BBC HD Test Card F & Dolby Digital 5.1 Test - Sky+ HD

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 07:18

Just a wee reminder that the testcard and Dolby Digital 5.1 tests are now available on the new BBC HD preview loop. It's shown for 90 seconds.

Just incase you have any difficulty finding the Sky HD testcard.

Test Card F

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freesat...91926/sizes/o/

You may find it useful for sound or piccy altering.

remlap · 29-11-2008, 09:47

No official designation

dwhite · 29-11-2008, 10:02

Not much use, it being on the preview loop, which you can't record, so you can only calibrate your tv using this test card, when its on and for however long it is?

Why can't they make it a seperate entry on the EPG, which you can record. It might be useful then.

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwhite

Not much use, it being on the preview loop, which you can't record, so you can only calibrate your tv using this test card, when its on and for however long it is?

Why can't they make it a seperate entry on the EPG, which you can record. It might be useful then.

I recorded it fine. I don't have Sky+

spudmorley · 29-11-2008, 10:11

surely you can record it and then pause like i do with the mylean class test cards

Deacon1972 · 29-11-2008, 10:22

Only manual record works on Sky HD for the BBC demo loop as far as I know.

Orbitalzone · 29-11-2008, 12:53

I've set my SkyHD to manual record the BBC HD demo and it's recording fine.......I don't know when they show the testcard so I've left it recording for 2 hours and will FF later to find the clip!

Snoods, any chance you can upload a 10 second original video clip online? then we can make a DVD testcard, well maybe an AVCHD testcard on DVD and playback on Blu ray for later in 1080i HD

yes I'm sad hehehe

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 12:56

Yes you are sad Orbitalzone

The test card is on after the Electric Proms section if that's any help.

Orbitalzone · 29-11-2008, 12:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoods

Yes you are sad Orbitalzone

The test card is on after the Electric Proms section if that's any help.

hehehe cheers ... I'll take a peek and maybe whip out the hard drive and fiddle about later.

Those PCI Sat cards sure make this sort of thing easier

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

Those PCI Sat cards sure make this sort of thing easier

They do, they do, couldn't live without it.

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 13:21

OK i'm as sad as you Orbitalzone, i've been watching the loop to tell you when the Electric Proms section is on.

It's on now, so the Test Card will be arriving in a few mins.

Get your record button at the ready.

Oh and just to make me extra sad, i recorded it, and it's 180 MB in size for 90 seconds, should anyone be remotely interested.

Orbitalzone · 29-11-2008, 15:00

I did manage to catch it but only recorded a few seconds as SkyHD manual recording is a bit of a faff!

By the time I'd entered the channel, start and stop time it had almost finished the 90 second testcard... but it looked very nice and sharp on my TV.

Snoods · 29-11-2008, 15:03

That's good, yes it is indeed pin sharp.

big dave in uk · 30-11-2008, 01:57

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g7CFfzdBkUM&fmt=18

Daveoc64 · 30-11-2008, 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoods

The test card is on after the Electric Proms section if that's any help.

Just to clarify that, it's after the performance by "The Streets".

There are two Electric Proms sections in the loop.

will1971 · 30-11-2008, 08:57

Does anyone know how long the loop lasts?

I recorded the preview from 5am to 7am and no testcard.

I'm re-recording just now for an hour (about 30 mins into it) and will wait and see if it appears...

johnmed · 30-11-2008, 09:09

How am I supposed to calibrate my tv/settings with this testcard?

Snoods · 30-11-2008, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by will1971

Does anyone know how long the loop lasts?

I recorded the preview from 5am to 7am and no testcard.

I'm re-recording just now for an hour (about 30 mins into it) and will wait and see if it appears...

It appears for 90 seconds after the Electric Proms section of the preview reel.

Snoods · 30-11-2008, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnmed

How am I supposed to calibrate my tv/settings with this testcard?

It's really only so you can see if you think the colours look ok and the picture is central on your display.

Also, altering sharpness controls will soften or harden the gradient lines on the card.

Just gives you something static to tinker with to see if you can improve on what you have. Carole's skin tones may look too red for you so you could change the colour temperature of your display etc.

Different shades of grey are there too so you should be able to see them all. If the test card looks ok to you, don't bother tinkering.

The audio tests are for home cinema Dolby Digital 5.1 set ups and produce sound out of the different audio channels. (front left, central, front right, rear surround left and right and LFE (sub woofer)

90 seconds isn't really long enough to tinker, so you would be better recording it.

Here's the full sized Test Card. (incase you missed it in the preview loop)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freesat...09886/sizes/o/

johnmed · 30-11-2008, 10:49

Cheers Snoods, I've already dl'd it from your (excellent) flickr site onto my PS3, and I found a little guide with Mylene Klass from Sky HD on Youtube which showed me what to look for/changes to make to settings.

Managed to sharpen up my images and blackness seems improved too.

Thanks bud.

John

Snoods · 30-11-2008, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnmed

Cheers Snoods, I've already dl'd it from your (excellent) flickr site onto my PS3, and I found a little guide with Mylene Klass from Sky HD on Youtube which showed me what to look for/changes to make to settings.

Managed to sharpen up my images and blackness seems improved too.

Thanks bud.

John

Oh that's good John. Good idea. Glad you have an improvement.

Orbitalzone · 30-11-2008, 11:27

It is a handy testcard to have, shame it's only 90 seconds long..... you can pause it with SkyHD but you'll find if you're viewing at 1080i you get slight jaggies on the freeze frame and the image drops down by one line- I assume due to the interlaced nature of the image...

