Is the test card still available?

[J. P. Gilliver]

I remember a few years ago, you could get the test card (though IIRR it
was a poor quality version) by pressing some arcane sequence of buttons.
Is it still there?

[Brian Gaff]

Not that I know of on any stream. You can get files of many of them, but I
wonder what the relevance is now. Since the bandwidth varies it seems
adaptively to give compression, how can one use the test card to test
definition. Brian
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I remember a few years ago, you could get the test card (though IIRR it was
a poor quality version) by pressing some arcane sequence of buttons. Is it
still there?
--
If it's not on fire, it's a software problem.

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Brian Gaff
Not that I know of on any stream. You can get files of many of them, but I
wonder what the relevance is now. Since the bandwidth varies it seems
adaptively to give compression, how can one use the test card to test
definition. Brian

Thinking about it, I think virtually all the things it helps with:
convergence, scanning, orientation, bandwidth - are no longer a problem
(at least, no longer adjustable!) - with discrete-element display
panels. About the only remaining use I can think of are contrast, gamma,
and so on, though maybe there are some others those here can think of.

Sad that something that I feel is part of me has outlived its
usefulness.

(Anyone here remember the magic FreeView sequence? IIRR it involved the
changing channel, and the yellow or green button[s]. And know whether it
_does_ still work.)

[Andy Burns]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Anyone here remember the magic FreeView sequence? IIRR it involved the
changing channel, and the yellow or green button[s].

I wouldn't remember it, but ukfree.tv is useful for a change ...

<https://ukfree.tv/article/1107052442/How_do_I_get_a_test_card_with_Freeview_>

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Anyone here remember the magic FreeView sequence? IIRR it involved
the changing channel, and the yellow or green button[s].

I wouldn't remember it, but ukfree.tv is useful for a change ...
<https://ukfree.tv/article/1107052442/How_do_I_get_a_test_card_with_Freeview_>

Thanks for that!

Short report: it doesn't work any more.

Longer version:
the procedure was:
• select channel 200, which used to bring up red button channel.
• _When screen appears_, press yellow, wait 2 seconds, press CH+, wait
5 seconds, press CH-, wait for another screen to appear, press green,
get test card.

Now: there is no channel 200. Red button is now 250 (very slow to appear
[I don't know if it's faster when red button is actually in use]), but
the same procedure does nothing beyond what you'd expect.

One of the followups - dated 2021-9-4 - says:
the BBC have also changed what is available using the procedure
described.
The Test Card isn't available any more and what is available doesn't
appear to be of any real practical use to the average user, but do have
a "play".

However, as I've said above, I can't now find _anything_.

Does anyone know of _any_ "easter eggs" on FreeView? (To me, it seems
very boring - and also polluted by a lot of stuff that is linked to
online access [iPlayer being the worst offender, but lots of fake
"channels" too], which to me seems contrary to what FreeView is about.)

[Liz Tuddenham]

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Brian Gaff
Not that I know of on any stream. You can get files of many of them, but I
wonder what the relevance is now. Since the bandwidth varies it seems
adaptively to give compression, how can one use the test card to test
definition. Brian

convergence, scanning, orientation, bandwidth - are no longer a problem
(at least, no longer adjustable!) - with discrete-element display
panels. About the only remaining use I can think of are contrast, gamma,
and so on, though maybe there are some others those here can think of.

I have drawn one which I use as my first slide for setting up
slideshows. It helps to check focus and that the screen is filled and
keystone distortion is corrected. The contrast wedges are a quick check
that ambient light isn't washing out the blacks.

[J. P. Gilliver]

In message <1qnw8sb.1f90rwdgaszmaN%***@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> at
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:50:37, Liz Tuddenham
[]

Post by Liz Tuddenham

Post by J. P. Gilliver
convergence, scanning, orientation, bandwidth - are no longer a problem
(at least, no longer adjustable!) - with discrete-element display
panels. About the only remaining use I can think of are contrast, gamma,
and so on, though maybe there are some others those here can think of.

I have drawn one which I use as my first slide for setting up
slideshows. It helps to check focus and that the screen is filled and
keystone distortion is corrected. The contrast wedges are a quick check
that ambient light isn't washing out the blacks.

Interesting thought - setting up for slideshows, videos etcetera.

I continue to be surprised how many cases there are where nobody thinks
to turn off the room lighting, even just at the front near the screen,
and even the implication that you're a bit demanding if you ask for that
to be done (let alone be so presumptive as to do it yourself).

[Liz Tuddenham]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:50:37, Liz Tuddenham
[]

Post by Liz Tuddenham

Post by J. P. Gilliver
convergence, scanning, orientation, bandwidth - are no longer a problem
(at least, no longer adjustable!) - with discrete-element display
panels. About the only remaining use I can think of are contrast, gamma,
and so on, though maybe there are some others those here can think of.

I have drawn one which I use as my first slide for setting up
slideshows. It helps to check focus and that the screen is filled and
keystone distortion is corrected. The contrast wedges are a quick check
that ambient light isn't washing out the blacks.

Interesting thought - setting up for slideshows, videos etcetera.
I continue to be surprised how many cases there are where nobody thinks
to turn off the room lighting, even just at the front near the screen,
and even the implication that you're a bit demanding if you ask for that
to be done (let alone be so presumptive as to do it yourself).

I had one where a sodium street lamp outside shone on the screen through
some high windows that couldn't be blacked out and another where the
screen was in the full light of the afternoon sun.

The best one was a couple of Summers ago, where I was in the sudience
watching someone else's presentation. The slides had a bit of an 'arty'
background, so at first it wasn't obvious that the strange bright
whorles creeping in from the top RH corner weren't part of the show. It
was only when they began to dazzle the lecturer, who kept moving aside
to avoid them, that I realised something was wrong.

I followed the beam, which was coming fron the back of the room, and
found bright sunlight reflecting off the nickel plating of the large
polished mandrel of a 'Concert' cylinder player, which was to be
auctioned later. The items for auction were absolutely sacrosanct, so I
dared not move it; instead I squirmed under the table and was able to
draw some curtains across the window behind it.

What I found surprising was that not one of the audience, including the
organisers and the other presenters, had spotted what was happening and
done anything about it.

[Roderick Stewart]

On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:38:28 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Interesting thought - setting up for slideshows, videos etcetera.
I continue to be surprised how many cases there are where nobody thinks
to turn off the room lighting, even just at the front near the screen,
and even the implication that you're a bit demanding if you ask for that
to be done (let alone be so presumptive as to do it yourself).

More than once I've been asked if it's necessary to turn off the flash
when taking photographs of a TV screen.

This was in the olden days when cameras used film so you couldn't see
the picture immediately, but even today, now that you can, it's
surprising how many people are content with pictures that have silly
faults that could easily have been corrected just by taking them again
straight away. It seems to indicate not just a lack of understanding
but also a lack of care.

Rod.

[charles]

Post by Roderick Stewart
On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:38:28 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Interesting thought - setting up for slideshows, videos etcetera.
I continue to be surprised how many cases there are where nobody thinks
to turn off the room lighting, even just at the front near the screen,
and even the implication that you're a bit demanding if you ask for that
to be done (let alone be so presumptive as to do it yourself).

More than once I've been asked if it's necessary to turn off the flash
when taking photographs of a TV screen.
This was in the olden days when cameras used film so you couldn't see
the picture immediately, but even today, now that you can, it's
surprising how many people are content with pictures that have silly
faults that could easily have been corrected just by taking them again
straight away. It seems to indicate not just a lack of understanding
but also a lack of care.

I remember demonstating Ceefax at an exhibition in Montreux, early '70s.
Someone wanted to take a picture of the screen - pointed a light meter at
the screen - found a very low reading and turned on his flash. I didn't
say a word.

[Brian Gaff]

Before all of that, may tvs had an electronic text card available via
undomented use of controls. After all it was very simple to do this. The
Philips one comes to mind.
As you say the main reasons for it are gone, but the linearity of the
system via the black and white system is often in my view wrongly set. Back
when I could see,by far the best pictures I ever saw on a flat screen were
on Sharp upper range sets, but I also if some clever contrast was going on
tto fool the eye into thinking it was more dynamic.
Brian
--
--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
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Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!

Post by J. P. Gilliver

Post by Brian Gaff
Not that I know of on any stream. You can get files of many of them, but I
wonder what the relevance is now. Since the bandwidth varies it seems
adaptively to give compression, how can one use the test card to test
definition. Brian

convergence, scanning, orientation, bandwidth - are no longer a problem
(at least, no longer adjustable!) - with discrete-element display panels.
About the only remaining use I can think of are contrast, gamma, and so
on, though maybe there are some others those here can think of.
Sad that something that I feel is part of me has outlived its usefulness.
(Anyone here remember the magic FreeView sequence? IIRR it involved the
changing channel, and the yellow or green button[s]. And know whether it
_does_ still work.)
--
"Does Barbie come with Ken?"
"Barbie comes with G.I. Joe. She fakes it with Ken." - anonymous