What Year Did Color Televisions Come Out?
Color television emerged gradually, marking a significant milestone in broadcasting history. While experimentation began much earlier, the first color television broadcasts for the public didn’t happen until the mid-1960s. This article explores the key dates and events that ushered in the era of color TV.
The Dawn of Color TV Broadcasting
The BBC spearheaded the introduction of color television in the UK. In 1966, they broadcast the election coverage to America using the Early Bird satellite, taking advantage of America’s earlier adoption of color technology. However, UK viewers still received only black and white broadcasts at that time. The true arrival of color television for British audiences came on July 1, 1967. BBC2 marked the occasion with a broadcast of the Wimbledon tennis championships, presented by David Vine. This historic event utilized the Phase Alternating Line (PAL) system, developed by German engineer Walter Bruch. BBC2 had strategically launched in black and white in 1964 with a high resolution of 625 lines, laying the groundwork for the PAL color system.
PAL: A Superior Color System
The PAL system represented a significant advancement over the American NTSC system, addressing issues with color consistency that had plagued NTSC broadcasts. The improved quality of PAL solidified its role in the future of color television in Britain.
A Philips PC 60 (LDK 3) television camera head from circa 1966, showcasing the technology that enabled color broadcasts.
Expanding Color’s Reach
While 1967 marked the beginning of color broadcasting in the UK, the transition wasn’t immediate. Programming shifted to color gradually, and not all areas had access initially. BBC1 and ITV joined BBC2 in broadcasting in color on November 15, 1969. Even then, only about half of the UK population could receive color signals, primarily in London, the Midlands, the North-West, and Yorkshire. Color broadcasts reached Scotland on December 13, 1969, Wales on April 6, 1970, and Northern Ireland on September 14, 1970, completing the nationwide rollout. To support the new technology, color TV licenses were introduced on January 1, 1968, at double the cost of a black and white license (£10 compared to £5).
The Colorful Conclusion
The introduction of color television was a phased process, spanning several years and requiring significant technological advancements and infrastructure development. From the initial public broadcasts in 1967 to the nationwide availability of color signals in 1970, the UK’s transition to color television marked a pivotal moment in broadcasting history, forever changing the way people experienced television.
