Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-04.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo » Marshall/!TestCard/!Help
Marshall/!TestCard/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-04.adf » !StarInfo_StarInfo |
| Filename: | Marshall/!TestCard/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0A67 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Test Card for Home Video Applications. (OS3 only)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by P.E.Marshall
Use this video test card to check your monitor and/or VCR
performance.
The display makes use of screen mode 35 (new to Risc OS3) which
was designed specifically for video applications. The whole
screen area is used and has the standard television aspect
ratio of 4:3.
For recording on to a VCR, ideally an RGB to composite video
adaptor is needed; some Acorn 32-bit machaines have an RF
modulator which may be used at somewhat lower quality. Some
have a composite monochrome output which can be used to check
several important performance aspects.
In the colour bars and grey-scale area note the peak-white and
near-black blobs in the white and black squares repsectively.
Adjust the monitor brightness so that the near-black blob is
just visible. If the peak white blob is not visible then
crushing or clipping is taking place in the system somewhere,
possibly the contrast setting is too high.
The blocks of fine lines are resolution test gratings.
These are used to measure the ability of a video system to display
fine detail. The gratings here approximate to sine-waves, (except
for the 5.3 Mhz section which had to be a square wave). Sine
waves are kinder to a VCR - sharp edges tend to cause 'ringing'
(often done deliberately to enhance definition). A good standard VHS
machine will clearly resolve the 2.7 Mhz bars but the 3.2 Mhz
bars may be faint or not visible at all. A Super-VHS machine will
have no trouble with the finer bars.
The castellations around the edges are designed to emphasise
errors in colour decoding and sync seperator circuits. There
should be no such problems on an RGB monitor!
The castellations along the bottom edge may not be visible on a
TV, and if they are, playback from a VCR may be broken up. This is
normal for a domestic VCR - it's the point where the two
recording heads switch over.
The cross-hatch can be used to check convergence, ie. the
registration of the red, blue and green guns in the picture tube.
The height, width and linearity controls (if accessable) should be
set so that the circle is circular and the squares are of equal
size.
The black & white letter boxes are for checking low frequency
performance - there should be no streaking from the right-hand
edges of these areas.
Warning! Some of the controls needed to set a perfect picture are
inside your monitor. Adjustment is not difficult but unless you
know exactly what you are doing DONT! There are some dangerous
voltages present, and twiddling the wrong controls could prove
expensive!
p.m. 1/11/93
00000000 54 65 73 74 20 43 61 72 64 20 66 6f 72 20 48 6f |Test Card for Ho| 00000010 6d 65 20 56 69 64 65 6f 20 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 |me Video Applica| 00000020 74 69 6f 6e 73 2e 20 28 4f 53 33 20 6f 6e 6c 79 |tions. (OS3 only| 00000030 29 0a 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e |).