1953 Compatible Color TV Announcement

Airing during Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", NBC spokesman Richard Harkness announced that RCA had won the "compatible color television" standards fight over the competing CBS format and that color TVs would soon be available for purchase.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• FCC
• Compatible
• Color
• TV
• Announcement

[carborundum1]

Yes, it was a very big deal back then. I'm assuming you didn't live through that era and can't appreciate how important it was for the transition from black and white to color TV be "compatible". Had the rival CBS system won, instead of the RCA system, everyone in the country would have had to replace their TV sets, which numbered in the millions, and that was not an option. At least today's digital transition allows for convertor boxes to bring old sets up to speed, once properly connected.

[ikevyoiPhone3G1996]

I Went to Best Buy to buy a Color TV they told me never to come back again

[TotoFrancey]

Black and White broadcasts did not officially end until June 2009 when HDTV transmissions became mandatory. Today, when you watch a black and white broadcast, it is just an altered color signal in digital. Black and White television had a life cycle of over 79 years here in the US. It has served us well.

[declaration963]

I remember when i was a kid, many hotels and motels have a huge sign that say "WE HAVE A COLOR TV !" (yeah... on the lobby, not on the room) -LOL-

[thecooldude9999]

@carborundum1 and theirs still some (religious/some major networks) analog brodcasts going on.

[Creationswhisper]

Watching this makes me laugh.. the transition betweeen b/w and color is sort of like us and how we full transitions into HD TV... and look at the prices, we are paying about the same prices for TV.. betwen $300-$1000. Something is wrong here...



[nathanmoser1]

Neither can I!!- Thanx 4 telling me the great news!!!

[simwrangler]

Wow, I'm gonna to buy one of those new RCA color TV. I can't wait to finally watch TV in color.

[Potomacstud]

That's a real con man

[binoyrakesh]

@TotoFrancey thats information about black and white transmission.. I would otherwise never know. Thanks.

[OaktownABQ]

Thanks for posting this. I remember the first color program I ever saw. It was the 1967 Super Bowl between the Packers and KC Chiefs, and it was on my aunt and uncle's set.

I also remember when the only part of Bonanza in color was the opening where the map of the Ponderosa Ranch burns. The rest of the show was in black and white.

[Alternatevil]

Very soothing presentation. Too bad advertisers nowadays only care to beat consumers over their heads with false promises...

Oh what am I talking about...Advertising technique is timeless...

[supernumery]

NTSC (RCA system) gave the world colour tv. PAL, SECAM are all derivatives of it and it served us all until now. Well done RCA!