It certainly gives a very good detailed image on my Sony 32"

Snoods · 30-11-2008, 11:32

Yes 5 mins would have been a better length Orbitalzone.

James2001 · 30-11-2008, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoods

Test Card F

It's not Test Card F. Test Card F is the old 4:3 test card and hasn't been in use since 1999. AFAIK this is Test Card X, although it doesn't have a designation on the card itself.

Snoods · 30-11-2008, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by James2001

It's not Test Card F.

It's testcard W i know James, but as i said earlier, anything with Carole Hersee on it, will always be testcard F to me, no matter what it's aspect ratio is.

29-11-2008, 07:18	#1
Snoods Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. Services: Freeview, freesat using Hauppauge Nova HD S2 DVB-S/S2 PC card. Posts: 6,102	BBC HD Test Card F & Dolby Digital 5.1 Test Just a wee reminder that the testcard and Dolby Digital 5.1 tests are now available on the new BBC HD preview loop. It's shown for 90 seconds. Just incase you have any difficulty finding the Sky HD testcard. Test Card F http://www.flickr.com/photos/freesat...91926/sizes/o/ You may find it useful for sound or piccy altering.

29-11-2008, 09:47	#2
remlap Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SOUTH WALES! Services: SKY HD Technomate 1500CI+ Humax HDCI2000 NOVA DVBS2 on 105cm Motorised Dish Posts: 5,162	No official designation

29-11-2008, 10:02	#3
dwhite Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Bigrigg Posts: 253	Not much use, it being on the preview loop, which you can't record, so you can only calibrate your tv using this test card, when its on and for however long it is? Why can't they make it a seperate entry on the EPG, which you can record. It might be useful then.

29-11-2008, 10:11	#5
spudmorley Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 38	surely you can record it and then pause like i do with the mylean class test cards

29-11-2008, 10:22	#6
Deacon1972 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yorkshire Services: HDTV - Optoma HD65 - Denon AVR3806 7.1 (Genelecs) - Sky HD - V+ - PS3 Posts: 3,047	Only manual record works on Sky HD for the BBC demo loop as far as I know.

29-11-2008, 12:53	#7
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: East Sussex Services: SkyHD, PlusNet ADSL, Posts: 8,256	I've set my SkyHD to manual record the BBC HD demo and it's recording fine.......I don't know when they show the testcard so I've left it recording for 2 hours and will FF later to find the clip! Snoods, any chance you can upload a 10 second original video clip online? then we can make a DVD testcard, well maybe an AVCHD testcard on DVD and playback on Blu ray for later in 1080i HD yes I'm sad hehehe

29-11-2008, 12:56	#8
Snoods Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. Services: Freeview, freesat using Hauppauge Nova HD S2 DVB-S/S2 PC card. Posts: 6,102	Yes you are sad Orbitalzone The test card is on after the Electric Proms section if that's any help.

29-11-2008, 13:21	#11
Snoods Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. Services: Freeview, freesat using Hauppauge Nova HD S2 DVB-S/S2 PC card. Posts: 6,102	OK i'm as sad as you Orbitalzone, i've been watching the loop to tell you when the Electric Proms section is on. It's on now, so the Test Card will be arriving in a few mins. Get your record button at the ready. Oh and just to make me extra sad, i recorded it, and it's 180 MB in size for 90 seconds, should anyone be remotely interested.

29-11-2008, 15:00	#12
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: East Sussex Services: SkyHD, PlusNet ADSL, Posts: 8,256	I did manage to catch it but only recorded a few seconds as SkyHD manual recording is a bit of a faff! By the time I'd entered the channel, start and stop time it had almost finished the 90 second testcard... but it looked very nice and sharp on my TV.

29-11-2008, 15:03	#13
Snoods Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. Services: Freeview, freesat using Hauppauge Nova HD S2 DVB-S/S2 PC card. Posts: 6,102	That's good, yes it is indeed pin sharp.

30-11-2008, 01:57	#14
big dave in uk Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wisbech :( Posts: 638	http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g7CFfzdBkUM&fmt=18

30-11-2008, 08:57	#16
will1971 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Lothian Services: Sky+ HD, Sky Broadband Max Posts: 58	Does anyone know how long the loop lasts? I recorded the preview from 5am to 7am and no testcard. I'm re-recording just now for an hour (about 30 mins into it) and will wait and see if it appears...

30-11-2008, 09:09	#17
johnmed Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Services: Sony PS3, Sony DAB in-car, Philips 32" 720p LCD, Humax Foxsat HD. Posts: 95	How am I supposed to calibrate my tv/settings with this testcard?

30-11-2008, 10:49	#20
johnmed Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Services: Sony PS3, Sony DAB in-car, Philips 32" 720p LCD, Humax Foxsat HD. Posts: 95	Cheers Snoods, I've already dl'd it from your (excellent) flickr site onto my PS3, and I found a little guide with Mylene Klass from Sky HD on Youtube which showed me what to look for/changes to make to settings. Managed to sharpen up my images and blackness seems improved too. Thanks bud. John

30-11-2008, 11:27	#22
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: East Sussex Services: SkyHD, PlusNet ADSL, Posts: 8,256	It is a handy testcard to have, shame it's only 90 seconds long..... you can pause it with SkyHD but you'll find if you're viewing at 1080i you get slight jaggies on the freeze frame and the image drops down by one line- I assume due to the interlaced nature of the image... It certainly gives a very good detailed image on my Sony 32"

30-11-2008, 11:32	#23
Snoods Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. Services: Freeview, freesat using Hauppauge Nova HD S2 DVB-S/S2 PC card. Posts: 6,102	Yes 5 mins would have been a better length Orbitalzone.