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 00000040 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 00000050 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 7e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |~~~~~~~~. | 00000060 20 62 79 20 50 2e 45 2e 4d 61 72 73 68 61 6c 6c | by P.E.Marshall| 00000070 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 0a 55 73 65 20 74 68 |.. .Use th| 00000080 69 73 20 76 69 64 65 6f 20 74 65 73 74 20 63 61 |is video test ca| 00000090 72 64 20 74 6f 20 63 68 65 63 6b 20 79 6f 75 72 |rd to check your| 000000a0 20 6d 6f 6e 69 74 6f 72 20 61 6e 64 2f 6f 72 20 | monitor and/or | 000000b0 56 43 52 20 0a 70 65 72 66 6f 72 6d 61 6e 63 65 |VCR .performance| 000000c0 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 20 6d |...The display m| 000000d0 61 6b 65 73 20 75 73 65 20 6f 66 20 73 63 72 65 |akes use of scre| 000000e0 65 6e 20 6d 6f 64 65 20 33 35 20 28 6e 65 77 20 |en mode 35 (new | 000000f0 74 6f 20 52 69 73 63 20 4f 53 33 29 20 77 68 69 |to Risc OS3) whi| 00000100 63 68 0a 77 61 73 20 64 65 73 69 67 6e 65 64 20 |ch.was designed | 00000110 73 70 65 63 69 66 69 63 61 6c 6c 79 20 66 6f 72 |specifically for| 00000120 20 76 69 64 65 6f 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 | video applicati| 00000130 6f 6e 73 2e 20 54 68 65 20 77 68 6f 6c 65 0a 73 |ons. The whole.s| 00000140 63 72 65 65 6e 20 61 72 65 61 20 69 73 20 75 73 |creen area is us| 00000150 65 64 20 61 6e 64 20 68 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 73 |ed and has the s| 00000160 74 61 6e 64 61 72 64 20 74 65 6c 65 76 69 73 69 |tandard televisi| 00000170 6f 6e 20 61 73 70 65 63 74 20 0a 72 61 74 69 6f |on aspect .ratio| 00000180 20 6f 66 20 34 3a 33 2e 0a 0a 46 6f 72 20 72 65 | of 4:3...For re| 00000190 63 6f 72 64 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 61 20 |cording on to a | 000001a0 56 43 52 2c 20 69 64 65 61 6c 6c 79 20 61 6e 20 |VCR, ideally an | 000001b0 52 47 42 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6d 70 6f 73 69 74 65 |RGB to composite| 000001c0 20 76 69 64 65 6f 20 0a 61 64 61 70 74 6f 72 20 | video .adaptor | 000001d0 69 73 20 6e 65 65 64 65 64 3b 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 |is needed; some | 000001e0 41 63 6f 72 6e 20 33 32 2d 62 69 74 20 6d 61 63 |Acorn 32-bit mac| 000001f0 68 61 69 6e 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 6e 20 52 |haines have an R| 00000200 46 20 0a 6d 6f 64 75 6c 61 74 6f 72 20 77 68 69 |F .modulator whi| 00000210 63 68 20 6d 61 79 20 62 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 61 |ch may be used a| 00000220 74 20 73 6f 6d 65 77 68 61 74 20 6c 6f 77 65 72 |t somewhat lower| 00000230 20 71 75 61 6c 69 74 79 2e 20 53 6f 6d 65 0a 68 | quality. Some.h| 00000240 61 76 65 20 61 20 63 6f 6d 70 6f 73 69 74 65 20 |ave a composite | 00000250 6d 6f 6e 6f 63 68 72 6f 6d 65 20 6f 75 74 70 75 |monochrome outpu| 00000260 74 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 75 |t which can be u| 00000270 73 65 64 20 74 6f 20 63 68 65 63 6b 0a 73 65 76 |sed to check.sev| 00000280 65 72 61 6c 20 69 6d 70 6f 72 74 61 6e 74 20 70 |eral important p| 00000290 65 72 66 6f 72 6d 61 6e 63 65 20 61 73 70 65 63 |erformance aspec| 000002a0 74 73 2e 0a 0a 49 6e 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6c 6f |ts...In the colo| 000002b0 75 72 20 62 61 72 73 20 61 6e 64 20 67 72 65 79 |ur bars and grey| 000002c0 2d 73 63 61 6c 65 20 61 72 65 61 20 6e 6f 74 65 |-scale area note| 000002d0 20 74 68 65 20 70 65 61 6b 2d 77 68 69 74 65 20 | the peak-white | 000002e0 61 6e 64 0a 6e 65 61 72 2d 62 6c 61 63 6b 20 62 |and.near-black b| 000002f0 6c 6f 62 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 69 74 |lobs in the whit| 00000300 65 20 61 6e 64 20 62 6c 61 63 6b 20 73 71 75 61 |e and black squa| 00000310 72 65 73 20 72 65 70 73 65 63 74 69 76 65 6c 79 |res repsectively| 00000320 2e 0a 41 64 6a 75 73 74 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 6e |..Adjust the mon| 00000330 69 74 6f 72 20 62 72 69 67 68 74 6e 65 73 73 20 |itor brightness | 00000340 73 6f 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 61 72 |so that the near| 00000350 2d 62 6c 61 63 6b 20 62 6c 6f 62 20 69 73 20 0a |-black blob is .