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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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3rd Dec 2004, 10:13 am | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Halesworth, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 413
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TEST CARDS WANTED
Hi All perhaps someone can tell me the best way to show a test card at the moment have no DVD player only an old Videostar VCR to play through my Domino Converter regards Den
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3rd Dec 2004, 10:49 am | #2 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: North London, UK.
Posts: 6,168
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Re: TEST CARDS WANTED
Richard Russell's test card generator is a very neat little package. I've seen it working and it looks good. Very flexible and programmable with new test cards.
http://www.rtrussell.co.uk/ |
3rd Dec 2004, 4:23 pm | #3 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Nottingham, UK
Posts: 94
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Re: TEST CARDS WANTED
The way I do it is to use a Dazzle DV/Firewire to analogue converter box. You could also use a camcorder if it has firewire in capability. To drive it, I downloaded the Microsoft DirectX software development kit (SDK), which includes an application called GraphEdit. This enables you to play with DirectX without having to write your own applications.
To understand GraphEdit you need to understand the jargon. You may think a FILTER is something that removes part of its input and passes the rest. However in MS-speak, a FILTER is simply ANY functional block of software, created for use in DirectX. A FILTER GRAPH is a combination of filters connected together. This DirectX is the technology behind many common applications such as media players and video editing software. GraphEdit enables you to create a filter graph interactively as a block diagram. The filters have input and output pins that you can link with wires. Then you run the graph and it will work. This way you can convert a test card or any other bitmap on the PC, to live video. The best quality is obtained by using a bitmap of the right size (720 x 576 for PAL), but it will automatically scale other sizes. In GraphEdit, first open the bitmap file. This willl create it as a block with an output pin 'generate still video', connected to a Video Renderer filter. Make sure your DV device is connected to the PC and active. Remove the Video Renderer and add a 'DV Video Encoder', a 'DV Muxer' and a 'Microsoft DV Camera and VCR'. Right click the Encoder and select 'Properties'. Check it is set to the right standard (NTSC or PAL) for your device. Run the graph and hey presto you have a Test Card Generator for no money. |
3rd Dec 2004, 6:23 pm | #4 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Solingen, Germany
Posts: 727
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Re: TEST CARDS WANTED
I have 16 black and white test patterns on my DVD.
Darius |
3rd Dec 2004, 8:51 pm | #5 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Swindon Wiltshire
Posts: 26
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Re: TEST CARDS WANTED
Hi Dennis,
I will be posting a DVD recording of Test Card C (BBC) to you on Monday so that should keep you happy, it's the same one you saw at the NEC. Now all you have to do is buy a cheap ( is there any other kind! ) DVD player The disc has 1 kHz tone with the test Card. Malcolm |