Philo Farnsworth and the Invention of Electronic Television

Philo Farnsworth's Image Dissector was the heart of the first television cameras. This video tells the story of the early days of television, and shows how these early video tubes worked.

How analog television works:

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Images featured in this video come from the Wikimedia Commons, and are copyright free.

[KennethScharf]

Your description of the image dissector's operation is incorrect, you actually have described the operation of the iconoscope. The image dissector did not contain an electron gun. It didn't even have a filament and did not use thermionics, it was a cold cathode tube. Rather, the focus and deflection coils moved the entire cloud of electrons emitted by the light sensitive coating which was attracted to the rear of the tube by a positive electrode. The focus and deflection coils selected a single portion of this electron cloud at a time, and drew it into the opening of an electron multiplier which operated much like the type 913 tube. Thus one "pixel" at a time was converted to a video signal voltage level, the electron cloud which contained the image was read out serially one piece at a time.

[MetalAgainstMetallic]

Quick note:
Farnsworth wasn't living in Utah when he came up with the concept for scanning fields. His family had been living in Rigby, ID for several years, and he had been reading a book on electronics he found in his family home. He also had help from his science teacher in high school.

He's big point of pride for our little town

[ChaosGenerator]

So THAT is the origin of the Professor Farnsworth character from Futurama!

[v]

Okay. Knowing that you dont have much professional equipment at this stage of your youtube life, it is incredible how you managed the animation of the cathode ray tube. You did FANTASTIC work.

[campusto]

The yarn demonstration was dope! :D Oh, and the blooper at the end! LMAO! You are awesome!

[MEKCreations]

Don't take it the wrong way, but your videos are so great to fall asleep to. They're interesting enough to keep nightmares away, but your voice makes me relax and snuggle down. Like educational warm milk.

Hope this sin't as weird sounding as it feels to type. I appreciate your videos a lot, anxious insomnia is a pain and your videos are just the perfect balance of interesting and relaxing.

[scaper]

You mention his prodigy status, for those that haven't seen it, check out his 1957 appearance on _I've Got a Secret._ Specifically his discussion at the end. What he's essentially talking about working on is nothing short of modern LCD displays, super high resolutions, DVRs, etc. In 1957!

[paraworldblue]

Your demonstration with the yarn and accidental-Japan has got to be one of the cleverest, most effective scientific demonstrations I've ever seen. Honestly, the concept you were explaining went entirely over my head until that point, but the demo made it instantly click. Oh, and since this is a Youtube comment thread, I feel it's necessary to clarify that I am not saying this sarcastically - I was really impressed by that demonstration. Anyway, thank you for making these videos - I only discovered your channel a few days ago but now I'm hooked!

[jali]

I think the fact there are as many people in the comments bitching that he gave Farnsworth too much credit as there are people bitching that he didn't give Farnsworth enough credit means he did a good job. Focus on the technology people, not the semantics of who did what first. I don't get where people saying he's a typical American who thinks his country invented everything are coming from. He has multiple videos about Baird, this video is specifically about ELECTRONIC television, and he mentions multiple times Farnsworth's design had it's flaws. It's not "American propaganda".

[utah]

Farnsworth was from my area, Utah and Idaho. He was a Mormon, incidentally. He was quite affected during the last part of his life by the patent disputes with RCA. It actually appeared to drive him to drink. RCA was ruthless, and intent on taking television for themselves.

[TheWolvesCurse]

3:23 english translation for the german word displayed: lightelectric image dissector/disassembly tube for televisions

[OtakuUnitedStudio]

Everybody talking about Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth on Futurama, and I'm sitting here thinking about Philo in Weird Al Yankovic's UHF.

[adnamamedia]

That little demonstration with the yarn is pretty cool

[Private-GtngxNMBKvYzXyPq]

The effort you go through to tell these yarns is amazing. You are to be commended for how you thread it all together and connect the dots.

[raydunakin]

I like the way you animated yarn to represent the workings of the scanning beam.

[Rnurgundy]

loved this even though I didn’t understand 98% of it.

[larssjodahl]

I studied Engineering Physics for 6 years and I applaud your use of "this Too many "explainers" seem to like using difficult words for basically simple things. Also love your humour in these videos, how you inject humour while still keeping really interesting...

[vorpaldoot]

He may just be the inventor of the TV, but the name Philio Farnsworth is still undeniably awesome.

[thenerdmanual]

Thanks for putting all the effort into these videos. I found you via the VHS vs Beta vid, and immediately subscribed. Definitely look forward to seeing more.

[dstinnettmusic]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE

I’VE TAUGHT THE TOASTER TO FEEL LOVE