| 00000360 6a 75 73 74 20 76 69 73 69 62 6c 65 2e 20 49 66 |just visible. If| 00000370 20 74 68 65 20 70 65 61 6b 20 77 68 69 74 65 20 | the peak white | 00000380 62 6c 6f 62 20 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 76 69 73 69 |blob is not visi| 00000390 62 6c 65 20 74 68 65 6e 0a 63 72 75 73 68 69 6e |ble then.crushin| 000003a0 67 20 6f 72 20 63 6c 69 70 70 69 6e 67 20 69 73 |g or clipping is| 000003b0 20 74 61 6b 69 6e 67 20 70 6c 61 63 65 20 69 6e | taking place in| 000003c0 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 73 6f 6d 65 | the system some| 000003d0 77 68 65 72 65 2c 0a 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 79 20 |where,.possibly | 000003e0 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 61 73 74 20 73 65 74 |the contrast set| 000003f0 74 69 6e 67 20 69 73 20 74 6f 6f 20 68 69 67 68 |ting is too high| 00000400 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 62 6c 6f 63 6b 73 20 6f 66 |...The blocks of| 00000410 20 66 69 6e 65 20 6c 69 6e 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 | fine lines are | 00000420 72 65 73 6f 6c 75 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 65 73 74 20 |resolution test | 00000430 67 72 61 74 69 6e 67 73 2e 0a 54 68 65 73 65 20 |gratings..These | 00000440 61 72 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6f 20 6d 65 61 73 |are used to meas| 00000450 75 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 61 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20 |ure the ability | 00000460 6f 66 20 61 20 76 69 64 65 6f 20 73 79 73 74 65 |of a video syste| 00000470 6d 20 74 6f 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 0a 66 69 6e |m to display.fin| 00000480 65 20 64 65 74 61 69 6c 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 67 |e detail. The g| 00000490 72 61 74 69 6e 67 73 20 68 65 72 65 20 61 70 70 |ratings here app| 000004a0 72 6f 78 69 6d 61 74 65 20 74 6f 20 73 69 6e 65 |roximate to sine| 000004b0 2d 77 61 76 65 73 2c 20 28 65 78 63 65 70 74 0a |-waves, (except.| 000004c0 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 35 2e 33 20 4d 68 7a 20 |for the 5.3 Mhz | 000004d0 73 65 63 74 69 6f 6e 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 68 61 |section which ha| 000004e0 64 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 61 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 |d to be a square| 000004f0 20 77 61 76 65 29 2e 20 53 69 6e 65 20 0a 77 61 | wave). Sine .wa| 00000500 76 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 6b 69 6e 64 65 72 20 74 |ves are kinder t| 00000510 6f 20 61 20 56 43 52 20 2d 20 73 68 61 72 70 20 |o a VCR - sharp | 00000520 65 64 67 65 73 20 74 65 6e 64 20 74 6f 20 63 61 |edges tend to ca| 00000530 75 73 65 20 27 72 69 6e 67 69 6e 67 27 0a 28 6f |use 'ringing'.