# A question about early color television **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2023, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014 "2023-11-12T12:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/61 "2023-11-16T15:11:01Z")
As far as I can tell the picture is no different than a standard analog transmission over channel 3. Horizonal and vertical hold work as usual. The TV also has a brightness control, and as far as I can tell the picture, which I am watching right now, is a fully rendered black-and-white display. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/62 "2023-11-16T15:54:01Z")
Link to (low quality) screen shot of (cheap) Insignia over-the-air converter connected to RCA black-and-white TV: [![](https://earlyradiohistory.us/radio/sample.jpg) ](https://earlyradiohistory.us/radio/sample.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/63 "2023-11-16T17:05:16Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > This is amazing! It’s not actually truly “black and white”, is it? Isn’t it kind of “grayscale”? Yes. So-called “black & white TV” is actually “grayscale TV”. Kind of like nobody called World War One by that name until there was a World War Two, b&w TV was just plain “TV” until color TV came along. Then they had to invent a distinguishing retronym for it. “black and white” got the nod. Black and white film for movies or still prints or still slides is also actually grayscale. Sometimes called “monochrome” because that’s really what it is. One color (“gray”) varying in saturation value from none to total. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/64 "2023-11-16T17:15:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > retronym Congratulations, you used a word I had to look up! Outside of technical terms, that rarely happens! You win … [**A New Lamborghini!!!**](https://media.gq-magazine.co.uk/photos/6082cdce7c8ebed43e51bd8a/16:9/w_1920,c_limit/lambo2.jpeg) Well, a picture is all I can afford. LOL ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/65 "2023-11-16T17:17:53Z")
And a damned fine picture it is. Now I’m in car-lust. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/66 "2023-11-16T17:38:23Z")
Just a few days ago I was feeling nostalgic about old hand-held TVs. I had one similar to this in college (which I sold because of the bad reception in my apartment) > **[Casio LCD Pocket Color Handheld Portable TV Television VHF UHF TV-400 Open...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/275503487608)** > > Casio LCD Pocket Color Handheld Portable TV Television VHF UHF TV-400 TV is in original box with packaging & instructions & original warranty card (expired) Ear plug & carrying case Requires four AA batteries (Not Included) ... And I had one of these, bought used at a flea market, that I had completely forgotten about this until seeing this picture. > **[Casio TV 21 Pocket TV | Vintage electronics, Cool electronics, Old technology](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80150068350643040/)** > > Mar 19, 2017 - Casio TV 21 pocket TV That one had a screen lying flat that you watched through an angled mirror when you opened the clamshell. B&W. But anyway, I wondered what you could get in the form of OTA handheld TVs today, and there are some pretty cool choices, like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Rechargeable-Battery-Operated-Digital/dp/B00WRO9XBE/](https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Rechargeable-Battery-Operated-Digital/dp/B00WRO9XBE/) Antenna and media file playback via USB. Also by MicroSD, but for some odd reason the ads list it as “TF”, which refers to the original and very dead name Transflash. The zombie of the name Transflash just became old enough to vote, as a matter of fact. > **[TransFlash becomes microSD](https://www.infoworld.com/article/2670782/transflash-becomes-microsd.html)** > > SanDisk plans to launch a 1GB microSD card later this year ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/67 "2023-11-16T19:39:14Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Well, a picture is all I can afford. LOL **Hercules Grytpype-Thynne** : “And there are more pictures where that came from!” ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/68 "2023-11-16T21:11:15Z")
A friend of mine back in the day had a portable radio that also received television audio - which makes sense, because old analog braodcast TV’s audio signal was just an FM broadcast on a slightly higher frequency from the channel’s AM video. A lot of TV content was almost as easy to appreciate with just the audio. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/69 "2023-11-17T18:22:01Z")
Phil Nelson runs Antique Radio webpage. Despite the name he restores a fair number of vintage Televisions from the 1940s and later. As you can imagine it is an involved process. But great reading, lots of pictures to explain. [RCA Model CT-100 Color Television (1954) (antiqueradio.org)](https://www.antiqueradio.org/RCACT-100Television.htm) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/70 "2023-11-19T23:53:37Z")
