[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [ARSCLIST] Where to find NTSC Color Bar and sound tones
At 12:24 PM 10/22/2003 -0700, Tony Greiner/Mary Grant wrote:
I am finishing up an article for "Public Libraries" on basic
videotape preservation for small public libraries. One of my sources
says that, when preparing a duplicate, to use a "NTSC color bar" and
a "sound tone" to calibrate the machines.
Two questions:
What does NTSC stand for, and where can people get a color bar?
National Television System Committee
Color bars are available on any LaserDisc or DVD calibration disc and on
many inexpensive LaserDiscs of quality (e.g., Criterion).
Is the "sound tone" something that is generated by the player, or is
this an outside tone as well. If a small library is dubbing a video,
it is probably using a household VHS- are there household VHS models
that have these calibration features?
Audio calibration is of limited value for private taping. Reference tones
are usually on calibration discs along with various sets of color bars. I
would certainly recommend that you become familiar with such a disc - there
have been at least three for LaserDiscs and a couple for DVD. I have four
such discs:
LaserDisc
Sony "Tune-Up A.V." - never in commercial distribution, best for audio setup
Reference Recordings "A Video Standard" - Excellent with several sets of
color bars and other standard video
Image "Video Essentials" - Update of "A Video Standard"; less powerful on
video, stronger on audio.
DVD
Ovation Software/Alpha DVD "Aria" - excellent all around; includes set of
viewing filters (two of the eseential blue one).
Note that an uncalibrated monitor can contribute to an inferior transfer.
(My temptation is to make that stronger: 'will produce an inferior
transfer', but that is only true in practice, not in theory.)
Mike
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/