(o| 00000540 66 74 65 6e 20 64 6f 6e 65 20 64 65 6c 69 62 65 |ften done delibe| 00000550 72 61 74 65 6c 79 20 74 6f 20 65 6e 68 61 6e 63 |rately to enhanc| 00000560 65 20 64 65 66 69 6e 69 74 69 6f 6e 29 2e 20 41 |e definition). A| 00000570 20 67 6f 6f 64 20 73 74 61 6e 64 61 72 64 20 56 | good standard V| 00000580 48 53 0a 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |HS.machine will | 00000590 63 6c 65 61 72 6c 79 20 72 65 73 6f 6c 76 65 20 |clearly resolve | 000005a0 74 68 65 20 32 2e 37 20 4d 68 7a 20 62 61 72 73 |the 2.7 Mhz bars| 000005b0 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 33 2e 32 20 4d 68 7a | but the 3.2 Mhz| 000005c0 0a 62 61 72 73 20 6d 61 79 20 62 65 20 66 61 69 |.bars may be fai| 000005d0 6e 74 20 6f 72 20 6e 6f 74 20 76 69 73 69 62 6c |nt or not visibl| 000005e0 65 20 61 74 20 61 6c 6c 2e 20 41 20 53 75 70 65 |e at all. A Supe| 000005f0 72 2d 56 48 53 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 20 77 69 |r-VHS machine wi| 00000600 6c 6c 0a 68 61 76 65 20 6e 6f 20 74 72 6f 75 62 |ll.have no troub| 00000610 6c 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6e 65 |le with the fine| 00000620 72 20 62 61 72 73 2e 20 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 63 61 |r bars. ..The ca| 00000630 73 74 65 6c 6c 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 61 72 6f 75 |stellations arou| 00000640 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 65 64 67 65 73 20 61 72 65 |nd the edges are| 00000650 20 64 65 73 69 67 6e 65 64 20 74 6f 20 65 6d 70 | designed to emp| 00000660 68 61 73 69 73 65 20 0a 65 72 72 6f 72 73 20 69 |hasise .errors i| 00000670 6e 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 64 65 63 6f 64 69 6e |n colour decodin| 00000680 67 20 61 6e 64 20 73 79 6e 63 20 73 65 70 65 72 |g and sync seper| 00000690 61 74 6f 72 20 63 69 72 63 75 69 74 73 2e 20 54 |ator circuits. T| 000006a0 68 65 72 65 0a 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 20 6e |here.should be n| 000006b0 6f 20 73 75 63 68 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 73 20 |o such problems | 000006c0 6f 6e 20 61 6e 20 52 47 42 20 6d 6f 6e 69 74 6f |on an RGB monito| 000006d0 72 21 20 0a 54 68 65 20 63 61 73 74 65 6c 6c 61 |r! .The castella| 000006e0 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 61 6c 6f 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 |tions along the | 000006f0 62 6f 74 74 6f 6d 20 65 64 67 65 20 6d 61 79 20 |bottom edge may | 00000700 6e 6f 74 20 62 65 20 76 69 73 69 62 6c 65 20 6f |not be visible o| 00000710 6e 20 61 20 0a 54 56 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 69 66 20 |n a .TV, and if | 00000720 74 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 2c 20 70 6c 61 79 62 61 |they are, playba| 00000730 63 6b 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 61 20 56 43 52 20 6d 61 |ck from a VCR ma| 00000740 79 20 62 65 20 62 72 6f 6b 65 6e 20 75 70 2e 20 |y be broken up. | 00000750 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 0a 6e 6f 72 6d 61 6c 20 66 |This is.normal f| 00000760 6f 72 20 61 20 64 6f 6d 65 73 74 69 63 20 56 43 |or a domestic VC| 00000770 52 20 2d 20 69 74 27 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 69 |R - it's the poi| 00000780 6e 74 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 74 77 6f |nt where the two| 00000790 0a 72 65 63 6f 72 64 69 6e 67 20 68 65 61 64 73 |.recording heads| 000007a0 20 73 77 69 74 63 68 20 6f 76 65 72 2e 0a 0a 54 | switch over...T| 000007b0 68 65 20 63 72 6f 73 73 2d 68 61 74 63 68 20 63 |he cross-hatch c| 000007c0 61 6e 20 62 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6f 20 63 68 |an be used to ch| 000007d0 65 63 6b 20 63 6f 6e 76 65 72 67 65 6e 63 65 2c |eck convergence,| 000007e0 20 69 65 2e 20 74 68 65 20 0a 72 