1986: The first VIDEO PHONE call made in Britain | Tomorrow’s World | Retro Tech | BBC Archive
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- Опубликовано: 17 янв 2022
- It has been a mainstay of science fiction for decades, and the Holy Grail of telecommunication for much of the twentieth century, now the video phone is a reality! But just how on earth do you transmit a video image through a standard copper telephone wire? The answer is by employing some extremely nifty digital compression techniques. Tomorrow's World explains.
Legend has it that when Alexander Graham Bell made the very first telephone call, to his assistant, he uttered the immortal words "Mr. Watson come here, I want to see you." A mere 110 years later, Howard Stableford and Maggie Philbin made Britain's first video phone call, with the equally memorable line "Hello there Howard, I love your shirt!"
Originally broadcast 13 February, 1986.
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Thousands of engineers worked tirelessly for generations trying to perfect real time video calls so toddlers could transmit footage of their nostrils and ceilings.
and so we can facetime our cats at university
@@alyx6427
The original inventors:
🤦
@@gasman1155 yes but cats is better
@@alyx6427 ないす
To think when that video must have been made well up to 3 decades ago
Unusual to see a presenter who appears to thoroughly understand the technology he is talking about. Howard does.
It’s amazing how we can all feel nostalgic over a program dedicated to the future.
2022 and no video phones.
@@reverendbluejeans1748 Your mobile phone is already a video phone
@@cocoman1456 I don't think it can. Its a nokia
This and Blue Peter were a huge part of my childhood 😭 The nostalgia is amazing lol
@@jaymac7203 The BBC need to reboot Tomorrow's World and have Helen Skelton presenting it along with dara o briain and Alice Roberts. Mmm that lot should be able to make it work. Helen presents well and is ex BP, Dara and Alice aren't idiots either. Helen needs a pet lamb which follows her around when she's filming inserts (she needs to have delivered the lamb herself as part of a mini-series) and her fist assignment for TW needs to involve a challenge or strenuous physical activity 😀- ratings winner?
Seeing digital artifacts on a video signal from the 80's is kinda wild.
80s, not 80's. Eighties, not eightie's.
@@Locutus The aberrant apostrophe was an artifact not a typo. :D
@@Locutus eight teens
@@Locutus Thanks! I don't have formal English knowledge, I learned English mainly from the internet and usage of the apostrophe on the internet is kinda chaotic
It's how you know it's working :D
Something I think many people are overlooking in this video - perhaps because of the bad description of it - is that this is one of the first real-time video compression encoding/decoding systems implemented into a a single unit. Obviously it's nothing close to MPEG, but the idea of compressing an image down into a grid and (as the clip so adequately put it) "send the parts that change", and then reconstructing an image from that using the existing in-memory known parts was a real technological step.
I'm guessing that this uses some tech that later went on to become H.261 as it's a couple of years before that standard arrived, but it also couldn't be H.120 due to the bandwidth requirements mentioned.
very impressive considering how advanced it was for its time
Honestly, I think you’re the one overestimating yourself.
I think this is in fact a description of MPEG-1 (as we know it became H.261, which led on to H.264/H.265 that we know nowadays.)
MPEG-1 was the first practical motion adaptive video codec.
@@cromulence Yes, I was thinking the same, it's definitely employs the same MPEG-style macroblocked array for encoding the video (as featured in this video, 64x64 macroblocks in this case) and it also looks like it might also use some form of DCT encoding per macroblock, two mechanisms that H.261 and following MPEG codecs would use. And yes, H.120 would be off the table, for it would require a whole T-1 or E-1 line to transmit, IIRC.
I used to watch Thunderbirds back in the 1960s and they were always video conferencing. They were the cleverest, bravest little puppets that ever lived. 🙂
I wouldn't say just the puppets, but so are the people behind the creation of the Thunderbirds.
@@tyronenelson9124 No, the puppets were sentient.
Then again, that was set in the 2060s.
@@WeaselKing1000 Yes, we used to read a comic , I think it was Gerry Anderson's 21st Century. I even had a 45rpm record with a Thunderbirds adventure.
@@DavidFraser007 Yes, they did that for various Supermarionation series I think. There were four or five Captain Scarlet 45s that got released.
Wish this programme was brought back
It was too ahead of its time
Ironic all things considered
It's called Click - BBC
Each week a scary glimpse into the misery that is the future? No thanks!!! I'd rather not know!
