Separation of sound and picture

[FloridaBear1776]

As many of you know, before 1978 TV networks transmitted video and audio on separate circuits around the country. It seems odd now, since over the air transmission has always combined sound and picture in one carrier. Did AT&T do it this way because they could charge more by having two separate circuits?

Also, watching ESPN Classic it seems that the audio on many of the classic
college football and NBA matches sounds clearer than I remember it. Does that mean the networks used lower-quality circuits to their affiliates, than they used to get sound back from a remote game site to New York?

 

[bierkenstock]

AT&T used Class A network lines for network TV audio, the same lines used for network radio. The standard for these lines were set for AM radio. Even though TV broadcasts in FM audio, what you got pre-satellite was AM quality sound (except for local broadcasts, and in New York where network feeds originated).

> As many of you know, before 1978 TV networks transmitted
> video and audio on separate circuits around the country. It
> seems odd now, since over the air transmission has always
> combined sound and picture in one carrier. Did AT&T do it
> this way because they could charge more by having two
> separate circuits?
>
> Also, watching ESPN Classic it seems that the audio on many
> of the classic
> college football and NBA matches sounds clearer than I
> remember it. Does that mean the networks used lower-quality
> circuits to their affiliates, than they used to get sound
> back from a remote game site to New York?
>

 

[oldiesfan]

> AT&T used Class A network lines for network TV audio,
> the same lines used for network radio.

5 kHz bandwidth.

Try this link-- http://users.adams.net/~jfs/netsnd.htm
--for a good piece on the "sound" of network audio.
Although it is about network radio and pre-dates the
specific topic here, it does refer to the standard
AT&T 5 kHz line which survived until, as previously
stated, 1978 or so.


> ...what you got pre-satellite was AM quality sound
> (except for local broadcasts, and in New York where
> network feeds originated).

Besides New York you would also hear better-quality
(15 kHz) audio in El-Lay on network shows originated
from the left coast facilities--as opposed to programs
coming down the line from New York and airing either
live or recorded for later playback.

 

[bhayes1016]

I have a copy of a network master tape of a Monday Night Football game from 1971; it may be the age of the master tape, but it sounds horrible. In fact, there is no sound for about 5 minutes during the second quarter (during which time an announcer comes on to reassure you that it's not your set).

 

[bpatrick]

> > AT&T used Class A network lines for network TV audio,
> > the same lines used for network radio.
>
> 5 kHz bandwidth.
>
> Try this link-- http://users.adams.net/~jfs/netsnd.htm
> --for a good piece on the "sound" of network audio.
> Although it is about network radio and pre-dates the
> specific topic here, it does refer to the standard
> AT&T 5 kHz line which survived until, as previously
> stated, 1978 or so.
>
>
> > ...what you got pre-satellite was AM quality sound
> > (except for local broadcasts, and in New York where
> > network feeds originated).
>
> Besides New York you would also hear better-quality
> (15 kHz) audio in El-Lay on network shows originated
> from the left coast facilities--as opposed to programs
> coming down the line from New York and airing either
> live or recorded for later playback.
>
For some reason, I always thought NBC sounded worse than
ABC or CBS. The sound seemed to be coming from a restroom
or somewhere, but was always harder for me to hear, like they
hadn't turned the volume up high enough. To a lesser extent,
I think it's still true. Is this my imagination?