Fernseh AG was a German television company headquartered in Berlin. Founded in 1929, it did research and manufacturing of television equipment.Fernsehmuseum - Sie sind im Bereich : Fese Historie Startradiomuseum.org Fernseh AG
Etymology The company name "Fernseh AG" is a compound of Fernsehen ‘television’ and Aktiengesellschaft (AG) ‘joint-stock company’. The company was mainly known by its German abbreviation "FESE". See the see also section on this page for other uses.
Early years The company was registered in Berlin on July 3, 1929, by John Logie Baird, Robert Bosch, Zeiss Ikon and D.S. Loewe as partners. John Baird owned Baird Television Ltd. in London, Zeiss Ikon was a camera company in Dresden, D.S. Loewe owned a company in Berlin and Robert Bosch owned a company, Robert Bosch GmbH, in Stuttgart. It had an initial capital of 100,000 Reichsmark.
In 1929 Fernseh AG's original board of directors included: Emanuel Goldberg, Oliver George Hutchinson (for Baird), David Ludwig Loewe, and Erich Carl Rassbach (for Bosch) and Eberhard Falkenstein who did the legal work. Carl Zeiss's company worked alongside the early Bosch company. Much of the early work was in the area of research and development. Along with early TV sets (DE-6, E1, DE10) Fernseh AG made the first "Remote Truck"/"OB van", an "intermediate-film" mobile television camera in August 1932. This was a film camera that had its film developed in the truck and a "telecine" then transmitted the signal almost "live".Sie sind auf der Homepage von Fernsehmuseum Wiesbaden: Fese Historie 1
Fernseh GmbH In 1939 Robert Bosch GmbH took complete ownership of Fernseh AG when Zeiss Ikon AG sold its share of Fernseh AG. In 1952 Fernseh moved to Darmstadt, Germany, and increased its broadcast product line. In 1967 Fernseh, by then commonly called "Bosch Fernseh", introduced color TV products. Fernseh offered a full line of video and film equipment: professional video cameras, VTRs and telecine devices. On August 27, 1967, the first color TV program in Germany aired, with a live broadcast from a Bosch Fernseh outside broadcast (OB) van. The networks ZDF, NDR and WDR each acquired a new color OB van from Bosch Fernseh to begin broadcasting in color.
Fernsehanlagen GmbH In 1972 Robert Bosch renamed its TV division: Fernsehanlagen GmbH (Fernseh facilities). The company supplied almost all the studio equipment for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The Darmstadt HQ had over 2000 employees in 1972. In 1972 Fernseh started to manufacture SECAM TV studio equipment for Moscow.
Fernseh Inc. In October 1979 Bell and Howell's TeleMation Inc. Division located in Salt Lake City, Utah, entered a joint venture with Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch's Fernseh Division. The new joint venture was called Fernseh Inc., Bosch Fernseh Division, located in Darmstadt, Germany. In April 1982 Bosch fully acquired Fernseh Inc., renaming it "Robert Bosch Corporation, Fernseh Division". In 1986 Bosch entered into a new joint venture with Philips Broadcast in Breda, Netherlands. This new company was called Broadcast Television Systems or BTS inc. Philips had been in the Broadcast market for many years with a line of PC- and LDK- Norelco professional video cameras and other video products. In 1995 Philips Electronics North America Corp. fully acquired BTS Inc., renaming it Philips Broadcast-Philips Digital Video Systems. Philips sold many of the Spirit DataCines. In March 2001 this Philips division was sold to Thomson SA, the Division was call Thomson Multimedia. In 2002, the French electronics giant Thomson SA also acquired the Grass Valley Group from a private investor that had acquired it three years earlier from Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. The name of this division of Thomson was shortened to Grass Valley. The Fernseh's Darmstadt factory, near the Darmstadt Train Station and European Space Operations Centre was moved a short distance to Weiterstadt, Germany. (Later, Grass Valley was sold to Belden on February 6, 2014. Belden also owned Miranda.) Thomson Film Division, located in Weiterstadt including the product line of Spirit DataCine 4K, Bones Workstation, Scanity realtime film scanner and LUTher 3D Color Space converter, was sold to Parter Capital Group. The sale was made public on Sept. 9, 2008 and completed on Dec. 1, 2008. The new Headquarters was still in Weiterstadt, the former Bosch Fernseh — BTS factory. Parter Capital Group continued to have worldwide offices to support products from Weiterstadt, Germany. The new name of the company is Digital Film Technology. DFT Digital Film Technologydft-film.de - DFT Digital Film Technology - Manufacturer of CCD based telecines and data scanners became part of a new company: Precision Mechatronics GmbH in Weiterstadt, Germany. On October 1, 2012 Precision Mechatronics and DFT were acquired by Prasad Group, part of Prasad Studios (2012-2024).DFT Press Release, Weiterstadt, Germany – October 1, 2012 In 2013 DFT moved from Weiterstadt to Arheilgen-Darmstadt, Germany.
