An Experimental Television Recording and Playback System Using Photographic Discs

Philip Rice, Albert Macovski, Earle D. Jones, Hugh Frohbach, R. Wayne Crew, A. W. Noon

An experimental television recording and playback system has been designed and built that employs photographic discs as the storage medium. The video and sync are recorded as analog signals on a spiral track. A 12-in diameter disc can store a one-half hour full-bandwidth television program. Initial experiments indicate that copies can be made from a master recording by contact printing. The research was completed before high-quality gas lasers and compatible emulsions were available. Pictorial information from a 16mm motion-picture film was recorded on a plate at 1/16 real time using high-pressure mercury arc sources and a Kerr-cell modulator. Playback was in real time. Details of the reading and playback system are described. Pictures indicating the quality of the television presentation at the conclusion of the research are included.

Print ISSN
Published
1970-11
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J13580