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Cable TV History. Hobbyists to Multinationals. Cable was like a hobby….
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Cable TV History Hobbyists to Multinationals
Cable was like a hobby… • Cable was like a hobby. We were fooling around with radio stations and signals and looked around to find that you could string a cable and pick up TV and radio station signals. When Martin Malarkey, who owned a music store at the time and was selling TV sets, found a great TV picture in his New York hotel room, he thought he could do that in Pottsville, Pa.
Cable – 1950s • single-channel "strip-amp" amplifier
Cable – 1950s • 1953-54, C-COR Electronics • cable-powered and messenger-mounted amplifiers
Cable – 1950s • 1956-1957 Solid state electronics • Challenges: • No satellites • No microwaves • Co-channel problems
Cable – 1960s • Solid state technology reaches full potential • Mandell Converter
Cable – 1960s • Mandell converter • Originally, 12 channels • Eliminate off-air interference • Amplitude Modulated Link (AML) • Microwaves • Multiple signals • Transistor Main Line (TML)
Cable – 1970s • Starline One, first “modern” transistor amplifier • Satellites are born • FCC interest
Cable – 1970s • 1973: 35-channel (50-300 MHz) solid-state amplifiers • HBO • Channel Expansion
Cable – 1980s • Direct Broadcast Satellite • Fiber optics • Compression • Coaxial
Cable – 1990s • Digital video (HDTV) • Piracy • Personal Communication Services (PCS) • “strategic alliance” and “convergence” • International • Cable modems • 1996: deregulation