| 1986 |
 Chronomedia index
Numbers after entries link to the list of references. |
links and notes |
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 |
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| January 9 |
 Eastman Kodak announces that it is to abandon instant
photography after losing a 10-year patent court battle with Polaroid. Owners of 16m Kodak
instant cameras [right] are offered free film stock or replacement cameras. |
|
| January 14 |
Rambo: First Blood, Part II sets a new
record for first-day US video sales, selling 435,000 copies, overtaking Ghostbusters. |
|
| January |
Laser Disc Corporation of America is formed by
Pioneer to distribute video software in the disc format. |
|
| January |
La Cinq, French ‘cultural’ television channel is launched. |
|
| February 22 |
First Swedish satellite, Viking, is launched. |
|
| February |
Preliminary specifications for CD-i digital optical disc
interactive format are announced by Philips and Sony. |
|
| March |
TV6 pop music-oriented television channel is launched in France. |
à 1987 |
| March |
First Microsoft International Conference on CD-ROM is
held, paving the way for specifications later in the year. |
|
| March |
US cable channel Cable Video Jukebox offers interactive
television service to Miami subscribers using a video disc jukebox system. |
|
| March |
The Oscar for Best Cinematography is won by a British
cinematographer (this time Freddie Francis) for the seventh year in the past decade. |
|
| April 1 |
UK cable channels Premiere and Mirrorvision merge. |
|
| April |
Philips proposes preliminary specifications for the
CD-Video format, recording analogue video on compact discs. |
|
| April |
Philips and Polygram establish Philips Interactive
Media of America (PIMA) to co-ordinate CD-i software development. |
|
| May |
Cannon Organisation acquires Thorn-EMI Elstree Studios (formerly BIP/ABPC). |
|
| May |
Dual-standard Minitel M1 terminal is introduced in France for the telecom data service. |
|
| June |
Provisional CD-i functional specifications are issued by Philips and Sony. The first
Philips professional CD-i players are expected to be available September/October 1987 for $1,500. |
|
| June |
RCA presses its last CED video disc. |
|
| July |
Peacock Committee on the future of BBC financing
rejects the idea of using advertising to supplement the licence fee—to the horror of the Thatcher government. |
|
| August |
Pioneer begins mass production of CD players and CDs. |
|
| August |
JVC demonstrates 3D imaging on its VHD video disc system. |
|
| September 9 |
JVC launches the GR-C9 video camera cassette recorder, weighing only 750g. |
|
| September 30 |
France's broadcasting regulatory body, Haute Authorité
de l'Audiovisuel, is replaced by the Commission Nationale de la Communication et des Libertés. |
à 1989 January 17 |
| October 27 |
BBC launches daytime television. Included in the programming is the Australian
soap Neighbours. |
|
| October |
M-Net is launched in South Africa—the first pay TV service in the southern hemisphere. |
|
| October |
European Interactive Media is formed by Philips and
Polygram to co-ordinate European CD-i software development. |
|
| October |
Philips and the largest US printing firm R R Donnelly
& Sons form OptImage Interactive Services Company (OIS) to provide production service for
CD-i developers. |
|
| November |
 BBC launches its landmark interactive video
Domesday Project using Philips’ LaserVision-Read
Only Memory (LV-ROM) format. The two discs provide a detailed survey of the
UK to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the original Domesday Book, mixing
movies, stills, maps, charts and data tables in an extensively interactive
package. |
|
| December 11 |
British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) is awarded
the franchise to operate three channels of direct broadcasting by satellite (DBS) by the
Independent Broadcasting Authority. Four services are proposed: an entertainment channel
called Galaxy, Zig Zag for children, topical programmes on Now and a movie channel called Screen. |
|
| December |
UK's second multiplex cinema, an eight-screen at
Salford Quays, Manchester, is opened by Cannon. |
|
| December |
UK Department of Trade & Industry starts the
schools interactive video initiative. |
|
| l |
The first (and so far only) Gibraltar-made feature film
is Marine Issue (also released as Instant Justice), directed by Denis Amar. |
|
| l |
BBC Charter is renewed for a further 10 years. |
 The current BBC Charter |
| l |
 Atari 520ST personal computer is launched. It plugs into the aerial socket of
the television receiver. It costs £399 in the UK; the rival Commodore Amiga costs £1,475. |
|
| l |
MCA/Universal pioneers the addition of an audio commentary to a film on a video disc,
using a spare audio channel. The first project, overseen by Michael Fitzgerald (1949-2002) is
Winchester '73, about which its star James Stewart reminisces. |
|
| l |
RGA/Oxberry Compuquad Special Effects Step Optical Printer wins a special Academy Award
for technology. It uses four projectors, controlled by five computers, to combine film images to create
complex visual effects. However, the use of digital technology is developing rapidly. |
|
| l |
Mauritius Film Development Corporation is established as a statutory body to promote
film-making in the country, which has a tax-free regime for productions. |
|
| l |
Japan’s BS-2b broadcasting satellite is launched. |
|
| l |
Nationwide teletext service is now available in Japan. |
|
| l |
NBC pushes advertising rates during The Cosby Show to record levels of
$350,000-$400,000 for 30 seconds. For the first time the network leads in the prime-time ratings.
However, all three networks have trouble selling commercial time during sports broadcasts. |
|
| l |
Capital Cities Communications acquires the American Broadcasting
Companies (ABC), which becomes Capital Cities/ABC. |
à 1996 |
| l |
A C Nielsen introduces the People Meter for measuring television audiences. |
|
| l |
Sony standardises the name of its pocket-sized audio cassette player worldwide as
the Walkman, which effectively becomes a generic name for this kind of product. |
ß 1980 |
| l |
UK electronics trading company Amstrad takes over Sinclair Research. |
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