Pye B16T television receiver, 1946-1950

PYE B16T table-top television receiver, manufactured by Pye Limited, East Anglia, England, 1946-1948.

During the Second World War most British electronics companies limited their efforts to helping with wartime activities. That meant that after the war ended, of the few television sets that did become available, most were still of pre-war design. However Pye, had not been idle. As far back 1941 Pye had created a theoretical design for a post-war television using the new EF50 valve, and in 1943 members of their radar team discreetly began work on a post-war television. This work gave Pye a development lead over other manufacturers. They released the B16T television a full two months before regular transmissions resumed. They were the only British manufacturer able to release an all-new television design so quickly after the war had finished.