Surjit Singh Bindra - Session 01

AR-020-9-1

(00:00 – 03:00) Discussed Doordarshan's early history. Before recording media, stations in Delhi, Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta used fixed film or studio cameras. No portable cameras; all systems were analog.

(00:03:00 – 00:03:59) Brief introduction follows.

(00:04:00 – 00;17:30) From 1974, explained the evolution of early video recording. Mpex (USA) brought in rotary head recorders enabling video capture. Technical breakdown of analog systems: video modulation, photo-emissive materials, sync pulses. Portable video cameras arrived later, easing production.

(00:17:34 – 0:22:17) Explained transition to colour — resolution was sacrificed to add chroma data due to limited bandwidth. Japan introduced U-matic format: portable, colour, lower resolution — huge impact. Formats evolved into 2", 1", and ¾" tapes.

(00:22:18 – 00:29:00) Described processing workflow: camera → mixer → recorder → transmitter. CCD cameras revolutionized video. Lenses used to be smaller than camera bodies; now it’s reversed. Phones now rival pro equipment. Used U-matic and Betacam in Doordarshan.

(00:29:01 – 00:35:18) Digital tech allowed higher quality in less space. Compression algorithms, CMOS sensors, half-inch and quarter-inch tapes. Gradually tapes were replaced with hard disks. Editing became simpler. Graphics tech and visual quality improved drastically.

(00:35:19 – 00:40:00) Did engineering in college, but real learning happened on the job. Repairs were expensive and studios multiplied. Gave context of India’s tech status then — studios and gear began increasing due to demand.

(00:40:01 – 00:47:55) Recalled an incident when the 9 PM bulletin nearly failed. Backup stations placed to avoid outages. Telecasting moved from microwave to satellite to optical fibre. Doordarshan started giving equipment for field reporting/live use.

(00:47:56 – 00:53:59) Machine upgrades were key to analog-to-digital shift. Most improvements happened in recording. Generation loss, a big issue earlier, got resolved with newer tech. But infrastructure weak in connectors, interfaces. Tech is fine — attitude is the problem.

(00:54:00 – 59:24) Used to send detailed feedback to manufacturers. Machines showed wear easily; electronics less so, making issues harder to detect. Tools and self-diagnosing systems have improved. Earlier, media production lacked access to tools — now that’s no longer the case.

(00:59:25 – 01:10:04) Maintenance required deductive work — rule out possibilities until you isolate the issue. Earlier, everything depended on repair; now machines are often discarded. Shared field stories, challenges, and emphasized training operators to fully exploit machine potential.

(01:10:05 – 01:17:390 Shared odd field stories — a goat chewed a mic during transmission. Described tower lighting in Kashmir, challenges with aviation standards, and a BBC bulletin he produced. Showed depth of field maintenance and unpredictability.

(01:17:40 – 01:27:30) Discussed antenna tech: Bell made them in the ’70s and still does. Triveni used to manufacture transmitters. Reflected on evolution of manufacturers and closed the session with notes on changes over time.

12 March 2025

Oral histories of technical personnel in Broadcast and Community Video

Surjit Singh Bindra