Dave Moll wrote:Certainly France had dual-standard sets operating on both their 625-line system and earlier 819-line system. Like in the UK, they even had dual-standard sets that operated in colour on 625 lines (though using SECAM in the French sets rather than the PAL used in UK).
Bonjour,
It happened several times.
When 60 line ended and 180 line took over, they still used 60 line for some transmissions for months. But there was no dual standard receptor.
When 180 line ended and got replaced by 455 line, they still did some transmissions on 180 line for a while too.
455 line televisors were converted for 441 line in order to be compatible with the invader's system.
But it was kept after the war and this is where it gets interesting.
In 1948 the 819 line system was introduced alongside 441 line.
441 line was planned to end in 1958.
There was two sets of cameras in the studios.
For telecine the films were switched from one day to another, so both system had the same film but not on the same day.
http://radio-piffret.pagesperso-orange.fr/Histoire_de_la_Television_fichiers/image044.jpgThis lasted until they made a converter ( camera pointing at tv ).
441 line transmitter mysteriously caught fire in 1956.
A few dual standards sets were made, or modified by radioelectricians.
441/819 were not common at all, but existed.
625 line started in 1964, and 819 line was discontinauted between 1976 and 1984.
In the meantime dual sets were made and were common.
https://forum.retrotechnique.org/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5b2346962f4af54affa4f63cac46413879da1f31.jpghttps://forum.retrotechnique.org/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b7d4511838f6afbf5c1f119d95f88f938501f52e.jpgexemple those early ones in 1964, full 819 lines but the ad says you can get them modified to get second channel on 625 line.
http://bretl.com/documents/1969-1970FrenchcolorTVs.pdffull multistandards from 1970.
Were was no need for converters since the first channel was on 819 line, and second channel on 625 line.
Converters started in 1976 when the first channel was duplicated on 625 line. ( still a camera pointing at tv )
Digital started in 2005, and HD in 2008 on a few channels.
Analog was wiped out from 2010 to 2012.
Most channels switched to HD in 2016. A very few SD channels remains.
UHD started but only for big events and on IPTV.
Voilà.
https://radio-piffret.pagesperso-orange.fr/TV.htm