65 67 69 73 74 | ie. the .regist| 000007f0 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 |ration of the re| 00000800 64 2c 20 62 6c 75 65 20 61 6e 64 20 67 72 65 65 |d, blue and gree| 00000810 6e 20 67 75 6e 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 69 |n guns in the pi| 00000820 63 74 75 72 65 20 74 75 62 65 2e 0a 54 68 65 20 |cture tube..The | 00000830 68 65 69 67 68 74 2c 20 77 69 64 74 68 20 61 6e |height, width an| 00000840 64 20 6c 69 6e 65 61 72 69 74 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 |d linearity cont| 00000850 72 6f 6c 73 20 28 69 66 20 61 63 63 65 73 73 61 |rols (if accessa| 00000860 62 6c 65 29 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 62 65 0a 73 |ble) should be.s| 00000870 65 74 20 73 6f 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 63 |et so that the c| 00000880 69 72 63 6c 65 20 69 73 20 63 69 72 63 75 6c 61 |ircle is circula| 00000890 72 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 71 75 61 72 65 |r and the square| 000008a0 73 20 61 72 65 20 6f 66 20 65 71 75 61 6c 0a 73 |s are of equal.s| 000008b0 69 7a 65 2e 20 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 62 6c 61 63 6b |ize. ..The black| 000008c0 20 26 20 77 68 69 74 65 20 6c 65 74 74 65 72 20 | & white letter | 000008d0 62 6f 78 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 66 6f 72 20 63 68 |boxes are for ch| 000008e0 65 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6c 6f 77 20 66 72 65 71 75 |ecking low frequ| 000008f0 65 6e 63 79 0a 70 65 72 66 6f 72 6d 61 6e 63 65 |ency.performance| 00000900 20 2d 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 | - there should | 00000910 62 65 20 6e 6f 20 73 74 72 65 61 6b 69 6e 67 20 |be no streaking | 00000920 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 2d 68 |from the right-h| 00000930 61 6e 64 20 0a 65 64 67 65 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68 |and .edges of th| 00000940 65 73 65 20 61 72 65 61 73 2e 0a 0a 57 61 72 6e |ese areas...Warn| 00000950 69 6e 67 21 20 53 6f 6d 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 |ing! Some of the| 00000960 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 73 20 6e 65 65 64 65 64 | controls needed| 00000970 20 74 6f 20 73 65 74 20 61 20 70 65 72 66 65 63 | to set a perfec| 00000980 74 20 70 69 63 74 75 72 65 20 61 72 65 0a 69 6e |t picture are.in| 00000990 73 69 64 65 20 79 6f 75 72 20 6d 6f 6e 69 74 6f |side your monito| 000009a0 72 2e 20 41 64 6a 75 73 74 6d 65 6e 74 20 69 73 |r. Adjustment is| 000009b0 20 6e 6f 74 20 64 69 66 66 69 63 75 6c 74 20 62 | not difficult b| 000009c0 75 74 20 75 6e 6c 65 73 73 20 79 6f 75 0a 6b 6e |ut unless you.kn| 000009d0 6f 77 20 65 78 61 63 74 6c 79 20 77 68 61 74 20 |ow exactly what | 000009e0 79 6f 75 20 61 72 65 20 64 6f 69 6e 67 20 44 4f |you are doing DO| 000009f0 4e 54 21 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 73 6f |NT! There are so| 00000a00 6d 65 20 64 61 6e 67 65 72 6f 75 73 20 0a 76 6f |me dangerous .vo| 00000a10 6c 74 61 67 65 73 20 70 72 65 73 65 6e 74 2c 20 |ltages present, | 00000a20 61 6e 64 20 74 77 69 64 64 6c 69 6e 67 20 74 68 |and twiddling th| 00000a30 65 20 77 72 6f 6e 67 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 73 |e wrong controls| 00000a40 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 20 70 72 6f 76 65 0a 65 78 70 | could prove.exp| 00000a50 65 6e 73 69 76 65 21 0a 0a 70 2e 6d 2e 20 31 2f |ensive!..p.m. 1/| 00000a60 31 31 2f 39 33 0a 0a |11/93..| 00000a67
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