How Was Video Invented?
Veritasium・12 minutes read
Film and video have both evolved significantly over time, with innovations like the fax machine by Alexander Bain and the Nipkow disk by Paul Nipkow. The transition from mechanical TV to all-electric TV, including developments in color TV like the cathode-ray tube, played a crucial role in shaping modern television technology.
Insights
- Film and video have distinct histories, with film focusing on static images captured on a two-dimensional medium, while video involves moving electronic images and underwent significant technological advancements like the transition from mechanical to all-electric TV.
- Innovations like the Nipkow disk and the cathode-ray tube revolutionized the development of moving images and television, leading to advancements in resolution and color TV technology, showcasing the evolution of visual media from mechanical to electronic formats.
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Recent questions
What is the difference between film and video?
Film involves capturing images on a two-dimensional piece of film, while video captures moving electronic images.
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Summary
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Evolution of Film and Television Technology
- Film involves focusing a two-dimensional image onto a two-dimensional piece of film to create a photo.
- Video, or moving electronic images, has a complex history with significant transformations in its functioning.
- Alexander Bain, a clock maker, invented the first fax machine in 1843, using synchronized pendulums to transmit static images.
- Paul Nipkow patented the Nipkow disk in 1884, a scanning device with pinholes for creating moving images.
- Mechanical TV was phased out by 1939 in favor of all-electric TV, specifically the cathode-ray tube.
- Color TV development included dead ends like a spinning color wheel and the triniscope monitor with three cathode ray tubes.
- The cathode-ray tube TV resolution was around 480 lines, leading to the option of 480p on YouTube.
- The image orthicon tube, known as Emmy, was a common vacuum tube design for creating television images.
- Before video tape recorders, TV programs were time-delayed by filming a television screen with a cinema camera and broadcasting the film.
