Jerrold Electronics
Encyclopedia
Jerrold Electronics was a provider of cable television
equipment, including subscriber converter boxes, distribution network equipment (amplifiers, multitap outlets), and headend
equipment in the United States.
in 1950. The company was one of the earliest pioneers of community antenna television systems (cable television). The company headquarters was located at 401 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA.
Shapp sold the company to General Instrument
in 1967. However, the Jerrold brand name continued to be used on equipment into the 1990s.
In the late 1990s, the Jerrold name went out of use, and General Instrument
merged with Motorola
becoming the Motorola Connected Home Solutions division. The equipment was popular with many cable pirates by then
and by 2005 most cable companies have discontinued use of Jerrold equipment in favour of digital cable
.
There are a number of excellent sources available covering the history of Jerrold and the cable industry as a whole.
Online Titles
Offline Titles
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
equipment, including subscriber converter boxes, distribution network equipment (amplifiers, multitap outlets), and headend
Cable television headend
A cable television headend is a master facility for receiving television signals for processing and distribution over a cable television system. The headend facility is normally unstaffed and surrounded by some type of security fencing and is typically a building or large shed housing electronic...
equipment in the United States.
History
The company was founded by Milton Jerrold ShappMilton Shapp
Milton Jerrold Shapp was the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1971 to 1979 and was the first Jewish governor of Pennsylvania.- Early life :...
in 1950. The company was one of the earliest pioneers of community antenna television systems (cable television). The company headquarters was located at 401 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA.
Shapp sold the company to General Instrument
General Instrument
General Instrument was an electronics manufacturer based in Horsham, PA specializing in semiconductors and cable television equipment. The company was active until 1997, when it split into which was later acquired by Vishay Intertechnology in 2001, CommScope and NextLevel Systems General...
in 1967. However, the Jerrold brand name continued to be used on equipment into the 1990s.
In the late 1990s, the Jerrold name went out of use, and General Instrument
General Instrument
General Instrument was an electronics manufacturer based in Horsham, PA specializing in semiconductors and cable television equipment. The company was active until 1997, when it split into which was later acquired by Vishay Intertechnology in 2001, CommScope and NextLevel Systems General...
merged with Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
becoming the Motorola Connected Home Solutions division. The equipment was popular with many cable pirates by then
and by 2005 most cable companies have discontinued use of Jerrold equipment in favour of digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
.
There are a number of excellent sources available covering the history of Jerrold and the cable industry as a whole.
Online Titles
- Cable television in the United States# Cable Television in the United States’(Wikipedia, last entry 2009)
-
- Extensive treatment, but some updating is needed
- http://www.ncta.com/About/About/HistoryofCableTelevision.aspx NCTA (National Cable & Telecommunications Association) History of Cable Television. Washington, DC 2001
-
- Brief narrative history
- http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=unitedstatesc United States: Cable Television] The Museum of Broadcast Communications 2001
-
- Extensive, well documented
- Cable television in the United StatesCable television in the United StatesCable television in the United States is a common form of television delivery, generally by subscription. Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to...
Wikipedia Cable Television in the United States (Last modified 19 Feb. 2011)
-
- Extensive treatment, but some updating is needed
- Keneth Alden SimonsKeneth Alden SimonsKeneth Alden Simons was an American electrical engineer best known for his pioneering contributions to the technical development of cable television in the United States, for the most part as chief engineer for the Jerrold Electronics Corporation...
Wikipedia] Keneth Alden Simons (last modified Feb. 20, 2011)
-
- Brief history of key Jerrold engineer.
- http://www.piedmontscte.org/resources/CATV+Hybrid+Amplifier+Modules+Past$2C+Present$2C+FutureWP.pdf Young, C. RFMD. CATV Hybrid Amplifier Modules: Past, resent, Future’’ (RFMD Greensboro 2000)
- History of CATV amplifier development
- Brief history of key Jerrold engineer.
Offline Titles
- Parsons, P. Blue Skies: A History of Cable Television Temple University Press, 2008
-
- Extensive history
- Stubbs, G. From workhorse to icon. The 704 Jerrold Field Strength Meter CED Magazine, November/December 2004, p. 42
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- History of one notable instrument
- Taylor, A.S. History Between Their Ears: Recollections of Pioneer CATV Engineers The Cable Center, 2000
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- Histories of key engineering staff involved