Europe, Interrupted
Marconiphone 701 Dual Standard television receiver, 1936
When this dual standard (240/405 line) set went on sale, the BBC television service was still broadcasting using alternate systems on alternate weeks. With this set you could watch both the EMI system broadcasts on 405 line and the Baird system transmissions on 240 line. Despite its huge cabinet, it only had a 9-inch screen which was mounted vertically and viewed through a mirror. A large glass magnifying lens built into the front of the cabinet made the picture seem slightly bigger. The huge cost of this set when new (120 guineas - equivalent to over £20,000 in today's terms) meant that very few were sold. The company rapidly brought out a simpler and cheaper model.
SSPL/National Media Museum
