SuperTV
Encyclopedia
Super TV was an early form of subscription television which was offered to the public as either an additional viewing alternative to HBO & Showtime, or, like many in the area at that time who did not have cable service in their area(s). To many, Super TV served as the only choice to see recently-run movies & various musical specials all unedited and commercial-free. After originally operating in the Washington, D.C.
area beginning in November 1981 on UHF channel 50 WFTY (presently WDCW
), Super TV expanded into the Baltimore
area in July 1982 on channel 54 WNUV
.Unlike other pay TV channels, Super TV only broadcast from 7pm to 1am Monday - Friday and 3 pm to 1 am weekends.
Subscribers received a 12 inch by 12 inch brown decoder box and a dedicated UHF antenna which was installed on the roof or on a balcony and aimed at the station's transmitter. When attached to a television, the box would filter in the Super TV movie channel. In the evening, subscribers could view a host of movies that were scheduled to play at that time.
A wide variety of 70's & 80's films including The China Syndrome
, Ordinary People
, Private Benjamin
, 9 to 5, The Exorcist
, Diner
, Flashdance
, On Golden Pond
, Ran
, 48 Hrs.
and Poltergeist were some of the more popular films that aired. The channel did feature foreign & independent film, as well as the occasional horror film, but they primarily stayed away from films in the slasher genre, which was enormous at the time. For an additional monthly charge, Super TV also aired an after hours program titled "Night Life", where adults could watch soft-core versions of adult shows and movies; This service typically ran from 11pm to 2am Thursday - Sunday only. Customers who did not pay for this service found their signals scrambled shortly after the beginning of the "Night Life" intro. Super TV subscribers also received a monthly or weekly movie guide, in catalog format, telling them when their favorite films would be playing. Because of its limited broadcast hours, they often limited repeat runs of certain films to once or twice a month.
The decoder used was the Zenith SSAVI (sync suppression and video inversion) decoder and had no external controls other than a small chrome colored button on its top to select normal television or Super TV. To defeat simple descrambling techniques, video inversion was done selectively, often when the video frame was light overall, thus causing the scrambled picture to remain darker than the elevated sync pulses. In certain cases, video was inverted on alternate frames. The audio transmitted on the standard audio channel was a "barker"
announcement, informing would-be customers that Super TV was a scrambled service and required a subscription. The audio for the Super TV movies was encoded in a manner such that normal televisions would not decode it. The station could address each box individually to authorize decoding of programs, including one-time broadcasts or adult program options.
Super TV was popular until many issues rendered it obsolete in 1986. Cable TV services started expanding and were servicing areas not previously covered. The popularity of video rentals took off at an enormous rate around '83 and '84; and most importantly, financially. Moreover, pay TV giants like HBO and Showtime were now heavily buying film packages from the major studios & declaring them as exclusives and off limits to channels like Super TV (Spotlight Pay TV & Los Angeles' ZTV who were two other major casualties at the time). Attempts to partner Super TV with other similar services or with a sports programmer ultimately didn't succeed. ultimately, the two UHF stations (WFTY ch 50 & WNUV) were once again turned into full time independent UHF channels. Today, very few items of Super TV memorabilia, such as T-shirts and movie guides, exist on the collector's market.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area beginning in November 1981 on UHF channel 50 WFTY (presently WDCW
WDCW
WDCW, channel 50, is the CW-affiliated television station for Washington, D.C. It transmits from the Hughes Memorial Tower located in the Brightwood section of the city. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in the Glover Park section of Washington...
), Super TV expanded into the Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
area in July 1982 on channel 54 WNUV
WNUV
WNUV, digital channel 40, is an affiliate of the CW Television Network, located in Baltimore, Maryland. WNUV is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, but is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group through a local marketing agreement with Fox affiliate WBFF . However, WNUV is effectively owned by...
.Unlike other pay TV channels, Super TV only broadcast from 7pm to 1am Monday - Friday and 3 pm to 1 am weekends.
Subscribers received a 12 inch by 12 inch brown decoder box and a dedicated UHF antenna which was installed on the roof or on a balcony and aimed at the station's transmitter. When attached to a television, the box would filter in the Super TV movie channel. In the evening, subscribers could view a host of movies that were scheduled to play at that time.
A wide variety of 70's & 80's films including The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was...
, Ordinary People
Ordinary People
Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton....
, Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
, 9 to 5, The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, Diner
Diner (film)
Diner is a 1982 comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. Levinson's screen directing debut, Diner is the first in his "Baltimore films", which also include the subsequent Tin Men, Avalon and Liberty Heights.-Plot:...
, Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
, On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond is a 1979 play by Ernest Thompson. The plot focuses on aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called Golden Pond. During the year the story takes place, they are visited by daughter Chelsea with her fiancé and his son in tow...
, Ran
Ran (film)
is a 1985 Japanese-French jidaigeki film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film starred Tatsuya Nakadai as Hidetora Ichimonji, an aging Sengoku-era warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. It also stars Mieko Harada as the wife of Ichimonji's eldest son...
, 48 Hrs.
48 Hrs.
48 Hrs. is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a cop-killer. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. This was Eddie Murphy's film debut , and Joel...
and Poltergeist were some of the more popular films that aired. The channel did feature foreign & independent film, as well as the occasional horror film, but they primarily stayed away from films in the slasher genre, which was enormous at the time. For an additional monthly charge, Super TV also aired an after hours program titled "Night Life", where adults could watch soft-core versions of adult shows and movies; This service typically ran from 11pm to 2am Thursday - Sunday only. Customers who did not pay for this service found their signals scrambled shortly after the beginning of the "Night Life" intro. Super TV subscribers also received a monthly or weekly movie guide, in catalog format, telling them when their favorite films would be playing. Because of its limited broadcast hours, they often limited repeat runs of certain films to once or twice a month.
The decoder used was the Zenith SSAVI (sync suppression and video inversion) decoder and had no external controls other than a small chrome colored button on its top to select normal television or Super TV. To defeat simple descrambling techniques, video inversion was done selectively, often when the video frame was light overall, thus causing the scrambled picture to remain darker than the elevated sync pulses. In certain cases, video was inverted on alternate frames. The audio transmitted on the standard audio channel was a "barker"
Barker channel
A barker channel is a form of electronic media known as digital signage. It is a TV channel that is entirely composed of sales promotion and advertising, usually marketing various features of the service carrying the channel...
announcement, informing would-be customers that Super TV was a scrambled service and required a subscription. The audio for the Super TV movies was encoded in a manner such that normal televisions would not decode it. The station could address each box individually to authorize decoding of programs, including one-time broadcasts or adult program options.
Super TV was popular until many issues rendered it obsolete in 1986. Cable TV services started expanding and were servicing areas not previously covered. The popularity of video rentals took off at an enormous rate around '83 and '84; and most importantly, financially. Moreover, pay TV giants like HBO and Showtime were now heavily buying film packages from the major studios & declaring them as exclusives and off limits to channels like Super TV (Spotlight Pay TV & Los Angeles' ZTV who were two other major casualties at the time). Attempts to partner Super TV with other similar services or with a sports programmer ultimately didn't succeed. ultimately, the two UHF stations (WFTY ch 50 & WNUV) were once again turned into full time independent UHF channels. Today, very few items of Super TV memorabilia, such as T-shirts and movie guides, exist on the collector's market.
External links
- YouTube.com A commercial from 1983 for the SuperTV service in Baltimore (recorded off of WMAR-TVWMAR-TVWMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...
)