Improvements in or relating to colour television receivers

875,876. Colour television. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. Ltd. Oct. 5, 1959 [Oct. 31, 1958], No. 35009/58. Class 40(3) In a colour television receiver a first voltage of magtude proportional to the luminance signal is derived in circuits 13 abd 14 by gating out and smoothing the line synchronizing pulses and a second voltage of magnitude proportional to the chrominance signal(s) is derived in circuits 15 and 16 by gating out and smoothing the subcarrier synchronizing "bursts", the voltages being respectively applied, with opposite polarities, between a common point (earth) and the two ends of a potentiometer 17 and the resulting voltage which appears between the common point and a tapping on the potentiometer being employed as a gain control potential to maintain constant the ratio of the levels of the luminance and chrominance signals. This may be effected as illustrated by controlling the gain of an amplifier 8 in the chrominance channel. Alternatively the gain of the luminance channel may be controlled instead of or in addition to that of the chrominance channel. The position of the tapping on potentiometer 17 is selected in accordance with the desired ratio of luminance to chrominance and may be made manually adjustable to permit adjustment of saturation. The first voltage is also applied in a conventional manner as an automatic gain-control voltage to the radio-frequency and intermediate-frequency stages, the gain of which is also made manually adjustable for control of contrast.