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Television Standards Converters, Modulators etc Standards converters, modulators anything else for providing signals to vintage televisions.

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Old 13th Dec 2019, 9:59 am   #1
Test Desk
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Smile Test cards and what?

Firstly, I feel I must apologise for asking more questions than actually contributing to this board, but I don't have sufficient knowledge or experience of most subjects but I was GPO trained in telecoms and understand most basic principles of electronics and thermionic emission. Having said that, I enjoy this site even if I don't understand a lot of it.
So my question (finally) to the 405/625 TV community is: are you guys able to watch broadcast TV on your old sets via some kind of receiver/converter. I think I've seen reference to playing video so I imagine it's possible to convert Freeview? Please don't be afraid to get technical - I'll cope
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Old 13th Dec 2019, 10:09 am   #2
peter_scott
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

Yes, the answer is simple. The Aurora standards converter can convert 625 to 405 and generate a signal to supply directly to your television aerial socket. Likewise the Hedghog standards converter.

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Old 13th Dec 2019, 10:29 am   #3
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

If you want to use Freeview, many only have an HDMI output, these converters will convert HDMI to UHF 625.
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/communit...or/#post-98833

The Aurora and Hedgehog convert 625 to 405 has Peter states, you just need to be sure exactly your requirements.
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Old 13th Dec 2019, 11:10 am   #4
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

And before the advent of the Aurora and Hedghog, there were the likes of the Domino, Pineapple and Dinosaur - all now extinct (or at least no longer in production).

In addition to using standards converters for instantaneous conversion from 625-line to 405-line signals, some older VHS recorders were able to record and play back 405-line signals, owing to the fact that they recorded a complete frame of video without any cognisance of the frame's internal structure. Later machines perform processing of the signal, such as substituting "drop-outs" from adjactent lines, which wouldn't work with the different structure of 405-line frames.
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Old 13th Dec 2019, 4:07 pm   #5
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

Just to prove the point. This picture was taken a couple of nights ago from a live transmission. The receiver is an unmodified 1953 15" Ekco 405 line receiver model TC196.
The standards converter in this case an AURORA, simply connected to the aerial socket. The Ekco is tuned to channel 1 Band one, the BBC Television Service London station originally at Alexandra Palace [later Crystal Palace] Regards, John.
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Old 13th Dec 2019, 5:04 pm   #6
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

Hi John,
How did you feed the signal to the Aurora?
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Old 14th Dec 2019, 3:46 pm   #7
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

The AURORA accepts any standard 625 line video input from a Freeview box,
VCR, DVD player, camera etc. It Accepts sound and vision via RCA phono plugs. It also has a 'built in' test card that you can change to your preference. J.
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Old 17th Dec 2019, 11:14 am   #8
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

.....and to enhance your experience with old TVs... how about a nostalgic
(but accurate) screensaver clock for your computer.

http://625.uk.com/tv_logos/flash4.htm

Just a note these are 'Flash' files as I know some people have an objection/distrust to Flash.
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Old 17th Dec 2019, 3:27 pm   #9
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Default Re: Test cards and what?

I used to look at 625.uk.com quite often but it's hardly been updated in the last few years.
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