<Quote from the main article>
"By the end of the analogue era, most television sets could decode these NICAM signals, but most equipment was unable to record them (so they did not get recorded onto domestic video tape) or produce them. This means that the "RF out" of Sky and Freeview boxes was always mono."
<end>
Many later VCRs could record the decoded NICAM onto the FM helical soundtrack, what they couldn't do is re-encode the NICAM onto the RF output on playback.
NICAM encoder chipsets just weren't an economic option for domestic equipment.
SKY, Freeview , and cable boxes would have no need of a NICAM decoder of course, but, in principle they could have encoded the RF modulator output with NICAM. They didn't do that for the reason given.
Saturday 17 November 2012 4:10PM
<Quote from the main article>
"By the end of the analogue era, most television sets could decode these NICAM signals, but most equipment was unable to record them (so they did not get recorded onto domestic video tape) or produce them. This means that the "RF out" of Sky and Freeview boxes was always mono."
<end>
Many later VCRs could record the decoded NICAM onto the FM helical soundtrack, what they couldn't do is re-encode the NICAM onto the RF output on playback.
NICAM encoder chipsets just weren't an economic option for domestic equipment.
SKY, Freeview , and cable boxes would have no need of a NICAM decoder of course, but, in principle they could have encoded the RF modulator output with NICAM. They didn't do that for the reason given.