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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

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Old 28th Oct 2009, 9:36 am   #1
Mike Phelan
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Default Displaying a test card on Freeview.

You can display the test card on any reasonably new Freeview receiver, DTV or PVR using the following steps. Note that some older set top boxes do not fully conform with the specifications and may be unable to access this service.

1. Tune to the BBCi channel (currently ch. 250)
2. When the BBCi background appears, press Yellow (within 30 secs)
3. Tune away to a different channel
4. Tune back to the BBCi channel (currently ch. 250)
5. When the BBCi background appears, press Green (within 30 secs)
The word 'Secret' will appear in the top right hand corner
6. Wait until the status page appears
7. Press green and wait for the testcard will appear.
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Last edited by Station X; 15th Mar 2020 at 2:18 pm. Reason: Revised key sequence.
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Old 12th Jul 2011, 1:09 pm   #2
Station X
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

The arrows on the centre line denote the edge of 4:3 (12:9), 14:9 and 16:9 pictures.
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Old 27th Mar 2023, 8:47 pm   #3
trellis
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Default Freeview Testcard display

Does this still work?

Just tried the procedure detailed in the sticky post at the top of the forum on two devices (a Humax PVR and a Samsung TV), and at step 6, instead of a "status page" I see a menu of various numbered options. Pressing green at this point does nothing. I can pick various diagnostic tools from this menu, but none of them seems to bring up a testcard.
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Old 28th Mar 2023, 1:38 pm   #4
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

It's some years since I've been able to get this to work.
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Old 28th Mar 2023, 1:46 pm   #5
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

Just as aside, it was this thread that made me aware of the existence of this forum, as someone posted a link in uk.tech.digital-tv. I see I joined a few months later.
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Old 30th Mar 2023, 12:54 pm   #6
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

Is MHEG even supported these days?
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Old 30th Mar 2023, 3:12 pm   #7
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

Quote:

Just tried the procedure detailed in the sticky post at the top of the forum on two devices (a Humax PVR and a Samsung TV), and at step 6, instead of a "status page" I see a menu of various numbered options. Pressing green at this point does nothing. I can pick various diagnostic tools from this menu, but none of them seems to bring up a testcard.
Ditto
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Old 30th Mar 2023, 3:32 pm   #8
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

Not Freeview but there is a test on any SONY Blu-ray disc.
Put the disc in the player - let it do it's startup - when the screen appears where you would normally press play etc. Press 7669 (sony) and you should get a test card.
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Old 31st Mar 2023, 8:53 pm   #9
marceljack
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Default Re: Displaying a test card on Freeview.

The simplest way to display a testpattern is to record one as a JPEG picture on a USB key and to read it with the mediaplayer fiunction of the Freeview receiver.
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