Products broadcasting101, Fernseh radiomuseum.org Fernseh Product listtvcameramuseum.org List of Fernseh Product Home Television sets (later moved to the Blaupunkt Division) (1930- )tvhistory.tv Television History — The First 75 Years, 1935-1941, Fernseh German Television Setstvhistory.tv Television History — The First 75 Years, 1950-1959 Fernseh German Television Setsradiomuseum.org Fernseh DE8R model TV, 1939tvhistory.tv Television History — The First 75 Yearstvhistory.tv Television History — The First 75 Years, 1936 German (Berlin) Olympicsearlytelevision.org Fernseh AG TV setsfernsehen.bplaced.net German prewar TV sets, Producer Fernseh AG Home Radios (later moved to the Blaupunkt Division) (1930- )radiomuseum.org Fernseh, DE6R Radio, 1938fernseh-gmbh.de TV museum Pfungstadt Vacuum tubeTube testerradiomuseum.org 1949, Fernseh, Vacuum Tube tester, Farviprüfer Early mechanical Camera for Mechanical television 1938, "Universal mechanical scanner"radiomuseum.org 1938, Universal mechanical scanner, Mechanischer Universal Abtaster Intermediate film system for Remote Truck (1936)School of Information Management & Systems, Michael Buckland, Professor. Emanuel Goldberg, Television & Zeiss Ikon.School of Information Management & Systems, Michael Buckland, Professor. Emanuel Goldberg, Television & Zeiss Ikon, "Fernseh AG made considerable technical advances, ... they developed amazing "intermediate" systems that combined film and television technology both for sending and for receiving."Technological history of motion pictures and television By Raymond Fielding "Farvimeter" a universal electrical testing device (1947)Farvimeter "Farvigraph" a universal Oscilloscope (1949)Farvigraph Slide scanner for station ID and test patterns (1955)radiomuseum.org, Slide scanner Filmgeber film chain F16LP15 Analogradiomuseum.org Fernseh, Filmgeber F16LP15, 1959 Fernseh Theater TV system, 1935yearlytelevision.org Fernseh Theater TV system, December 1935 TV transmitter 1944Fernsehsender / TV transmitter Fernseh GmbH 1944 Master control, B&W Video switcherradiomuseum.org Regieanlage, directed system, control room Sound recorder — player, Diaabtaster DAT15, Fernsehradiomuseum.org Fernseh Diaabtaster DAT15 B & W film chainradiomuseum.org Fernseh Filmgeber Telecine 1968 OMY Color film chain - AnalogDeutsches Fernsehmuseum Wiesbaden OMY, Film Chain, German site BCM-40 and B&W BM-20 2 inch Quadruplex videotape 1966-70sradiomuseum.org Magnetbandanlage BC M 40A, 1966 B & W cameras like Videokamera s/w K11 VK9 HAradiomuseum.org Fernseh, Videokamera s/w K11 VK9 HA, 1975radiomuseum.org Fernsehkamera DFFB (KOD) 1958 M series monitorsradiomuseum.org Kontroll-Monitor M32BA28 1960 M21BC9F 1965 TV Oscilloscoperadiomuseum.org Oscilloscope, Fernseh, Kontroll-Monitor und Oszilloskop EOv25-75, 1955radiomuseum.org lab, Oscilloscope, Fernseh Video-signal generators Television standards conversion(1970s) Analog Model NC 56 P 40, with Plumbicon tube camera inside.Fernseh NTSC/PAL image-transfer standards converter type NC56 P40sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk Transcoder to convert PAL to SECAM and SECAM to PAl. (1972) BCR pre BCN VTRvtoldboys.com The Bosch/Philips BCR 1" helical scan that was shown in 1973 and preceded the BCN. BCN series 1 inch type B videotape (1979–1989) Analog VTR KC series color professional video camera KCU-40,broadcasting101.ws KCU-40broadcasting101.ws KCU-40 rear KCR, KCK-40, KCK-R-40, KCP-40, KCP-60, KCA, KCF-1, KCM-125, KCA, KCN92, KCN(1967–1990),Oldboys