Name: Reverse-Image TV on Letterman, February 22, 1984
Uploaded: 2015-12-24T18:21:53.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Reverse-Image TV on Letterman, February 22, 1984' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2015-12-24. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Reverse-Image TV on Letterman, February 22, 1984' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2015-12-24. Transcript available.

Reverse-Image TV on Letterman, February 22, 1984

Hello, I'm Robert Bezell, science correspondent for NBC News.
I'd like to welcome you to tonight's historic telecast.
In just a few moments, Late Night with David Letterman will present the first
nationally broadcast reverse image show.
Reverse image television, or RITV, represents more than a decade of experiments
and the combined efforts of thousands of RCA physicists, researchers, and
engineers.
Tonight's history-making demonstration is expected to draw over 5 million kilowatts
of power and may momentarily dim lights along the eastern seaboard, as far
north as Portland, Maine, and as far south as Savannah, Georgia.
Ladies and gentlemen, reverse image television is no longer just a dream.
Tonight, if this revolutionary experiment succeeds, it will become a reality.
We at NBC fervently hope that this new technology will provide a better world
for the viewers of tomorrow.
So sit back, relax, and watch television history in the making.
From New York, the city that brings in millions every year through its thriving
cotton industry, it's Late Night with David Letterman.
Tonight, broadcast history in the making with the first reverse image telecast.
And our guests, comedian Teddy Bergeron, chef from Le Cirque, Alain Sayoc, and
from the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, Carol Aul.
And now, a man who gave Alvin Einstein the idea that E equals MC squared, David
Letterman!
Ladies and gentlemen, you all right?
Thank you very much.
Welcome to the program, ladies and gentlemen.
My name is David Letterman, and you have tuned in to history-making television,
and we'll get in that a little bit later at great length.
First of all, this city, I have to tell you, they can't do anything, for an
example.
Last week, huge, embarrassing mix-up down at the Bureau of Licensing here in
New York City.
Through some kind of chaos, 300 people who thought they were legally married,
it turns out now they are instead certified to cut hair in this city.
Oh no, stop that. No, it's not necessary.
Don't worry about a thing. Tonight is pretty exciting.
Let me give you a little bit of background on what we're trying to accomplish
here tonight.
In the last 30 years, the advances in television have been unbelievable.
Of course, first there was videotape, then there was color videotape, then
there was home videotaping, and then now you can get yourself a complete home
videotaping and camera system.
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we are going to demonstrate to you the next step,
reverse image television.
Now, you're saying to yourself, "It's very exciting, Dave, but what exactly can
I expect?"
Well, let me tell you.
Through the miracle of electronics, we're going to flip the picture you're now
seeing, essentially 180 degrees.
Is that pretty much the description?
For example, the part in my hair will be on the other side of my head.
The way I button my jacket will be reversed.
I will appear to be left-handed instead of right-handed.
Paul and the band will appear to be seated over there, and I will appear to be
seated over where Paul is.
It's a fascinating concept, and we couldn't be more excited.
Now, I know you in the studio audience are saying, "Well, watching this, will
it make me dizzy, or will I get headaches?"
Now, take a look at the monitors above you.
Now, the monitors will show you the image when it becomes reversed.
If, for some reason, you feel disoriented, lightheaded, or woozy,
simply look into one of the mirrors that we have mounted next to the monitor,
and you will that way be able to get your bearings back again.
Okay, so we've covered all of the possibilities of trouble here in the studio.
You folks at home are saying, "Well, Dave, how may I and my family best enjoy
this unbelievable experiment tonight?"
All right, we've prepared this brief videotape showing you how to best enjoy
the wonderful effects of reverse image television.
Watch those monitors now. Here's our own Al Frisch.
Good evening. Here are a few reflective surfaces suitable for viewing a
reversed image telecast.
A mirror, whether a wall mirror, a hand mirror, or pocket mirror, will yield
the truest image.
A window or pan of still water will also work, although resolution and color
may suffer.
The more adventurous of you can also try a toaster, a butter knife, or some
aluminum foil.
Highly polished rock, especially obsidian, will also work.
And some scientists speculate that superheated gas plasma, suspended in a
powerful magnetic vacuum,
or a cloud of water vapor filled with ionized particles, could also be used for
this purpose.
Whatever you choose, have fun watching the reverse image show.
Another example of the contribution of science to the world of entertainment.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're just minutes away from reversing the image you're
looking at right now.
And before we do that, I'd like to introduce friends and dignitaries who have
assembled here from all over the globe to be with us tonight.
First, please welcome Mr. Bill Fanning and Ms. Cheryl Wolfe of Rockwell
International,
the company responsible for the lunar walks and the space shuttle flights.
Next, from the Texaco Corporation, Foster Morgan and Lois Johnson, Texaco,
where you can trust your car to the man who wears the star.
Next, Dr. Ramish Mehta and associates from the Institute for Advanced Optic
Studies in Bombay.
Next to him, Dr. Toshi Toda and Dr. Thomas Ikata, founders of the Tokyo Conservatory
for Reversed Technology.
I wish I was there now.
Next, from the Defense Department, Lieutenant Colonel George Peters.
And from NBC Sales Vice Presidents Bob Blackmore and Ron Dobson.
