Technology Standards Groups & Industry Associations
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The National Television System Committee (NTSC) was established by the U.S. Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) in 1940 to address the need for a standardized analog
television system in the United States. By March 1941, the committee issued a technical
standard for black-and-white television, building upon a recommendation from the
Radio Manufacturers Association (RMA) in 1936. This standard recommended 525 scan
lines, striking a compromise between RCA's 441-line standard and the desires of
Philco and DuMont for higher line counts. Additionally, it proposed a frame rate
of 30 frames per second, interlaced into two fields, an aspect ratio of 4:3, and
the innovative use of frequency modulation (FM) for sound signals.
In the 1950s, the NTSC was reassembled to tackle color television standardization.
CBS had briefly gained FCC approval for a 405-line field-sequential color television
system in 1950, but this system was incompatible with existing black-and-white receivers.
It utilized a rotating color wheel, reducing scan lines to 405 and increasing the
field rate to 144, resulting in an effective frame rate of 24 frames per second.
Legal battles ensued, and this system faced significant setbacks, with regular broadcasts
lasting only a few months before being halted due to manufacturing bans during the
Korean War.
The competition between CBS's 405-line color system and RCA's efforts led to
regulatory confusion. RCA, Philco, and other companies worked together to develop
a new color standard that would be compatible with existing black-and-white sets.
In December 1953, the FCC unanimously approved what is now known as the NTSC color
television standard (RS-170a), which introduced a color subcarrier at 3.579545 MHz
to add color information while maintaining compatibility. This standard, with its
adjusted horizontal line rate of around 15,734 lines per second and a frame rate
of approximately 29.970 frames per second, set the stage for the widespread adoption
of color television.
The development of the NTSC standard marked a significant milestone in television
history, establishing the technical groundwork for color broadcasting. Despite the
challenges posed by competing systems like CBS's 405-line color approach, the NTSC's
commitment to backward compatibility and collaboration among industry players ultimately
led to its widespread acceptance, shaping the trajectory of television technology
for decades to come.
The inclusion of "ALL" in the logo signifies that the NTSC standard was designed
to be compatible with a wide range of television receivers and broadcasting equipment.
It was intended to ensure that television signals transmitted in the NTSC format
could be received and displayed properly on various television sets, regardless
of the manufacturer or specific model.
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