website Picture of a Bosch KCR-40 and KCA-100 Camerabroadcasting101.ws Four Bosch cameras, photo onlybroadcasting101.ws Setup Camerabroadcasting101.ws Bosch Cameras, 1978 Games, photo onlytvcameramuseum.org list of Bosch camerasfernseh-gmbh.de Farvis TV-Museum Pfungstadt, Fernseh Camerasoldtvgear.com kcu-40 pageKCN-92 open Color film chain, with KCU-40 cameraoldtvgear.com Color film chain, with Bosch Fernseh KCU-40 camera as PU MC series color and B&WVideo monitorMC-37, MC-50 MCH 51, MH 21adiomuseum.org MC473BA B&W monitorwww.adsausage.com Bocsh MC monitor addbroadcasting101.ws OB Van - TV Remote Trucks - and Terminal Rack EquipmentBosch made Olympiad 1972 Control Room Bosch OB Van RME series Mixers — Switcher - Vision mixer, Analog FDL-60 Telecine - The world's first CCD telecine (1979–1989) FRP-60 Color Corrector-Color grading (1983–1989)[FRP 60 Control Panel Bosch Fernesh.JPG FRP 60 Control Panel Bosch Fernesh] FDL-90 Telecine (1989–1993) (now under BTS) Noise/Grain Reducer: FDGR, DNR7, MNR9, MNR10, MNR11, VS4, Scream, Scream 4kNoise reduction, Bosch FDGRBosch Noise reduction, FDGR, control panelNoise reduction, MNR KCA-110 ENG Camera KCF-1 ENG Camera (later Quartercam, not sold)The History of Television, 1942 to 2000, By Albert Abramson, Christopher H. Sterling CCIR 601 Products CD7, DC7, 4X4 Booster, Test Gen. Encoders, Decoders. DD series CCIR 601-D1 Mixers - Vision mixer DD5, DD10, DD20, DD30DD10 Switcher DCR series D1 VTR DCR-100 DCR-300 DCR-500 BCH 1000 HDTV 1" VTR KCH 1000 HDTV camera (RMH 1000)live-production.tv A Brief Review on HDTV in Europe in the early 90s FLH 1000 Telecine The world's first HDTV CCD Telecine (1994–1996) Quadra 4:4:4 Telecine (1993–1998) D6 HDTV VTR Uncompressed HDTV VTR (VooDoo)-(Gigabit Data Recorder) (2000–2006) (Now under Philips) Spirit DataCine motion picture film scanner and HDTV Telecine SDC-2000 (1996–2006) also: SDC2001, SDC2002 Phantom Transfer Engine Software for Spirit Datacine Telecine for Virtual telecine(1998-) Shadow HDTV Telecine STE (2000–2006) VDC-2000 Specter Virtual telecine (1999–2002) Specter FS Virtual telecine (2002–2006) Spirit DataCine 4k Datacine - Telecine (2004-2014) also Spirit Spirit 2k/Spirit-HD (now Under Thomson-Grassvalley) Bones Linux-Based Software for Spirit Datacine Telecine Transfer Engine Software (2005-2014 ) Bones Dailies (2008-2014) LUTher 3D LUT Color Space (2005-2013)videoengineer.net LUTher manual Flexxity (2011-2014) Scanity film scanner (2009- )DFT's SCANITY Audio Option DatasheetShoot online, SHOOT Publicity Wire, OMNIMAGO Invests in SCANITY for New Production and Archive Scanning Projects, March 22, 2011 (Now under DFT) Phantom 2: Linux-Based transfer Engine software and workstation for Spirit Datacine (2014-)dft-film.com, Phantom-II in pdf (Now under DFT) Polar HQ a 9.3K native scanner came out in 2023.DFT Polar HQ
Photo gallery
Offices Past and current offices in the cities of acquisitions (see History): Cergy, France (Thomson World Headquarters) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States - from TeleMation Inc -Bell and Howell Beaverton, Oregon, United States- from Tektronix Nevada City, California, United States — from Grassvalley Group Breda, Netherlands - from Philips - Norelco Weiterstadt - Darmstadt, Germany from Bosch Fernseh-(DFT), In 2013 DFT moved from Weiterstadt to Arheilgen-Darmstadt, Germany.
See also
Hans Walz Post-production Video camera Fernseh prefix: