Patterns for all formats

In the most basic of television production facilities a multitude of video formats will be used. Typically, this might involve RGB at origin, conversion to analogue YPbPr or digital component for storage and post production and conversion to composite for transmission. Increasingly seen in the chain will be compressed data storage and transmission systems involving further format conversions. Broadcasters traditionally rely on test patterns and images to check signal quality throughout the signal path. These various formats produce different signal degradation and so naturally require different test material. The author discusses specific patterns required for the common broadcast quality formats and introduces test material necessary for motion-based video systems such as standards conversion and image compression. He describes a new concept in pattern generation that enables common hardware to generate patterns in all formats. In the approach described all signals are originated in their respective format. All digital output data is a mathematically correct representation of the format. New test lines are generated graphically under Windows. The user may modify existing patterns or simply create new ones