television at the Olympics...

[ceebee23]

folks,

I think it is generally agreed that the first Olympics to be televised were the 1936 Berlin Olympics using a 180 line intermediate film film system (later adapted by Baird for his 240 line UK broadcasts). I have a vague feeling some experimental stuff was done in LA in 1932 but what were the first Olympics broadcast in colour?

I would expect it was the Mexico games in 1968 ...but maybe the 1964 Tokyo games were broadcast in colour ..at least in Japan?

For us in Australia colour came to the Olympics in 1976 at Montreal.

We won't mention the mess the NBC seems to be making of the current games ...despite digital television and the internet!

[electroking]

I typed "color TV in Japan" in google and got just one reponse, a link to a book
on Amazon that plainly states that

'1964 Tokyo Olympics ushered in the age of color TV in Japan'

(I just found out that my google page was set for Canada only, hence the single
response).

Color TV had started in 1960 in Japan, so I trust some of the national broadcasts
of the 1964 games were in color.

In my home, no color pictures were seen until 1977, so with the Moscow boycott
I did not see any color summer games until 1984.

[electroking]

I don't know who provides the feeds to Radio-Canada/CBC but as far as
I'm concerned, the presentation is fine.

I was just watching the replay of the men's 3-meter springboard final,
and I was amazed by one small feature: where do they set-up their
mikes to get such clear pickup of the competitors' speech when they
exchange cues just before they jump?

[Arkay]

Originally Posted by electroking

I don't know who provides the feeds to Radio-Canada/CBC but as far as
I'm concerned, the presentation is fine.

I was just watching the replay of the men's 3-meter springboard final,
and I was amazed by one small feature: where do they set-up their
mikes to get such clear pickup of the competitors' speech when they
exchange cues just before they jump?

A lot of that is done with highly directional mikes from some distance. The diving ones seem to be from the side, but I'm not sure: they could also be being fed in from somewhere on the board support itself. Also, modern sports venues often have mini-cams and mikes mounted in odd places, like suspended from tracks on the ceiling (or tracks on the bottom of a swimming pool). With computer-controlled servo remote control, they can move them around and zoom in on almost anything. A lot like security systems, but they usually use the smallest high-quality gear to keep it unobtrusive, and of course they are broadcast standard, which is better than the usual security system gear.

Pretty amazing what they can do these days with mini-cams and remote mikes!

Add to that the computer enhancements (like the green lines that show world-record time location in a swimming pool, or first-down lines in a football game). If you are old enough to remember, just compare the coverage of the modern Olympics or a recent Superbowl to the coverage of 20, 30 years ago. Truly amazing improvements!

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by electroking

where do they set-up their
mikes to get such clear pickup of the competitors' speech when they
exchange cues just before they jump?

I don't know, but it should be easy with a parabolic mic from the side. Commonly used in (American) football games.

http://www.cybertoast.tv/prabs.htm

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by Arkay

A lot of that is done with highly directional mikes from some distance. The diving ones seem to be from the side, but I'm not sure: they could also be being fed in from somewhere on the board support itself. Also, modern sports venues often have mini-cams and mikes mounted in odd places, like suspended from tracks on the ceiling (or tracks on the bottom of a swimming pool). With computer-controlled servo remote control, they can move them around and zoom in on almost anything. A lot like security systems, but they usually use the smallest high-quality gear to keep it unobtrusive, and of course they are broadcast standard, which is better than the usual security system gear.

Pretty amazing what they can do these days with mini-cams and remote mikes!

Add to that the computer enhancements (like the green lines that show world-record time location in a swimming pool, or first-down lines in a football game). If you are old enough to remember, just compare the coverage of the modern Olympics or a recent Superbowl to the coverage of 20, 30 years ago. Truly amazing improvements!

I remember when they showed the downs and yardage in football where they basically used a character generator imposed on the screen. BTW, I think the first color telecast of the Olympics, at least for the USA, is the 1964 Tokyo games plus they share another first, the first to use the Telstar satellite for relays back home. I think they only could have a few hours of live TV though due to Telstar's orbit.

BTW, I'm still using the same TV now as I did for the 1984 Sareyevo (sp) Winter games.

[KentTeffeteller]

Hi,

The 1964 Olympics were the first color Olympic telecasts and the first Olympics telecast via satellite. Helped sell Roundies then too!

[Steve D.]

To follow up on the previous posts: NBC telecast, in color, the 1964 Olympics summer games opening ceremonies from Japan. The first cross pacific satellite color telecast. I would assume an NHK feed with American commentary.

-Steve D.

[mocom70]

In reference to the first post in this thread, I am amazed with the HD picture and the surround sound coming from NBC out of Grand Rapids, MI on my antenna. I watch this and it went through my mind that I thought I would never see such a clear picture from halfway around the world in my lifetime. Is it possible the Australian network that is picking up the NBC feed is mucking it up somehow?
I recall watching the ABC feeds from the winter games. I think it was 1968,
and we thought that it being in color was cool enough.

[ceebee23]

oh the problems with the coverage are not technical ..it is about showing stuff on delay ....not live ..pretending it is live.... and relentless almost continuous commercials and the generally choppy and disjointed coverage driven by commercial concerns not quality!!

[firenzeprima]

In Italy the first Olympics in "living color" officially transmitted by RAI, on an experimental basis, were those of Monaco 1272.
Here forward an extract from my university thesis.
<<... To satisfy the parties are contenders ended up taking a typical decision
Italian was established to transmit by both systems for the Olympics
Monaco of 1972. This solution ridette hopes the French, but did jump
on all the anger that German politicians threatened not to grant more
requested loan of two million Dollars. Despite all the evening of 26
August iridati the circles of the Olympic banner appeared on the video. Even
was also taken into consideration by the Italian government, called
to choose between the French and Germans opting "salomone way" for some and
cunning for other the adoption of both systems, accepting the formula
"bistandard" but this assumption proved to be technically and economically
now impractical for the fact that it would increase the cost of radio
broadcasting and TV not to mention the controversy that would
triggered on which programs broadcast in PAL and what in S.E.C.A.M. with
all background to the case. .... >> As you can see in Italy the simple things come always made complex. All decision-making on the introduction of color TV system lasted well 12 years!