On October 4, 1954, CBS did an experimental color transmission of a Burns and Allen episode. All other episodes were shot in black and white. I just happened upon this video yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9U5oGqT0Ps
According to this video, a national color broadcast standard had just been adopted in late 1953. The first national color broadcast was in January 1954 on NBC (owned by RCA, which had developed the new color standard.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r4FMcuq5DU
This is pretty cool too, from 1958, the first program shot on color videotape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vBEMGTdDYc
Early color broadcasts
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dachshundonstilts
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Early color broadcasts
"I feel so low, old chap, that I could get on stilts and walk under a dachshund." - Monty, It (1927)
Re: Early color broadcasts
Awesome idea for a thread!! This stuff is very interesting.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Re: Early color broadcasts
Fascinating stuff! I've always found early TV interesting. I first learned about the early CBS sequential wheel color system from some articles in my collection of old Popular Science magazines.
Here's an article from September '51 about a guy who built a homemade wheel to watch the color broadcasts. (Scroll up a little from the opening title to see a photo of the setup.)
Here's an article from September '51 about a guy who built a homemade wheel to watch the color broadcasts. (Scroll up a little from the opening title to see a photo of the setup.)
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dachshundonstilts
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Re: Early color broadcasts
Trying to imagine how noisy that thing must have been!donnie wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 12:02 amFascinating stuff! I've always found early TV interesting. I first learned about the early CBS sequential wheel color system from some articles in my collection of old Popular Science magazines.
Here's an article from September '51 about a guy who built a homemade wheel to watch the color broadcasts. (Scroll up a little from the opening title to see a photo of the setup.)
"I feel so low, old chap, that I could get on stilts and walk under a dachshund." - Monty, It (1927)
Re: Early color broadcasts
Yeah, me too!dachshundonstilts wrote: ↑Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:29 amTrying to imagine how noisy that thing must have been!
He doesn't mention anything about that, but you would think it might have been about impossible to hear the audio with that setup. Maybe if you turned the volume up really loud, but I think that would have gotten old pretty fast, not to mention having to re-sync the picture constantly. I guess just the thrill of being able to do... 
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dachshundonstilts
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Re: Early color broadcasts
There's that little disclaimer, "Your wife will probably object..."donnie wrote: ↑Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:15 pmYeah, me too!
"Yes, it's very nice, dear. Now please take it back to the basement because we're having people over."
"I feel so low, old chap, that I could get on stilts and walk under a dachshund." - Monty, It (1927)
Re: Early color broadcasts
Unless she was really wowed by that 10" color picture, I'm sure that's how the conversation went.dachshundonstilts wrote: ↑Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:56 pm"Yes, it's very nice, dear. Now please take it back to the basement because we're having people over."
And concerning screen sizes, here's a post I made awhile back.