IFA History - The years 1980-1989

100 years of IFA: From the "Große Deutsche Funkausstellung" to the world's largest and most important trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances

IFA, the world's largest and most important trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. IFA was first held in December 1924 as the "Great German Radio Exhibition" in Berlin. Since then, IFA has stood for innovation, technology and entertainment.

To mark this anniversary, the industry organisation gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, owner of the IFA trademark rights, is reviewing 100 years of technical development in the consumer electronics and household appliance industry. Episode six deals with the years 1980 to 1989.

The first part of the following sections deals with the actual IFA in the respective year, the second part reports on the industry in general.

1980

There was no IFA in this year.

The German Federal Post Office started field trials of videotex (Btx) in some federal states. Research into terrestrial radio broadcasting with digital coding began at the Institute for Broadcasting Technology (IRT), the research facility of the broadcasting organisations. A "home computer", which was intended as an additional device to a television set, cost around DM 3,000 in the minimum configuration for black and white. In Germany, 450,000 video recorders were sold that year. The average price was DM 2,500.

1981

The 33rd "Internationale Funkausstellung" from 4 to 13 September had 544 exhibitors from 27 countries and almost 418,000 visitors. One of the topics was the launch of stereo and multi-channel sound in West German television on 4 September. This gave television sets a symmetrical wide format again with the two loudspeakers arranged on the left and right. Separate loudspeakers were offered for the monitor form. video recorders and video cameras were the "best sellers". "There is a trend towards improved ease of use in the new video recorder launches," it was stated. An often and long-discussed topic at the time. In the hi-fi sector, modular systems consisting of individual components predominated. The first devices were able to display the preset stations with their abbreviations. Cassette players had motorised drawers for inserting the cassette or double drives with which cassettes could be copied. There was a waterproof swimming bag for the Walkman. The special shows included "The development of television" and the Deutsche Bundespost's "BIGFON" (broadband integrated fibre-optic telecommunications network), satellite reception for radio and television and screen text (Btx). A model workshop and the antenna line were also represented. The total broadcasting time of ARD and ZDF from the IFA was 210 hours (radio and television).

on 12 August, the first "personal computer" was presented in the USA, with a floppy drive and a green screen with 25 lines and 80 characters each. The first "portable" computer, weighing 12 kg, sold 40,000 units that year.

1982

There was no IFA this year.

On 28 February and 7 March, the third NDR programme broadcast experimental three-dimensional films. Viewers had to wear red/green glasses. The prototype of a DSR receiver (Digital Satellite Radio) was presented, as well as a method for improving the sound on FM, "HighCom-FM". CD production started in Hanover-Langenhagen. The "SCART" connector, later the "Euro-AV connector", was developed as an interface between audio-visual devices. The first flat screen technologies based on electroluminescence, plasma or zinc sulphide were introduced, as was the "Commodore 64" home computer. The 8 mm video system was announced. 127 manufacturers of video equipment and cassettes agreed on a new "world standard". Sales of video recorders in Germany exceeded the million mark. Large companies in the electronics and toy industry became involved in the video games market, which nevertheless collapsed in the USA. The success of home and personal computers as the most important "gaming machines" began. Sales of video recorders in Germany exceeded the million mark.

1983

The 34th "Internationale Funkausstellung" took place from 2 to 11 September with 765 exhibitors from 27 countries and more than 423,000 visitors. The first TV sets with the so-called "digital concept" were presented. The teletext decoder is an integral part of the televisions. The "Euro AV connector" for connecting video recorders, picture disc devices or satellite receivers was mentioned for the first time, replacing the German DIN AV socket. Colour televisions with built-in video recorders came onto the market. On-screen text in accordance with the CEPT standard was launched in Berlin on 15 September, but not nationwide until later in 1984. The camcorder known as the "VHS video movie" offered the option of immediate playback of recordings via the built-in viewfinder monitor. It was smaller and lighter than other models and used the VHS-C mini cassette, which could be played back in a VHS video recorder using an adapter. The star of the hi-fi range was the CD player. For the first time, there was talk of "elegant" design in hi-fi systems. A "talking" car radio attracted attention by telling drivers which programme they had selected, for example. The first CD players for use in cars were presented. The special shows included demonstrations of the future transmission of television and radio programmes via broadcasting satellites, cable connections and video conferencing/television telephones. There were presentations on digital technology. Three-dimensional television was one of the topics in the technical and scientific supporting programme. Deutsche Bundespost announced that the Btx test period (screen text) had been completed and that the service would be introduced nationwide as a new telecommunications service. Overall, there was a lot of talk about the "new media".

From 1 January, SAT. 1 was the first private channel to broadcast its TV programme nationwide. RTL plus followed on 2 January. On 3 January, WDR became the first state broadcaster to start broadcasting a regional teletext service on its third channel. Other broadcasters followed in the course of the year. Japan presents its HDTV system at the TV symposium in Montreux. The federal states ratify the Btx treaty. A "single-chip VHF receiver" measured 2.85 x 1.58 mm and enabled small receivers such as wristwatch radios. SMDs, surface mounted devices, components for mounting directly on the circuit board without mounting holes and wire connections became the latest trend and reduced the space required as well as the assembly costs of electronic modules. The CD-ROM, the CD as a storage medium with a capacity of 550 Mbytes, was also announced. The first mobile phone was launched on 13 June, it weighed 800 grams and was 33 cm long. 16 June was the day on which the first ECS satellite (European Communication Satellite) was launched on behalf of Eutelsat. On 28 June, the first self-sufficient navigation systems for cars were presented. The first video camera with a CCD sensor (Charge Coupled Device) instead of a recording tube was presented.

1984

There was no IFA in this year.

The Ludwigshafen-Vorderpfalz cable pilot project was launched on 1 January. In addition to the usual television programmes, which until then had only been broadcast from television towers, programmes from private providers were now also brought into the home via the coaxial copper lines. The Federal Cable and Satellite Association (BKS) was founded this year and the trial operation of teletext was transferred to the official programme service on 1 July, still as a joint service of ARD and ZDF. TV sets for the reception of five different standards and projection TVs with a 114 cm picture for around DM 9,000 were introduced. The production of Video 2000 sets was discontinued. On 6 December, ZDF announced: "We are switching to the Mainz broadcasting centre" and the Mainz-Lerchenberg site was inaugurated. World production of electronics totalled over 600 billion DM, according to an estimate at the end of the year. Microchips are said to have accounted for just under ten per cent.

Continue reading IFA history - the years 1980 to 1989 - GFU

The history of the IFA can be found at gfu.de/ifa-berlin/100-jahre-ifa/.

Sources

The history of consumer electronics, Jochen Wiesinger

70 years of the Funkausstellung, Heide Riedel

From steam radio to multimedia, Claus Reuber