It would be quite nihalistic lol
This show and Blue Peter were my childhood 😭 Great nostalgia 🥰
Mmm Helen Skelton and Jodie Whitaker discussing advances in cloning and teleportation tech .... oh that'd work... oh no thats a different idea which needs to go to the BBC.
Tomorrow’s world was one of the best programs to come out of bbc, on the weekends. I miss them days.
True , when TV was enjoyable . Remember when channel 5 first came out, good times .
I was 7 years old back in 1986 and use to think about how awesome it'd be to have a video phone and how a naked lady might answer the phone
I can confirm having experienced this
@@AlphaHedgieIn 1986?
Truly glorious. One can only dream of what the future may still hold.
I can't wait until this tech is made for consumers, they said 3 to 4 years, i can't wait
It's funny how except for the novelty aspect when facetime was new and for the odd scenario, most people don't like to video call. They have to make sure their hair is done or they have a clean shirt on etc. Just simpler and less hassle to do audio only.
@@ButterfatFarms its funny how its kind of become rude to straight up call someone now. Unless it's the older generation I'd usually text someone first to find out if they're free for a chat.
@@bombski5657 I grew up in India in the 80s and 90s and it was a socialist country, which meant phones were extremely rare and it took years to get a connection. Even if you had a phone, calls were expensive and were rarely used. So calling was not a part of routine. So guests would just turn up at your house for dinner, or sometimes you would decide to go to someone and just go to their house and ring the doorbell. Sometimes even relatives would turn up for overnight stays. If you were going to someone for many days, you would call (even if their neighbour had a phone) or write a letter. We would just make plans in school for a sunday and everyone would just turn up. Jut thinking about it now seems so strange even though that's how humans had lived for millenia.
Video calls seem to be much more of a work thing.
@@bombski5657 Yes totally agree. I don't know exactly when that became a thing. Even for business, many of the calls I make - I text first. Unless it's very specific people, I never make a straight-up facetime / video call. It has to be booked!
Oh they REALLY were obsessed with video calls in the 60s / 70s. From the Jetsons, James Bond, all the way to Back to the Future. Nobody predicted people of the future just wanted to send text, and maybe an audio, not even a phone call! What future people really wants is flying cars!
This would be cool to have in the 80s/90s
Its mad to think this wasn't that long ago and I recently made a video call that was crystal clear, smooth and easy from one country to another...
On a handheld, mobile and wireless device, lest not forget. Imagine what kind of technology we can have in another 36 years.
In technology time the 80s were a century ago.
@@LasseVagstherKarlsen exactly this.
The fact the device weighs next to nothing, slips neatly into my pocket and had battery life that lasts a whole day with regular use is sci fi levels of kit when you think about it.
Infact if an 80s movie would have shown a modern mobile phone and all it can do by the early 2000s we would probably called the movie far fetched.
Sadly as for future technologies I feel we've hit a bit of a plateau, the new tech that is announced seems to be faster, lighter, sleeker versions of current tech.
Nothing new is on the horizon,.for example this video showing the leap from voice to video calls.
If anything the current trends seems to be continuing the digitisation of analogue technologies and services.
More and more businesses moving to online only, supermarkets, car sales etc.
Unfortunately the next "sci fi" leap maybe centuries away as opposed to decades at the dawn of the computer age.
@@LasseVagstherKarlsen society regresses as well as progresses.
@@LasseVagstherKarlsen 10 years ago we'd have to wait for videos to load properly for a minute or two when we wanted to watch youtube on 480p instead of 144p, now we have up to 2160p at 60fps and we don't even need to wait, we can watch those hyperrealistic instantly. Oh and don't forget the 360 videos introduced a couple years ago too.
Back then we all assumed video calls would replace phone calls, not compliment them.
Not me, always thought people would soon tire of seeing a face when the voice was too much already.
But yes, I do remember people being enthusiastic about soon being able to fit that in your suitcase.
@@CaptainSaveHoe But it stops the awkward audio conversations where a pause of silence seems like an eternity and people can't see you nodding in agreement or facially reacting to things.
What amazes me is that video conferencing arrived with all the fanfare of yesterday's news, when the possibility of it seemed so life changing in the 60's and 70's.
70s, not 70's. Seventies, not Seventie's.
@@Locutus Thank you for that ridiculously irrelevant correction.
