Walter Bruch
Encyclopedia
Walter Bruch was a German
engineer
who invented the PAL
color television
system at Telefunken
in the early 1960s. In Addition to his research activities Professor Bruch taught at Hannover Technical University. He was awarded the Werner-von-Siemens-Ring in 1975.
, Palatinate, Germany
. The early part of his professional career, in the 1930s, was spent in collaboration with Manfred von Ardenne
and the Hungarian inventor Dénes von Mihaly.
In 1935 he started to work in the Television and Physics research Department of Telefunken
which was headed by Professor Fritz Schröter. In the summer of 1936 the Olympic Games
were held in Berlin
and became a milestone for audiovisual technology. Bruch was able to field test the first Iconoscope
camera to the development of which he had contributed. One year later, at the Paris International Exposition
, he introduced an iconoscope television unit that he had designed. During World War II
he operated a closed-circuit television
system installed at the Peenemünde
launch site, so that the V-2 rocket
launches could be watched at a safe distance from a bunker.
In 1950 Telefunken commissioned him to develop the first post-war television receivers. Some time later, he returned to physics research and later color television. He studied and thoroughly tested the American NTSC
system and what would later become the French SECAM
system. His work led him to devise a new color television system that automatically corrected for the differential phase distortion
that can occur along the transmission channel.
On 3 January 1963 he gave the first public presentation of the Phase Alternation Line System to a group of experts from the European Broadcasting Union
in Hannover. This is considered to be the date of birth of the PAL-Telefunken system, which was later adopted by more than thirty countries (at present, more than one hundred). When interviewed by German talk show host Hans Rosenthal
on why he had named it the "PAL system", Bruch replied that certainly no German would be willing to buy a "Bruch-System" (which literally translates to "broken system" in German).
He received the Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor from the German Eduard Rhein Foundation in 1981.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
engineer
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
who invented the PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
color television
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
system at Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
in the early 1960s. In Addition to his research activities Professor Bruch taught at Hannover Technical University. He was awarded the Werner-von-Siemens-Ring in 1975.
Biography
He was born at Neustadt an der WeinstraßeNeustadt an der Weinstraße
Neustadt an der Weinstraße is a town located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 53,892 inhabitants as of 2002, it is the largest town called Neustadt.-Etymology:...
, Palatinate, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The early part of his professional career, in the 1930s, was spent in collaboration with Manfred von Ardenne
Manfred von Ardenne
Manfred von Ardenne was a German research and applied physicist and inventor. He took out approximately 600 patents in fields including electron microscopy, medical technology, nuclear technology, plasma physics, and radio and television technology...
and the Hungarian inventor Dénes von Mihaly.
In 1935 he started to work in the Television and Physics research Department of Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
which was headed by Professor Fritz Schröter. In the summer of 1936 the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
were held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and became a milestone for audiovisual technology. Bruch was able to field test the first Iconoscope
Iconoscope
The Iconoscope was the name given to an early television camera tube in which a beam of high-velocity electrons scans a mosaic of photoemissive isolated granules...
camera to the development of which he had contributed. One year later, at the Paris International Exposition
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)
The Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne was held from May 25 to November 25, 1937 in Paris, France...
, he introduced an iconoscope television unit that he had designed. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he operated a closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
system installed at the Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
launch site, so that the V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
launches could be watched at a safe distance from a bunker.
In 1950 Telefunken commissioned him to develop the first post-war television receivers. Some time later, he returned to physics research and later color television. He studied and thoroughly tested the American NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
system and what would later become the French SECAM
SECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM , is an analog color television system first used in France....
system. His work led him to devise a new color television system that automatically corrected for the differential phase distortion
Differential phase
Differential phase is a kind of linearity distortion which affects the color hue in TV broadcasting.- Composite color video signal :Composite color video signal consists of three terms:*Monochrome signal...
that can occur along the transmission channel.
On 3 January 1963 he gave the first public presentation of the Phase Alternation Line System to a group of experts from the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
in Hannover. This is considered to be the date of birth of the PAL-Telefunken system, which was later adopted by more than thirty countries (at present, more than one hundred). When interviewed by German talk show host Hans Rosenthal
Hans Rosenthal
Hans Rosenthal was a radio editor, director, and one of the most popular German radio and television hosts of the 1970s and 80s.- Life :...
on why he had named it the "PAL system", Bruch replied that certainly no German would be willing to buy a "Bruch-System" (which literally translates to "broken system" in German).
He received the Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor from the German Eduard Rhein Foundation in 1981.
External links
- https://www.hs-mittweida.de/index.php?id=1698