Well, What Have We Here?
On September 12, 2012
- TV History
Well, What Have We Here? Revised
This Reeves Teletape TK47 is a VERY UNUSUAL! Having never seen one with the row of adjustment knobs (far left) on the rear panel, I did more research. My conclusion is that only the TK47 EP (Enhanced Performance) model had these. The EP model came out in 1980. The TK47A (1978), TK47B (’82) with standard cable and the 47B Triax model had no rear control knobs. The TK47B Triax model debuted along with the standard cable B model in ’82.
Here’s a little detail on this photo: This shot was taken some time between 1985 and 1987. Sesame Street was then being produced in WNET’s former studio and operation center at 55th Street and 9th Ave. New TK-47s were installed here when SS production was moved to this studio from the 81st Street Studio (Studio 81) in 1985. Reeves called the new facility ‘Studio 55’. In 1987, Unitel Video took over production of Sesame Street at Studio 55. A couple of years later, the production moved permanently to the Kaufman-Astoria studios where it continues to this day. Studio 55 was torn down some time in the 1990’s, to be replaced by the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Building.
I believe the big difference was it had 30mm tubes and only scanned 25mm of them, improving the traps and pins
After all of these years, they never told us how to get there………..
The knobs are operator controls for viewfinder cusors/markers and didn’t affect picture, except for the top knob, which was a control for the filter wheel. WTNH-TV in New Haven, where I worked, had these cameras. The station purchased the cameras for its new facility, around 1982, which would have made them TK47B’s.