television and video test patterns

Sundry video and television test patterns, star targets, gradients and moire charts for checking frequency, resolution, broadcast fidelity, color fidelity, shape integrity and to identify the station when it was not broadcasting programs. Some test images included teletext information including time and date.

Optical monochrome Telefunken Test Card, T05, early 1950's

Philips PM5644 television test pattern, early 1970's

Okay, this one came from an episode of Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast (Adult Swim, 1990)

Variation of the Philips PM5544 television test pattern

SMPTE color bars—common NTSC test pattern

"Indian Head" test pattern - introduced in 1939 by RCA New Jersey as part of the RCA TK1
monoscope (laid into a camera tube, as opposed to a physical card shot by camera)

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From Wikipedia: the classic Indian Head test card, late 1930's

PM5544—common PAL test pattern, from South Africa in the 1980's

NBC-affiliated TV station test cards for WHO and WNBT in Des Moines and New York, 1941-

 

 

 

ETP-1 test card from 1979

Earliest static tuning image I could find, from 1929 (BBC, 30 lines)

RCA/NBC test card from 1938

BBC2 test pattern, 1997

BBC 'Rehearsal' test pattern, 1969

BBC Test Card F BBC One, 1967 (Also ITV, TCN9 and Sveriges TV, TCX, SBC ~ 1970's)

The BBC Test Card F was used around the world, often with center image replaced.

BBC Test Card F, BBC Two, 1967 (625 lines)

BBC Trial Slide 1, 1969

Early German test card, date unknown

W2XB Schenectady test card, 1928

ITA Test Card, UK, 1955

BBC 'Ponce' test card from 1969

Collection of BBC tuning signals, 1937-1956 (Top left is Test Card E, 1964)

Early test pattern from W3XE Philadelphia, 1932 (later WPTZ, now KYW-TV)

Russian test card 0249 , 1965

Swedish Television test card, date unknown

BBC Trial Slide A (TCF) date unknown

BBC tuning signal, 1937

SMPTE color bars, 16:9

TVW7, Perth, 1959

Channel 3 test pattern, Philadelphia, 1951