The thing is for the average person video calls didn’t really offer much over normal phone calls, audio only is all you need (really all you want) for the vast majority of calls.
The only real advantage it has over normal phones is that it works great for group calls because it lets you see who’s talking out of the group. By the time that becomes commonplace it kind of was old news; only really existing because the tech we’ve already adopted, mainly the internet, makes it easy. There was never enough need for it to be developed as it’s own thing.
Better than my Zoom call
‘The only thing that’s moving is my mouth’ - There are lots of videos featuring similar. (So I’m told).
Then someone invented DSL and the humble phone line suddenly increased in capacity, but it wasn't the way of the future.
I write this connected to the world by a thin glass filament transmitting light.
Good to see that videocalls today feel and look the same haha
Watching this on my mobile phone is kinda surreal
The technology has definitely improved if I can speak with my granddaughter in the U.K. face to face on the beach in Jamaica with no drop outs
Seems more reliable than most Zoom calls :)
Dinner is not nearly ready but in ten minutes it will be? I call that nearly ready.
This is fascinating to me NOW, I would've loved to watch this growing up. Though not complaining that all we had was he man re-runs.
Fascinating really how we’ve become so used to this technology nowadays, I wonder where we will be in another 50 years.
Dead
@@davefitzpatrick4841 at least you’re optimistic anyway mate!
I remember on live and kicking they had some sort of basic video phone that they would call competition contestants on. This blew my mind at the time.
When he deadass put the phone down on the wrong angle lmao🤣
And today every smart phone has this ability, yet very few of us use this feature. In fact more people send texts rather than make a phone call.
Gregorio Ynciong Zara (8 March 1902 - 15 October 1978)[1] was a Filipino engineer, physicist, a National Scientist, and inventor. He was known as the father of videoconferencing[2] for having invented the first two-way videophone.[
He also showed a demonstration of the 2 way video conference in 1955
Wish he could time travel to 2022 and did the same broadcast again like this.
Nothing dates this more than a husband calling to ask his wife if dinner is nearly ready.
I think the dinner bit was from an episode of TW which was first broadcast in the1960's?
Why man wants to have a warm meal when he gets home, how is that dated🤨.
@@ButterfatFarms you're right. You can also tell that the clip was really early because of the narration style and the standard of English used. 1960's RP v 1980's RP v today's English where they have a lot more regional accents.
@@NMY556L That B&W clip is far more likely to be from the 1930s. Can you really not tell?
Now everyone has it, but I never use it. Hell, I hardly call anyone either!
I don't have a video phone, I know they are available.
All mobile phones have it now. I know a few people who facetime using Apple devices on a rare occaison, but it never became as big a thing as we thought it would. Social media has risen in its place, and just about nobody predicted that!
@@lundsweden My grandsons showed me it. The TV quality was better then in the blade runner movie
I remember learning the 1st videophone was invented by a Filipino named Gregorio Zara were he demonstrated it in 1955.
We now have computers in our pockets that can do this as one of many things they can do. Makes me wonder what life will be like in 36 years in 2058
Yet we play Minecraft and watch tiktoks
@@SINfromPL Entertainment is the driving force behind most tech innovations.
I miss the days when the phone would ring but you wouldn't know who it was until you answered it.
I miss the days when not only did you not know who was calling, you could guarantee that when you answered it would be someone you knew, rather than a cold-caller!
Crazy high tech ! I shall be home for dinner in 10 minutes..
The first video call in Britain and it wasn't a dirty phone call. I don't think I could have resisted the urge to say I like that shirt but it would look better on the floor just for the laughs 😂
Wow I can't wait
Now the technology is reality, and the only time I use it is for virtual doctor appointments. I’m happy that in this day and age, it’s not a gigantic device.
Portsmouth, my home town. St Mary's hospital also the place I was born. Amazing!
I can only imagine the future codec creators eyes widening around 1:27 after the light proverbial lightbub turns on in their heads.
_2:38_
Him: *"Sounds fantastic"*
Me: *Never turned on the camera in meeting* 🤣
"Hello there Howard"
"Hello Maggie, can you hear me?"
"I think you're on mute Howard"
"Hello, can you hear me now?"
"You're on mute Howard."
Went so smoothly then he put the phone ack on the wrong way
He tries so hard though :D
Phoning home for dinner? Phones advanced. Families crumbled.
The way he puts the phone down.
our dad's and grandpa's zoom meeting back then.
