Digital Television Tape Recording: Forming a Format

John Baldwin was born in Croydon, England in 1928 and has an external Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of London. His career in television started when he joined Rank Cintel in 1950. His work included the development of slide scanners, telecine, color projectors, and videotape recorders. When operations were transferred from Lower Sydenham to Welwyn Garden City in 1963, he joined Peto Scott (a part of Philips Gloelampenfabrieken) as Chief Engineer. He joined the ITA (as the 1BA was then known) as Head of the Video and Colour Section in 1967, being promoted to Staff Engineer (Development) at the beginning of 1978. He became interested in digital processing of the video signal; initially this technique was applied to standards conversion and, in this field of application, culminated in DICE (Digital Intercontinental Conversion Equipment). For this work, in 1973, he received the Geoffrey Parr and the Pye Colour Television Awards of the Royal Television Society. His leadership in this work was also recognized internationally when he received the David Sarnoff Gold Medal of the SMPTE in 1975 and the Achievement Gold Medal at the Montreux International Television Symposium in 1977.