And ladies and gentlemen, finally, an observer from the United Nations
Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Gunnar Lundquist.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for your participation and cooperation here
tonight.
Are you excited?
All right.
Let's now take a brief look into the nerve center for reverse image television,
and we'll show you how this is going to happen.
Walk this way, if you will.
Of course, if you could, you wouldn't need the talcum powder.
All right.
Here we are once again in the control room, and this is where it will happen.
In a few minutes, the image you're now looking at will be completely reversed.
This is a big moment for all of us, isn't it?
Sure is.
We're almost ready, Dave.
Yeah, it's so exciting.
Many of us had to put on lab coats.
All right.
Let's meet the man who was responsible for developing the system of reverse
image television.
Fred, if you'll come in here, please.
This man is Fred Himmelfarb, who is the principal senior staff engineer here
for NBC.
Fred, how long have you worked for NBC?
33 years.
And at what point did you begin working on the reverse image system?
Right at the beginning.
So this has been and will be the culmination of a long career for you?
I hope so.
All right, Fred.
Electronically, tell us how this happens.
In a normal camera, an electron beam scans the optical image from left to right
and produces an electrical signal, which is sent to your receiver, in which an
electrical
scanning beam, the electrical signal is converted back to an optical image when
the electrons strike
the phosphor in the picture tube.
In order to get reverse deflection, we take the signal from the camera and
store it in a digital
memory unit, and instead of reading it out from left to right in synchronism
with the monitor,
we read it out from right to left.
So that information that's on the right side of the picture normally would
appear at the receiver on the left side.
And this gives you a 180 degree reversal.
Fine, Fred.
I'm beginning to understand why it took you 33 years.
All right.
Now, Fred, show us the piece of equipment here on the control panel that will
actually begin the reverse image process.
The digital effects unit is right here.
Right there.
This is the button, the illuminated button?
Yes.
All right.
That's the one that will be pressed.
You folks all set in here?
We're all set.
I'll go back to home base.
Fred, thank you, and congratulations.
Good luck.
Godspeed, everyone.
All right.
Stand by.
It's really getting exciting now, isn't it?
It takes, Fred.
All right.
In five, four, three, two, three, two.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Don't do it without me.
Hold it.
Hold it.
Okay.
Are you ready now, Dave?
Yes.
Okay, Hal.
Okay.
In five, four, three, two, one, go.
All right.
Thank you.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
Thank you.
Please, thank you very much for your enthusiastic response, and we certainly
have reason to be excited, but let me caution you about being overly optimistic.
We've only just begun here. We have a full show to do, so let's just save our
celebrating to the very end, but again, thank you very much. We're all quite
excited.
Tonight, we have a wonderful show. Carol Lalt will be here. Also, a visit from
the Peace Through Dramatization players. The chief chef from Le Cirque will be
here, and comedian Teddy Bergeron.
It's a special night here at NBC. Wake the kids, phone the neighbors. We'll be
right back.
Thank you very much, Sean.
Welcome back to the show. Once again, let me remind you of things look a little
different tonight. It's because we're experimenting with a brand new process
known as reverse image television, and the feeling here is kind of giddy, isn't
it, Paul? It's very exciting.
I don't really know what to think about it. For one thing, this thing is in my
other ear.
I know. That's just one of the many wonders of this process.
I know. It's very, very weird.
All right. Well, we're taking it a step at a time, and we hope you at home are
enjoying it as much as we are here in the studio.
My next guest is one of the top models of the world. Oh, boy, is she ever.
Here she is. This was her cover two years ago on Sports Illustrated, and she
also appears currently in the present issue of the swimsuit 1984 issue of
Sports Illustrated.
Let's see, where am I? It's a pleasure to welcome, as I mentioned, one of the
top models in the world, Carol Ault.
Hello, Carol. Nice to see you. Thank you for being here.
Very nice. Hi there. We're back, ladies and gentlemen. Carol, again, let me
thank you and congratulate you.
We congratulate you on your modeling success. Thank you.
And say hello to your husband for us. And if he's free, maybe at the end of the
season, we'd like to have you folks come back and chat with us some more.
That would be great. Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, Carol Ault, again. Thank you so much for being here.
Please. Hal, do we have any problem, Hal?
We're working on it today, but it's just gone out of it.
All right. Is there anything that we should do?
Just hold tight. All right.
We'll be all right in a minute.
Okay.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
What?
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
Change a lot.
All right?
Is it all right?
Is it all right?
Okay, great.
Uh, Carol, thank you very much again for being here.
You're a delightful young lady.
We, uh, have to go away for a commercial.
We'll be back with a visit from the Peace Through Dramatization players.
So join us, won't you?
Thanks, Carol.
Welcome back.
Thank you very much, Paul.
Coming up in the next half hour on tonight's History Making telecast, we'll
have a visit from the, uh, I believe it's the executive chef at Le Cirque
restaurant, uh, uh, here in New York City.
Len Sayoc will be joining us.
Also, comedian, uh, Teddy Bergeron from Boston, I believe.
Tomorrow on this show, John Candy will be here.
Also, Mr. Wizard.
Tonight would have been a good night for Mr. Wizard, wouldn't it?
Yes.
Oh, hell, any night's a good night for Mr. Wizard.
Uh, we'll also be visiting the NBC store down in the lobby of this building,
and, uh, we answer viewer mail.
And ushe