Ampex Quadruplex video tape machine on air

Seqence showing VT4 at Central TV Birmingham playing opening of Central news Early 1982

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Videotape
• broadcast
• ampex
• quad
• on
• air
• playing
• tv
• studio
• quadruplex

[malightcommander]

I was wondering, the pause between the first and the second part of the opening leader, was this pre-recorded? I mean, what if the host wants to make his opening sentence just a bit longer?

Also at the left, that monitor seems not to align the image correctly, why wasn't that fixed?

Very great video!

[AidanLunn]

Probably because the bigger colour monitor on the right of the picture displays exactly the same picture.

and if that b/w monitor was actually broken (as opposed to unadjusted), what would be the point of fixing it when the machine works OK and there is an external colour monitor that does the same job as the broken b/w monitor?

[SteveTeague]

On the monitors...the b/w monitor in the machine console is working correctly and is displaying the blanking interval to ensure that the video head is correctly timed with horizontal and vertical blanking . The machine generated 'stab dots' which showed where the head was phased and therefore the operator could spot a problem with any head switching in sync pulses which would corrupt the TV signal.

[SteveTeague]

Hi,

The music continues on tape between the first and second link and is called a rolling link. Yes, the presenter has to speak to time and is counted down by the PA in the gallery

Thanks for your comments

Steve

[banburyoddball]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

Have you any others that you could upload, and did you work for Central ?

[SteveTeague]

Thanks for the comment

Yes I did work for Central and am still there !!

[banburyoddball]

Thanks for this and the other 3 videos Steve. Great to see the Broad St studios in full swing. Have you got any other videos from your time there, and can you please drop me an e-mail when you have time. Cheers, Tony

[SteveTeague]

Hi Craig,

It was VT4 infact (VT3 faced the other way)

I'm still young at heart !!

Steve xx

[kbotwich]

Hey! I love the music! It sounds so magic.

[toresbe]

Fascinating! They unfortunately do not time it this well in Norway anymore. It's quite fascinating.

[julka1]

This is so interesting to watch, please can you show some more soon.