The Test Card Thread

The ITV Digital 'test card' was only an off air image used overnight on channels which weren't 24 hours. There was a variant featuring a strap at the bottom mentioning when the channel in question would resume and with the ITV Digital logo moved to the top. For some reason, British Eurosport and Granada Plus had their own branded off air captions, rather than the standard ITV Digital one.

Here's the variant with the strap:
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/itvdigitalstrap.jpg

It wasn't used after the service closed down, instead you saw one of two slides, a broadcast one if the channel stream was available, or an MHEG generated one if it wasn't. This might be the testcard thread, but for posterity here they are (and I can't believe that it's now over 5 years since I took these captures...)

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/itvdclosedownmpeg.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/itvdclosedownmheg.jpg

Thought some of you might be interested in this article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/tvradio/story/0,,2092195,00.html

Good Read that one - Nice!

The PM5544 Has made a comeback... On A D&G Watch ! !


http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/omg.jpg

I saw this in a shop window at Manchester's Arndale centre and I couldn't believe such a design exists, it looks nice when you see it for real. It was pricey mind you, it was over £200 or so...

My god, I want one! I wonder if there's any cheap knock-offs on eBay?

Take it from me, a lot of Test Card Circle members are foaming at the mouth at Keith's comments. There has always been a rivalry between Keith and the TCC but to publicly discredit what is undoubtedly the more successful organisation was totally uncalled for.

I e-mailed Keith via his BBC Test Card Club website, and guess what - it bounced.

Since analogue is going next year will we not see TCJ on the RBS tests next year or will they use (test cards) J and W?

Also when HD becomes more widely available, will there be a HD Test card? I've heard rumours that there will be one called Test card X and i think it's being made by Snell and Wilcox. Can anybody confirm this and does any body no what it looks like?

HD test cards already exist (and I'm not talking about the Sky/Mylene one). Test cards are used much more widely than just being broadcast during shutdown times, and will continue to do so even with digital / hd coming in.

Not sure what you mean about analogue shutting down next year? I for one will be watching analogue on my portable TV for a good few years yet.

Probably just in the Westcountry region (?) next year. Whitehaven is going later this year, and the last regions will be London and Meridian in 2012.

Sorry, i didn't make my post clear, I ment that DSO will start commencing later this year and if/when the BBC carry out an RBS test will they use TCJ or will they use TCW? because i thought TCJ was default test card for analogue even if the BBC were using 16:9, and if you were watching on digital you would get TCW even if you were watching in 4:3, if you get what i mean.

Also for the HD Test card i was talking about the BBC, but i assume ITV, CH4 and 5 will have to get a HD one as well - even if it's not for broadcast?

Also we (as in the SW) lose analouge due to DSO in '08 i think.

Sods's law is that. The South West has traditionally been one of the last areas of the country to benefit from advancements in television; colour did not arrive here until 1972 and C4 not until mid-1984. BBC1 and BBC2 didn't go Nicam until the end of 2000 (at which time, typically, BBC2 undertook a cull of its long-standing Ceefax tapes).

On these occasions viewers felt justifiably aggreived, as if the people in London making the decisions saw us all as country bumpkins with no interest in television. Yet in an ironic reversal of fortune, Westcountry is one of the first areas to go digital. Now that we can wait for.