Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve McVoy
Though the British were the first to broadcast regular "high definition" programming (because of the government-owned BBC) RCA developed the technology and the British basically copied it. There was some licensing agreement between RCA and EMI that allowed them to use the iconoscope design, which became the Emiscope in Britain.
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That's all a bit contentious. Yes, there was a patent share between RCA and Marconi (not EMI) which may well have been a reason why Marconi and EMI formed M-EMI to develop TV in the UK. One of the most important patents was Ballard's on interlace though there was plenty of prior art on interlace (intercalation) going right back to Baird.
It is a common misconception that government owns or owned the BBC. The BBC exisits in a curious arrangement which isn't a commercial company but isn't owned by the gvernment.
The relationship between the Iconoscope and Emitron (not Emiscope) is controversial. I understand that further research is going on in this field which will shed new light on the RCA/M-EMI relationship as well as much else in that period of television.