The Queen's Christmas Message on 1937 HMV901

[dtvmcdonald]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

A 1937 TV? I didn't think they had fully functioning TV that early...
I know in the USA TV was experimental at that time but then when WWII broke out it was put on hold until 1946 or thereafter.

Are you sure it wasn't a 1940s TV?

I have a set identical
to that one, except a bit of cabinet woodwork,
a Marconi 702. These were the very very first generation of sets
for "non-experimental" TV broadcasts, from London. And yes, the first
official model year was 1937. The regular broadcasts started up in late 1936. At least one set, the Cossar 137T, is labeled as a 1936 model.
The 901/702 sets will display excellent picture and sound with a good strong signal. They don't have AGC, so you have to have the set and
antenna properly matched. In 1937 the limiting factor was not the transmitter, receiver, or the picture tube, but rather the camera tubes.

I have a working camera using 1938 technology and its damn hard to
adjust it to give a good picture, even with direct daylight illumination.
Its possible but unstable, even with rock (pun intended) stable power and sync genertor