Behind the scenes of an outside broadcast unit | Magpie | Thames TV 

I think they used to have link vans too with two microwave dishes on them to relay the signal somewhere mid point where there was no direct line of sight between the venue of what was being televised and the studio. One dish would receive the wanted microwave signal and the second dish would pass it on. Presumably in some cases they'd need more than one link vehicle.

That's very apparent when they did live interviews, especially during election nights. It was really something how direct those conversations were, even today with internet links.

I agree... HOWEVER The Marconi MK VII was not good enough to tie the shoe-laces of an EMI 2001 camera (If a camera had shoe-laces) The EMI 2001 was FAR a superior camera in every way.

@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206 - Might that explain why Benny Hill mostly worked in film for outdoor location shoots? He made a few attempts to do outdoor shots via videotape with the OB unit (and the Mark VII's) on five different shows (Oct. 28, 1970; Dec. 23, 1970; Jan. 27, 1971; Feb. 24, 1971 and May 30, 1978), but went back to film (mostly 16mm, except for three shows in the 1973-74 series where they apparently filmed in 35mm) thereafter. How was the RCA TK-47 (which replaced the EMI 2001's at Thames' Teddington studios c.1982) in relation to its predecessor?

@@wmbrown6 In many cases, film would have been cheaper, and all the paraphernalia of a full-blown OB wasn't really justified for such material, which didn't specifically demand multi-camera treatment.

@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206 I don't totally agree: I worked a lot with Mk VIIs, and they had many fine features: they were more sturdily built than the EMIs, and when correctly set up, were capable of superior pictures, as well has having certain features not present on the EMIs. And i think the camera viewfinders were better too. However, the fully external lens and overall size did make them unwieldy. Ultimately, I guess the proof of the pudding is that the EMIs were still in service into the early '80s, whereas this 1977 material from the Mk VIIs must have been one of their last outings; many companies did go directly from the MkVII to the Mk IX without going through the Mk VII stage at all. Nice, too, here to see the very typical 'look' of the Mk VIIs

True, but they didn't talk down to their audience as if they were 5 year-olds, unlike Blue Peter.

Maybe it will but it still doesn't.

Still not

I don't think a THREE TUBED STUDIO CAMERA, QUADRUPLEX VTR and VISION MIXER will ever "fit in your pocket" 👎😂😂😂

@@marcse7en 😂

@@marcse7en I do believe these are Marconi MKVIIs, which actually had four tubes.

If you look at 1:09, at the upper right monitor, you can see the shot we're seeing. I can only assume then that they were shooting themselves.

Wit no optical zoom most of the time .

@@bangerbangerbro Zooms were used more earlier because it was more cost effective than bringing several lenses wasting both time and tape on set, and in post production editing it together. Now the latter parts are so quick so zooms are less used unless as a very active style choice

@@MertBert I was talking about mobile phones rarely having optical zoom but that is interesting, I had no idea fixed magnification was used, but I guess it makes sense with how films and things like that are done.

Thames didn't use the Marconi MkVIII. They replaced the MkVII with Link 110 cameras.

It would have been, Tzadik - I worked with Link 125s from 1984 until 1992.

Except 100 years ago they had stopped burning at the stake about 200 years earlier and perfectly understood that not understanding something doesn't mean it must be magic.

Considering how many road miles that vehicle would have done by that point in its history it's actually in a reasonable condition. OB vans never got that much love on the outside, there usually wasn't much time between set ups.

What do you mean?