The Development of 16-MM. Sound Motion Pictures

The history of 16-mm. development and some of the problems with which the engineers were confronted in the effort to obtain good sound quality are outlined. In view of the difficulties with 35-mm. film, and the greatly reduced speed at which 16-mm. film must run, the prospect of obtaining really satisfactory sound was at first far from encouraging; but with careful technic, commercial quality was obtained, and continuous progress has been made since. Elimination of printing losses by recording directly on each 16-mm. film from a good 35-mm. master print with suitable electrical compensation for high-frequency losses, gave the best films obtainable. Improvements in optical reduction sound printers have more recently made this system look extremely promising. Extended studies of film characteristics and processing, and improvements in optical recording systems have contributed in an important way to securing better sound. — Projector design has centered about questions of compactness, convenience, and simplicity as well as performance. Several of these items are discussed, and expedients employed are described. — The advent of real amateur talking pictures calls for complete sound and picture recording apparatus of utmost portability and simplicity. In this undertaking the quality problems are renewed in more difficult form, and many new problems of electrical, optical, and mechanical, as well as photographic nature, had to be solved.

Print ISSN

0097-5834

Published

1935-01

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J05436