VERA - BBC recording equipment - upload to YouTube

[Simon Vaughan - Archivist APTS]

VERA - the BBC's Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus has recently been uploaded to YouTube by the Alexandra Palace Television Society.

Richard Dimbleby demonstrates the new BBC Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus in an edition of Panorama in April 1958.

Dr Peter Axon is also interviewed on the development of the new recording equipment.

This video has been split into two parts.

[Ian Thompson]

was VERA ever used in full service?

[Philip Hindley]

yeah during the war singing to the troops.

[Philip Hindley]

sorry I couldnt resist that one!

[Tim Disney]

Apr 3, 2010 11:47:49 GMT Ian Thompson said:

was VERA ever used in full service?

It'd be interesting to know if one of these machines was ever used on-air outside the Dimbleby clip. I was under the impression that the BBC went with Ampex' Quadruplex system instead. The latter certainly makes more sense than a fixed head system. Half the playback time to rewind a recording really wasn't very practical for broadcast and I'm surprised nobody lost an extremity in one of those steel reels. Pioneering days though, and nothing develops overnight. VERA was a bit like making the road move instead of the car

[LanceM]

Said it perfectly there Tim,most definitely agree there.There was a like topic thread I had posted on the same subject here some time ago.

missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=1638&page=1

There is also an excellent section devoted to VERA.Which has some interesting video clip segments located in the bottom icons.Had heard some time ago that there is a VERA reel still intact at the BBC,wonder what it may contain?Never did hear the end of that topic in the previous thread here.

www.vtoldboys.com/vera.htm#btm

Cheers,Lance.

[Philip Hindley]

I presume this interview was done on 35mm film. very interesting.

[Peter Stirling]

Part of the deal with Ampex was that development on VERA was to cease and the machines be dismantled - can you imagine the Russians or Japanese settling for a deal like that?

However I believe once the BBC got hold of the Ampex machines they helped improved NTSC recording which until about 1964 had been very dodgy and was one of the causes of the widespread abandonment of color TV in the US until the mid 60s.

I think it was also the BBC that made a rig for the Ampex machine do slow motion for WC66 ?