Google joins in celebrations for TV's 90th birthday
John Logie Baird's invention was impractical and became obsolete quickly, but it remains TV genesis
Ninety years ago today, in a building in Soho, the first live television demonstration took place in front of a room of members of the Royal Institution and a journalist from The Times.
A face – that of a man called Oliver Hutchinson – appeared on in a small 3.5ins by two inch picture. He was the business partner of John Logie Baird, the Scot often credited with having invented the television – or "Televisor", as it was touted back then.
The historic moment is celebrated in today's Google Doodle.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
TV's baby steps didn't exactly enthral those present. According to the Daily Telegraph, The Times journalist later wrote: "It has yet to be seen to what extent further developments will carry Mr Baird's system towards practical use," and complained that the pictures were often blurred and faint.
A year earlier, Baird had been kicked out of the Daily Express offices and called a "lunatic" by the news editor, who was frightened by claims of a machine for "seeing by wireless."
The Scot's first successful test of his Televisor was in 1924, when he transmitted a flickering image onto a wall ten feet away. Two years later, it was a clearer image of Hutchinson in a different room which is now regarded to be the first television demonstration as earlier showcases projected nothing more than faint silhouettes.
Baird's television was "a crude version of the modern telly resembling a radio", says The Independent.
In involved two large revolving disks equipped with lenses that span and broke down light reflected from any object in front of it. These reflections were then turned into "flashes of electric code", which were transmitted to a receiver to reconstruct the image.
Despite Baird's breakthrough, as soon as a newer, clearer way of transmitting pictures was developed, he quickly lost out - "doomed to be the man who sows the seed but does not reap the harvest," said journalist and critic Dame Rebecca West.
In 1936, in a battle to be the official broadcasting system used by the BBC, his system went up against the Marconi-EMI television.
The heavily mechanical aspect of the Baird system, combined with its much more limited range and capacity and the intense light beamed at the presenter, made for an impractical and physically uncomfortable operation.
Within three months, the superior Marconi-EMI was selected and the BBC's Baird studios at the Alexandra Palace were shut down.
His system did win a consolation prize though - it beat the Marconi system in a coin toss to broadcast the BBC's first official "high-definition" programme, reports the broadcaster itself.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Fall into the groove at these delightful record stores
The Week Recommends Each one strikes its own chord
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How likely are you to get audited by the IRS?
The Explainer The odds are greater for some than others
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 22, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Artificial history
Opinion Google's AI tailored the past to fit modern mores, but only succeeded in erasing real historical crimes
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Is Google's new AI bot 'woke'?
Talking Points Gemini produced images of female popes and Black Vikings. Now the company has stepped back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why Google search results have 'gotten worse'
Under The Radar Search engines are 'flooded' with 'garbage' content, say experts
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
2023: the year of the AI boom
the explainer This year, generative artificial intelligence bypassed the metaverse and became the next big thing in tech
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is using Google's Enhanced Safe Browsing mode worth it?
Talking Point The mode has its positives and its drawbacks
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Google is pitching an AI journalism tool to major news outlets
Talking Point News executives find the technology called Genesis unsettling
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Forget junk mail. Junk content is the new nuisance, thanks to AI.
Speed Read AI-generative models are driving a surge in content on fake news sites
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Why hasn't Google enforced its policy to stop climate disinformation?
Talking Point Is Google's acceptance of climate misinformation intentional?
By Devika Rao Published