is what we used at Imperial College TV studio. I think this was then dubbed to U-Matic and subsequently digitised. Somewhere I think I have a VHS that was taken directly from the 1" Ampex and may be better quality.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/show...ost1287892
I went to an ILEA school and have done some production work at the studios.
The studios were in Battersea. I don't remember the exact address, but it may well have been Ingate Place, where Decca also had premises at one time. The studios were equipped to broadcast standards with EMI 203 image orthicon cameras and 2" quadruplex VTRs. I don't remember how many studios there were, possibly three.
I think there were 7 channels in the VHF cable distribution system which reached all schools and colleges within the ILEA area. There was also a 140MHz pilot tone, presumably to help equalise the cables. Each school had a box where the incoming cable was terminated. Then there was a cable distribution system to a number of classrooms. I think channels 1-4 were for schools and Channel 7 was for colleges and universities. BBC1 and ITV were relayed on channels 5 and 6 but I'm hazy about that. The whole thing must have cost a fortune in equipment and cable rental from the GPO. At least I presume it was the Post Office that provided the physical cables in the ground.
The receivers were made by Decca with 25" CRTs and a special VHF tuner. Many were also monitors, with video/audio input/output. I remember using these at school with a Sony CV2100ACE VTR. The signals could also be received on a standrd TV by using a Labgear VHF-UHF converter. The receivers were in large cases with doors and a sort of sun shield. They lived on heavy duty Unicol stands with wheels.
When I was at Imperial College in the 1970s the student TV service (STOIC) made a number of programmes at the ILEA studios. I worked on several of these. Mostly interviews with film stars who were doing the publicity rounds. One notable interviewee was Tim Curry, which must have been in Summer 1975, just before I went to Imperial. I have the 2 photos shown of Tim Curry in the studio at Battersea. The resulting programme is on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=G5sTIGLo79g&feature=emb_logo&has_verified=1
The original pictures were a LOT better. Original recording was on IVC 1" VTR which we dubbed to 1" Ampex "A format" which is what we used at Imperial College TV studio. I think this was then dubbed to U-Matic and subsequently digitised. Somewhere I think I have a VHS that was taken directly from the 1" Ampex and may be better quality.
www.borinsky.co.uk Jeffrey Borinsky www.becg.tv
