NTSC test pattern generator on VCD?

From: Charles E. Fox <foxvideo_at_wincom.net>
Date: Sat Jan 29 05:34:39 2005

At 11:00 PM 1/28/2005, you wrote:
>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

         I can send you a jpg of split field ntsc bars if this would help.
If you want to spend a couple of hundred dollars I can recommend the Horita
TSG50, which generates good quality video test signals, including bars.

Chers

                 Charlie Fox
                                 Charles E. Fox Video Production
                                         793 Argyle Rd.
                                 Windsor Ontario Canada N8Y 3J8
                                 519-254-4991 foxvideo_at_wincom.net
                                 Check out the "Camcorder Kindergarten"
                                         at www.chasfoxvideo.com
Received on Sat Jan 29 2005 - 05:34:39 GMT