1990
First trials of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting)
From Crystal Palace with an active repeater at Kenley. It was presented to press and interested parties in 1991, it was subsequently compared with the FM service on board a specially adapted coach in Birmingham.
1991
Internet name bbc.co.uk registered
This was done by Brandon Butterworth, Engineer in ±«Óãtv Research Department.
NICAM stereo launches on ±«Óãtv2
1992
Queen's Award for NICAM 728
In April of 1992 ±«Óãtv Engineering received the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement, it was in recognition of the Research Department's development of the NICAM 728 Digital Stereo Sound System for Television.
1993
±«Óãtv Research Department leads a demonstration by two collaborative projects on Digital TV to European Parliament
In very hot weather the demonstrations are kept going by a teapot full of ice cubes! But they persuaded the European Commission to back European research on Digital TV, and Europe retained its lead in the technology.
±«Óãtv Research and ±«Óãtv Designs Departments merge
It is now known as ±«Óãtv Research & Development (±«Óãtv R&D).
1995
DAB launches
The new DAB radio service was launched in September 1995. The system was implemented using technology and support provided by ±«Óãtv R&D.
Related links:
1996
First DVB Compliant Digital TV broadcast on the Continent
In September 1996 R&D takes the digital TV feed broadcast from Crystal Palace over an experimental ATM link to Amsterdam, enabling the Dutch broadcaster NOZEMA and ±«Óãtv led EC-sponsored VALIDATE to make the first broadcast of this kind.
1997
Demonstration of Free-d camera tracking system at IBC 1997
It won an RTS Innovation award in 1998.
±«Óãtv Website launches
Related links:
- Dreams, Data, Downloads: the Story of the ±«Óãtv on the Web - History of the ±«Óãtv
1998
Queen's Award for the development of a Standards Converter
The ±«Óãtv has been awarded its sixth Queen's Award to Industry for Technical Innovation. Awarded jointly with Snell & Wilcox Ltd, the award was granted for the development of a standards converter -- a technology that has contributed to the exchange of television programmes between Europe and the US.
Public launch of digital terrestrial television in UK
±«Óãtv R&D plays a key part in the team that delivers the technical infrastructure for this service.
1999
±«Óãtv Digital Text service successfully launched on DTT
The digital replacement for analogue Teletext, later known as the Red Button service.
1999
Emmy Award for Sound-in-Syncs
Nearly 30 years after its completion, the ±«Óãtv's sound distribution technology, Sound in Syncs, has won an Emmy. Three of the engineers who worked on the project in the late 1960s -- the department's head of Business and Engineering, John Astle, and former Kingswood Warren colleagues Chris Dalton and Colin Spicer -- collected the prized trophy at a ceremony in New York.
