NTSC test pattern generator on VCD?

From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri Jan 28 22:00:35 2005

All,

I was tweaking the knobs on a Panasonic "Color Video Monitor"
(NTSC/"VTR input" version of a Panasonic 19" TV marketed to the AV
crowd, not the home consumer), and I realized that since I don't have
any genuine TV diagnostic tools, but I do have modern things like a
DVD player that can play CDs, etc, wouldn't it be handy to have a VCD
of color bars, etc., as a reference to adjust composite-input devices?
 Now I wouldn't mind a real colorbar generator, but a
algorithmically-generated MPEG would be adequate for non-broadcast
use, surely.

Does anyone know of the existence of such a thing? Theoretically, one
could perhaps generate a "proper" still image from a program like
GIMP/Paint/Photoshop, etc... then use a movie tool to generate
'frames' from it, then make an MPEG to play the image as long as one
would like (a VCD or SVCD is around 45 min on a CD-R blank) -
presto... el-cheapo color bars.

Also, if there is another technique to do this (without having to have
a live, NTSC-emitting classic computer generating it real-time), I'm
all ears. I don't technically mind having to fire up a C-64 to pump
out colors, but, that one, in particular, may or may not have pure
enough colors to do the job properly. Even an Atari 800 might not be
close enough, but at least it has a larger palette. I'd rather just
use a dedicated device that doesn't have to rely on a custom program
in ROM or on a disk, such as this Apex 1100-W DVD player, a handy
dictionary-sized box that just displays a picture when you throw in a
disc. Technically speaking, though, since this device also plays JPG
picture discs, I could burn a disc with one file, a JPG of color
bars... that might not be too hard to find.

As for the specific idea of building an MPG of color bars, thanks for
any tips and pointers,

-ethan
Received on Fri Jan 28 2005 - 22:00:35 GMT