I think that’s backwards. TV video signal was frequency modulated, and the audio was amplitude modulated. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/71 "2023-11-20T00:35:56Z")
NTSC uses FM for audio and AM (technically vestigial sideband) for video > **[NTSC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTSC)** > > The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by the National Television System Committee (NTSC) in 1941. In 1961, it was assigned the designation System M. It is also known as EIA standard. > In 1953, a second NTSC standard was adopted, which allowed for color television broadcast compatible with the existing stock of black-and-white receivers. It is one of three major color formats for analog television, the others being PAL and SECAM. NTSC color is usually associa... Brian ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/72 "2023-11-20T01:15:04Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > NTSC uses FM for audio and AM (technically vestigial sideband) for video In ye olde analog days, if you had a Channel 6 TV station in your area, you could crank your FM receiver down below 88 mhz (where the FM band starts, and pick up the audio portion of Channel 6 at 87.75. As a matter of fact, [in some places you still can.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_6_radio_stations_in_the_United_States) ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/73 "2023-11-20T13:48:43Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > _As a matter of fact, [in some places you still can.]_([Channel 6 radio stations in the United States - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_6_radio_stations_in_the_United_States)) One of Chicago’s most popular radio stations is WRME at 87.75, which plays an Oldies format, and is affiliated with the MeTV network. MeTV offers nostalgic TV shows. One of its best original offerings is “Svengoolie,” who shows classic (and sometimes not so classic) horror and sci-fi movies on Saturday nights. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/74 "2025-07-04T18:45:54Z")
Until this thread I didn’t realize the meme of kids too close to the TV getting irradiated had an origin. I vaguely remember a cartoon of a TV with the shadow of kids on the floor in front of it. Possibly from Mad Magazine. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/75 "2025-07-04T22:38:08Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > a cartoon of a TV with the shadow of kids on the floor in front of it There she is: the old Radiation King. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2ScUjHWUL34/hqdefault.jpg "Radiation King") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ScUjHWUL34) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/76 "2025-07-04T23:12:26Z")
Quoting **engineer\_comp\_geek** from 2023, about the fifth post from the top: > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > In the 1960s, a bunch of GE color TVs were produced with a misaligned shield over one of its internal vacuum tubes. The result was the TV would emit dangerous levels of X-ray radiation, aimed at a bit of a downward angle. From across the room you were fine, but children sitting directly in front of the TV watching cartoons were pretty much being blasted with unsafe levels of X-ray radiation. This was specifically what I was told as a child: color TVs were dangerous if you sat too close to them. You had to sit back at least 6 feet. I thought, “Who would _want_ to sit any closer? The picture dissolves into a frenetic array of dots that are each green, red, or blue.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/77 "2025-07-05T00:34:26Z")
The closer you sit, the wider the viewing angle. Kids ain’t picky. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/78 "2025-07-05T00:39:02Z")
The stories about X-rays from color TVs were prevalent when I was a kid. As an experiment, my dad got some X-ray film from our family dentist and taped it to the corners of the TV screen. After a couple of weeks, he took the film back to the dentist, who developed it to see whether it was fogged. It wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/79 "2025-07-05T00:57:55Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The stories about X-rays from color TVs were prevalent when I was a kid. As an experiment, my dad got some X-ray film from our family dentist and taped it to the corners of the TV screen. After a couple of weeks, he took the film back to the dentist, who developed it to see whether it was fogged. It wasn’t. You don’t say! > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I remember this. My dad asked the family dentist for some X-ray film, which he taped to the corners of the TV screen. He left them there for some time (several days, at least), then had the dentist develop them to see whether they were fogged. They weren’t, so he concluded that our TV was safe. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014/80 "2025-07-05T01:01:21Z")
I’ve done that more times than I care to recall. LIke I could be replaced by a simple macro that outputs the same content whenver I see the same stimulus in the form of a post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-early-color-television/993014.md?page=5)