It's funny for average everyday communication we still just do a standard call or text, we have things like facetime but I rarely use it.
This actually how RUclips is processing the videos to make it smaller size. Amazing they thought about it 40 years ago.
Makes me laugh when he lambasts the telephone line. People really underestimate how important it is we've managed to use same vintage telephone lines to deliver Broadband to millions of homes, for those who still get it that way.
"I love your shirt!" "I love yours too!"
Oh how times have changed…
A bloke asking his mrs if his dinner’s nearly ready..
This is the JPG and Motion JPEG Compression revolution.
Can’t wait until this technology is released
Instead of video calls, people in the future will communicate in short texts with abbreviated misspelled words.
wow.. he is talking about the birth of compression technology.
Tomorrow's World was a bit like James Burke, to the point, genuine, down to earth and is now viewed as legendary. 😁
I was talking to my cousin in Ireland about this via zoom. He doubted it will ever happen.
What is zoom? I know what is the meaning of zoom.
@@ERTChimpanzee it’s when you go fast.
@@Eleventhearlofmars Fat Larry and his band had a song about it didn't they
did he put the phone down the wrong way around at the end? Made me chuckle.
Note to self:
become newscaster to play with er, get access to new tech before everyone else
*today we have Skippy and Voipe!* 💡
I remember watching this as a 'gob smacked' young kid!... Wow! 🤣🤣
80 millions bits per second is a 80mbs, that better then a lot of people's internet today.
We'll have this technology on portable devices one day..
Most people don't want to be seen on camera most of the time. Video calling is now available to everyone with a smart phone but very seldom is it used. Only for seeing a loved one from a distance or for business, other than that not only do people not want to be seen in the their homes or car or whatever, they prefer to not even talk to you if a text message can get the job done. People want privacy and efficiency, not to have their personal spaces more exposed to random people.
What year was this broadcast?
Used to love "Beat The Teacher".
When will the VC from whatsap in HD?
Honestly, we're doing the exact same things today with modern video compression
The device looks like HAL 9000 without the red light.
35 years later I get 'round to making my first video call, reluctantly. Not an experience I wish to repeat.
Unless it's to a very close loved one they're awkward and a massive ball ache.
I wonder when it's being released..?
amazing its exactly like watching BBC i player
This video phone system looks more like a PRISON phone system.
now with vdsl2 we can send hd signal througt old phone line
Tomorrow's world great science and technology program
Watching this makes me think I live in the future
A future where everyone says you’re on mute lol
Berlin in the war years tried to pioneer this system using a public phone system.
It's good that they have started uploading these clips to drum up excitement for the new series in July.
It is very well cast.
Vanessa Feltz for the female host. Jordon's son Harvey to demonstrate the inventions.
Nawh it'd have to be a trans woman as the presenter so they can be "The first trans host of Tomorrow's World". This is the BBC remember
@@GregTheReaper Jordan's son in a dress?
What shiny pants does he have on? I want some 50's leather or early vinyl trousers. Haha
This is like 3GP video file on Sony Ericsson xD
Now most people watching this on a phone with video and no wires
Wow, imagine if I could hand him my iPhone off today with FaceTime he would probably be blown away
I mean, he's still alive...
1:10 before "picture element" was shortened
It's funny their first technically viable video phone wasn't available, until around 1986. When they were commercially available, sometime in the early 70's, in America.
One of the biggest problems was trying to convince people, to allow a live camera into their homes. Even then they were worried, about big brother watching. That was worse than the outrageous price tag, according to the media at the time.
How did they crack this one then? He says "Before you get too excited..." while a big ugly block can be seen in the background! Yeah! Great invention!🙄
Watching this on my 4k smart phone
as if!
1990 ISDN BRi call for me the first time !
The first video telephone is the Philippines
Video phone call has been around since 2011 or earlier. But I rarely used.
I have been video calling since 1999 with webcam
life before i was born was hell
Now we have this tech, I never use it, as I prefer text. lol
lol they still have a set to speak into. after all that work, you're not gonna add a mic?
Today just grab your iPhone or android and make a video call to anyone anywhere in the world
, no wires needed, amazing
Maggie is in the hospital I was born in :D
hilarious. hindsight rules.
And now that we have it, we hate using it.
Tiktokers and instagrammers are natural at it tho.
Hope it catches on 🙄🙄😙
If only they knew the future.