Yeah, for STS-1 a lot of the distortion is video conversion - what aired straight from the cameras was probably better quality. Similarly what aired for Apollo 11 and later was probably much better than what was ultimately recorded on film. This was pre-VCR, so the recordings were actually done by film cameras pointed at a TV set. I'm not sure there was a direct-to-tape format then.
The live footage from the moon for Apollo 11 and later was truly a kludge - they transmitted slow scan video due to bandwidth limitations (lower than TV resolution, but mappable to TV screen format), displayed that on a screen, and filmed the screen with a TV camera for the live broadcast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-1
STS-1, 12th April 1981. Their certainly was video-tape then, I was using it! If I remember correctly we were replacing these machines
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=a...X&ved=0ahUKEwimkrLh9_HLAhUFcRQKHUG1D4IQsAQISg
with these
http://www.vtoldboys.com/electra.htm
Both made by Ampex, and both open-reel tape. They would be replaced by cassette formats, and they would eventually...
Regarding "Quality", I know what you mean. Live is usually best(unless it all goes wrong), but a tape format program should be good quality, if care is taken to minimise tape generations(copies of copies). Eventaully the noise becomes unacceptable.
Not so much a problem with digital formats
http://www.videofilmsolutions.com/digital-ingest
Though they have their own problems.
I think the problem is not knowing where what you are watching came from, especially on the internet. Every broadcaster had a well run library system, with tape-history of each use of the tape. Sometimes a machine would start damaging tapes, and this wouldn't be caught till the next play-back, so it was important to find out where it had been.
Regarding Tele-Recording(point a film camera at a telly), not my field, so can't say much. It was never popular because of the poor quality, there was a compromise regarding the after-glow of the phosphor on the Cathode-Ray tube. Ordinary CRT for viewing didn't hold the image long enough for the film, and long decay(radar ppi type) smeared any fast motion. I think it went away when video-recording became practical.
I'm back in London for a few days, and going to go and take a few pictures of my old work-place in Teddington before its completely flattened. Quite sad-looking at the moment, only Studio One still complete, must be leaving that for last. It is (not for long) a substantial building.
N.
