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The tuner, or more formally the channel selector, was a key component in the television set, and one of the most complex ones. Operating at the VHF and UHF frequencies of the transmitted TV signals, until the emergence of the mobile phone the tuner was the most high-frequency consumer device!
The tuner function was therefore very critical for the overall television performance, but also closely related to one of the primary user interfaces of the television: channel selection. The tuner and television development were therefore tightly connected, especially when increasingly advanced channel selection mechanisms were introduced. From the original large rotating knobs, to push buttons, tip touch buttons, and finally the remote control: first ultrasonic, later using infrared technology. In parallel the tuner was a major driver of advanced technology development, from radio valves to germanium transistors, silicon transistors, and varicaps. Mechanical constructions were also very complex.
This book traces the first 30 years of Philips TV tuner development, its critical technologies, as well as its main application: Philips television sets. All this in the context of the Philips organisation and its factories. From the very first commercial small screen valve-based television sets in 1950, to the introduction of UHF reception, the transistor, digital and remote control, the first integrated circuits, and finally colour TV. In other words, the period that both Philips Television and its Philips Tuner businesses grew to become world leaders in their markets. Illustrated with hundreds of often unique pictures, circuit diagrams, and special sections explaining the fundamental theories of RF reception, tuner characteristics, and the underlying technologies, this book is a must-have for all those interested in (Philips) technology history.
(taken from the editor's homepage) |
