Digicam as Video Source

[chibitul]

You guys probably know this trick already these days you can use a
cheap digicam as a video signal source to adjust a TV or Monitor. I
made (actually I assigned this task to my wife) a 640x480 image with 12
x 16 squares, basically a small grid to make sure the image on my
recently repaired TV is not too distorted. I looked on the net (google
image search) for standard test images but didn't find much. I think I
searched for terms such as "raster" and perhaps "tv calibration image"
but didn't have much luck.

Anyway, if you know a good test image somewhere let me know. Or if you
want to adjust the image, just use your digicam, I don't see why you
would need anything fancy these days (for DYI repairs that is, a pro
shop it may be different)

 

[Roger]

Here is one TV testcard image

http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/tvtools.htm

Roger

 

[chibitul]

Very nice! I used it to adjust the "focus" on my eight-year-old TV set
which I recently repaired (bad cap in the vertical circuit) and it's as
good as new!

Thanks, I will save this image to my "library"

 

[NSM]

You guys probably know this trick already these days you can use a
cheap digicam as a video signal source to adjust a TV or Monitor. I
made (actually I assigned this task to my wife) a 640x480 image with 12
x 16 squares, basically a small grid to make sure the image on my
recently repaired TV is not too distorted. I looked on the net (google
image search) for standard test images but didn't find much. I think I
searched for terms such as "raster" and perhaps "tv calibration image"
but didn't have much luck.

Anyway, if you know a good test image somewhere let me know. Or if you
want to adjust the image, just use your digicam, I don't see why you
would need anything fancy these days (for DYI repairs that is, a pro
shop it may be different)

If you can find an old Radio Shack Color Computer (around $10 these days)
you can easily create as many test images formats as you like. You can save
the programs on tape and load them in as needed. Better than the old B&K
flying spot scanner systems - and color too!

N

 

[James Sweet]

Here is one TV testcard image

http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/tvtools.htm

Roger

Dang, that's a good idea, I dunno why I never thought of that. Here I've
been using a VCD in a DVD player.

 

[Roger]

A couple more links for monitor test cards.

http://www.reeddesign.co.uk/testcard.htm
http://www.sjstv.co.uk/testcard.html

Roger

 

[James Jones]

If you can find an old Radio Shack Color Computer (around $10 these days)
you can easily create as many test images formats as you like. You can save
the programs on tape and load them in as needed. Better than the old B&K
flying spot scanner systems - and color too!

I used to do the same thing with my Commodore 64 back in the '80's. I
had written some simple programs in BASIC that would produce crosshatch
and dot patterns as well as color bars. Ran them off the floppy disk. I
always wanted to burn the programs to EPROM and stick them in a
cartridge but I never got around to it.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I used to do the same thing with my Commodore 64 back in the '80's. I
had written some simple programs in BASIC that would produce crosshatch
and dot patterns as well as color bars. Ran them off the floppy disk. I
always wanted to burn the programs to EPROM and stick them in a
cartridge but I never got around to it.

I did this too, but I used the SX-64 portable computer with the built
in disk drive and 5" color monitor. I had additional patterns, as well,
including a window waveform which is a large black box on a white
background to check for smearing at sharp transitions. I also used it
to test a 25 KW TV transmitter when I built Ch 58 in Destin, Florida
about 12 years ago.

--
Link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project website deleted
after threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida