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405-line UK TV

A

Andrew

Jan 1, 1970
0
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique phones,
radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that uses the
405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can think of to test
it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video, preferably actual video
footage, but a test pattern would just about suffice? A 625 to 405 line
converter would be ideal but not very likely!
 
J

John Woodgate

Jan 1, 1970
0
(in said:
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique phones,
radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that uses the
405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can think of to
test it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video, preferably actual
video footage, but a test pattern would just about suffice? A 625 to
405 line converter would be ideal but not very likely!

Put a 'help wanted' lineage ad in 'Television' magazine. Free. Email
plain text to t.winford[at]highburybiz[dot]com

You could probably modify a monochrome security camera to 405 lines.
Reduce the line scan frequency to 10125 Hz. You would need to invert the
video into a modulator: 405 used positive modulation.
 
M

mc

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ye olde English TV camera?

Or find out the specifications and synthesize a test pattern using a
microcontroller.
 
I

Ian Stirling

Jan 1, 1970
0
Andrew said:
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique phones,
radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that uses the
405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can think of to test
it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video, preferably actual video
footage, but a test pattern would just about suffice? A 625 to 405 line
converter would be ideal but not very likely!

Any VGA card, a copy of X-windows (under linux), and the right modeline,
would get you composite video of the right format.
Add a TV capture card, some software (mplayer will work) and you've got a
standards conveter.
 
L

Leon Heller

Jan 1, 1970
0
Andrew said:
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique phones,
radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that uses the
405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can think of to test
it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video, preferably actual video
footage, but a test pattern would just about suffice? A 625 to 405 line
converter would be ideal but not very likely!

You could make a suitable VHF oscillator for band III and modulate it with a
simple test pattern generated with a microcontroller.

Leon
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Any VGA card, a copy of X-windows (under linux), and the right modeline,
would get you composite video of the right format.
Add a TV capture card, some software (mplayer will work) and you've got a
standards conveter.

So, Ian, do you know how to divine the black magic in writing proper
modelines? Howcome nobody has yet come up with one that's as crisp and
sharp as what Doze does?

I know, wrong NG - please point me to the right one, if you'd be so kind.

Thanks,
Rich
 
A

Andrew

Jan 1, 1970
0
Andrew said:
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique
phones, radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that
uses the 405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can
think of to test it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video,
preferably actual video footage, but a test pattern would just about
suffice? A 625 to 405 line converter would be ideal but not very
likely!

Thanks to all who replied. When I posted the question I thought it so
obscure that I never tried a Google search as I never anticipated how
popular old 405-line TV's would be! A simple search such as
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=405-line+tv&meta leads to many
answers to my question. I particularly like
http://www.thevalvepage.com/projects/testcard/testcard.htm
 
S

s--p--o--n--i--x

Jan 1, 1970
0
A friend of mine collects old technology items, such as antique phones,
radios etc. One item he is interested in is an old TV, that uses the
405-line UK TV standard. However, there is no way we can think of to test
it. Any ideas for a source of 405-line video, preferably actual video
footage, but a test pattern would just about suffice? A 625 to 405 line
converter would be ideal but not very likely!

This may be of interest:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3638&item=6143046172

sPoNiX
 
I

Ian Stirling

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise said:
So, Ian, do you know how to divine the black magic in writing proper
modelines? Howcome nobody has yet come up with one that's as crisp and
sharp as what Doze does?

I know, wrong NG - please point me to the right one, if you'd be so kind.

Comp.os.windows.x might be appropriate.

All current distributions come with many preset ones.


For example:
Modeline "1280x1024" 108.00 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066

First and second words are just 'Modeline', and name of mode.
Next is clock frequency of DAC in MHz.

Then it's (counting in clocks from beginning of line)
horizontal end of picture, start of sync, end of sync, and retrace interval.

Similar for vertical, but counting in lines not clocks.

The horizontal sync rate in this case is 108MHz/1688, or 63.98Khz, and
the vertical is 63.98Khz/1066 =60Hz.

Position of sync pulse and length of the retrace interval combine to
set picture position on the monitor. (well, on older monitors they do,
on newer ones you've got a micro 'helping')
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Crossposted to sci.electronics.design,comp.os.windows.x , followup-to set
to comp.os.windows.x
Comp.os.windows.x might be appropriate.

Followup-to set. :)
All current distributions come with many preset ones.

For example:
Modeline "1280x1024" 108.00 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066

First and second words are just 'Modeline', and name of mode.
Next is clock frequency of DAC in MHz.

Then it's (counting in clocks from beginning of line)
horizontal end of picture, start of sync, end of sync, and retrace interval.

Similar for vertical, but counting in lines not clocks.

The horizontal sync rate in this case is 108MHz/1688, or 63.98Khz, and
the vertical is 63.98Khz/1066 =60Hz.

Position of sync pulse and length of the retrace interval combine to
set picture position on the monitor. (well, on older monitors they do,
on newer ones you've got a micro 'helping')

This is exactly what I've been looking for - Man, the X docs are a
nightmare! RTFM? Which F One?

Anyway, I know about ctrl-alt-+ and ctrl-alt--, and I can cycle through a
dozen modes, but when I see one I like, and want to keep it, is there any
way to know, besides just counting, to tell which modeline I'm at in a
given resolution?

And how that relates to the color depth stuff?

I guess I'm asking, over and above what you've already provided, and I'm
grateful for that, thank you, is, has anyone that you know of written a
"X for dummies who want to look like they know what they're doing" page?

Thanks again,
Rich
 
C

Chaos Master

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise stated:

[comp.os.windows.x doesn't seem to exist for me... comp.windows.x is
better]
This is exactly what I've been looking for - Man, the X docs are a
nightmare! RTFM? Which F One?

Anyway, I know about ctrl-alt-+ and ctrl-alt--, and I can cycle through a
dozen modes, but when I see one I like, and want to keep it, is there any
way to know, besides just counting, to tell which modeline I'm at in a
given resolution?

And how that relates to the color depth stuff?

I guess I'm asking, over and above what you've already provided, and I'm
grateful for that, thank you, is, has anyone that you know of written a
"X for dummies who want to look like they know what they're doing" page?

I would like to find a program to create X Windows modelines, where I
could just input parameters from my monitor' 'technical information'
sheet.

Currently, under Windows, I only need to care that the monitor is
running at 1024x768x16bit @ 75Hz.

[]s
--
Chaos Master®, posting from Canoas, Brazil - 29.55° S / 51.11° W

"People told me I can't dress like a fairy.
I say, I'm in a rock band and I can do what the hell I want!"
-- Amy Lee
 
I

Ian Stirling

Jan 1, 1970
0
In sci.electronics.design Chaos Master said:
Rich Grise stated:
I would like to find a program to create X Windows modelines, where I
could just input parameters from my monitor' 'technical information'
sheet.

Currently, under Windows, I only need to care that the monitor is
running at 1024x768x16bit @ 75Hz.

The easy way that will work 99% of the time is to find a 1024*768 modeline.
For example (made up, non-real numbers
Modeline "1024x768" 100.00 1024 1124 1200 1300 768 800 864 896
This is a vertical refresh frequency of 100M/(1300*896) = 85.85Hz.
So, multiply 100Mhz by 75/85.85, to get a clock frequency of 87.36, or

Modeline "1024x768" 87.36 1024 1124 1200 1300 768 800 864 896

This will probably work.
The other solution (software) is easier to use often, unless it's a small
tweak.
 
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