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43-437: Ogden Ostrich, Holey Moley (a mole), and Sheldon S. Cargo (a snail) drive around the world in a van with their own underground pirate television station. Channel Umptee-3, which exists between other channels and is broadcast from a mobile station, tries to focus on a specific topic in each episode, but is normally diverted from it and shifted onto another topic; e.g., one episode started out discussing cats, but quickly segued into

86-747: A Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française 819-line test card introduced in 1953. In North America, most test cards such as the famous Indian-head test pattern of the 1950s and 1960s have long since been relegated to history. The SMPTE color bars occasionally turn up, but with most North American broadcasters now following a 24-hour schedule, these too have become a rare sight. With the introduction of color TV, electronically generated test cards were introduced. They are named after their generating equipment (ex: Grundig VG1000, Philips PM5544 , Telefunken FuBK , etc.), TV station (ex: BBC test card ) or organization (ex: SMPTE color bars , EBU colour bars ). In developed countries such as Australia , Canada ,

129-409: A multiplex that carries several channels in one signal, and it is almost impossible to insert an unauthorized channel into an authorized multiplex, or to re-activate an off-air channel. In order to broadcast an unauthorized digital TV channel, not only must the perpetrator build or obtain a VHF/UHF transmitter, they must also build or obtain, and configure, the equipment and software to digitally encode

172-485: A television camera was pointed, allowing for simple adjustments of picture quality. Such cards are still often used for calibration, alignment, and matching of cameras and camcorders . From the 1950s, test card images were built into monoscope tubes which freed up the use of TV cameras which would otherwise have to be rotated to continuously broadcast physical test cards during downtime hours. Electronically generated test patterns, used for calibrating or troubleshooting

215-509: A vectorscope , allowing chroma and tint to be precisely adjusted between generations of videotape or network feeds. SMPTE bars—and several other test cards—include analog black (a flat waveform at 7.5 IRE , or the NTSC setup level ), full white (100 IRE), and a "sub-black", or "blacker-than-black" (at 0 IRE), which represents the lowest low-frequency transmission voltage permissible in NTSC broadcasts (though

258-563: A vectorscope , allowing precise adjustments of image equipment. The audio broadcast while test cards are shown is typically a sine wave tone, radio (if associated or affiliated with the television channel) or music (usually instrumental , though some also broadcast with jazz or popular music ). Digitally generated cards came later, associated with digital television , and add a few features specific of digital signals, like checking for error correction , chroma subsampling , aspect ratio signaling , surround sound , etc. More recently,

301-1408: A DVB-T transmitter with four analog input sources (in this case, four tuned satellite receivers connected by composite video cable) and then to amplifier, and digital signal is feed to antenna or tower. This method is the one used by most pirate TV channels. However, over the years and due to economic returns, some have begun broadcasting almost professionally. New equipment that they have been installing since three years ago allows remultiplexing of DVB-S programs into DVB-T multiplexes and most parameters can be configured at will. Since 2010, its number has been increasing in Madrid and in Valencia, for example, and, as of March 2016, there are more than ten DVB-T pirate multiplex in Madrid metropolitan area transmitting without authorization with programming ranging from divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot or fundamentalist Christian to community television (which isn't regulated in Spain as of 2016). In other countries, there are reports of pirate TV digital multiplexes, but they are very rare and usually suspected to have been false reports, mistaking overspill from authorized multiplexes in neighboring regions or nearby foreign countries. Viewing numbers may be much smaller than analogue pirate TV since re-tuning

344-421: A common sight, test cards are now only rarely seen outside of television studios, post-production, and distribution facilities. In particular, they are no longer intended to assist viewers in calibration of television sets. Several factors have led to their demise for this purpose: For custom-designed video installations, such as LED displays in buildings or at live events, some test images are custom-made to fit

387-509: A digital television may be an entirely automated process which may ignore unauthorized multiplexes, or place such channels in an obscure section of the electronic program guide . During the 1980s, large numbers of pirate TV stations operated in Italy, Greece, Spain and Israel. Subsequent legislation lead to the licensing of many of these stations and the closure of (most of) the remainder. Movies often show Pirate TV channels simply "breaking in" over

430-415: A less strict country. The primary challenge to this technique is finding a suitable yet inconspicuous vantage point for the transmission antenna, and the risk of getting caught. If the pirate signal is strong enough to be received directly, it will also be strong enough to be tracked down. The advent of digital television makes pirate television broadcasting more difficult. Channels are broadcast as part of

473-738: A similar manner. In this scenario, a man-in-the-middle attack is performed upon the source material, such that authorized official transmissions are fed with unauthorized programming from the central studio or play-out facility. For example, a link feed (e.g. outside broadcast) is hijacked by a stronger pirate signal, or pre-recorded media (such as videotapes or hard drives) are swapped over for unauthorised content. This attack would generally have to be performed by an insider or by gaining access to studio facilities by social engineering . As with most pirate radio stations, reasonably powerful VHF/UHF transmitters can be built relatively easily by any sufficiently experienced electronics hobbyist, or imported from

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516-713: A single-pixel border for over-scanning and dimensions . Test cards are as old as TV broadcasts, with documented use by the BBC in the United Kingdom in its early 30-line mechanical Baird transmissions from 1934 and later on as simplified "tuning signals" shown before startup as well as in Occupied France during World War II. They evolved to include gratings for resolution testing, grids to assist with picture geometry adjustments, and grayscale for brightness and contrast adjustments. For example, all these elements can be seen in

559-437: A very weak RF signal within the immediate vicinity of the relay: for example, a video cassette recorder (such as a 12v system designed for use in trucks) sending its signal to a home-made antenna pointed at the relay. As the pirate signal is relatively weak, the source can be difficult to locate if it is well hidden. A significant benefit of this attack is that the potential viewers do not have to re-tune their televisions to view

602-575: Is unwelcome by the licensing authorities within the territory where its signals are received, especially when the country of transmission is the same as the country of reception. When the area of transmission is not a country, or when it is a country and the transmissions are not illegal, those same broadcast signals may be deemed illegal in the country of reception. Pirate television stations may also be known as "bootleg TV", or confused with licensed low-power broadcasting (LPTV) or amateur television (ATV) services. The first known pirate TV station in

645-438: Is used for the calibration of photocopiers . Photocopier test patterns are physical sheets that are photocopied, with the difference in the resulting photocopy revealing any tell-tale deviations or defects in the machine's ability to copy. There are also test patterns kits and software developed specifically for many consumer electronics. The B&K Television Analyst was developed in the 1960s for testing monochrome TV sets in

688-497: The Crystal Palace transmitter to test its new UHF network which it eventually launched as BBC Two in 1964. Test cards are also used in the broader context of video displays for concerts and live events. There are a variety of different test patterns, each testing a specific technical parameter: gradient monotone bars for testing brightness and color; a crosshatch pattern for aspect ratio , alignment, focus, and convergence; and

731-876: The Kyowa Sonic lens cleaning kits from 1997–2001, also included test patterns as well. More recent examples include the THX Optimizer which can be accessed in the setup menu in almost every THX-certified DVD, as well as well as the "HDR sRGB Graphics Test (400 nits)" and "Test Patterns" series available on Netflix meant to test out streaming bandwidth on Internet-enabled devices, especially on widescreen smart HDR TVs, 4K and 8K displays and also used to sync audio and video feeds, which can be affected, among other factors, by Bluetooth and Internet latency. Test patterns are also used to calibrate CCTV cameras and monitors, as well as medical imaging displays and equipment for telemedicine and diagnostic purposes, such as

774-634: The SMPTE RP-133 medical diagnostic imaging test pattern specification for medical and surgical displays, created around 1983 –86; as well as a later derivative called the TG18-QC test pattern created by the AAPM in 2001. Test patterns to calibrate X-ray machines , in particular those manufactured by Leeds Test Objects in England, also exist as well. Television has had such an impact in today's life that it has been

817-624: The United Kingdom , and the United States , the financial imperatives of commercial television broadcasting mean that air-time is now typically filled with programmes and commercials (such as infomercials ) 24 hours a day, and non-commercial broadcasters have to match this. A late test card design, introduced in 2005 and fully adapted for HD, SD, 16:9 and 4:3 broadcasts, is defined on ITU-R Rec. BT.1729. It offers markings specificity design to test format conversions, chroma sampling, etc. Formerly

860-473: The (temporary) transmitter and a replicating landscape feature causing ghosting . Said test cards were mainly transmitted from temporary mobile transmitters attached to caravan trailers based at the predicted locations of the ITA's eventual main transmitters, such as Croydon , Lichfield , Emley Moor and Winter Hill . Almost a decade later, the BBC started using a modified SMPTE monochrome test card radiating from

903-401: The 1980s and 1990s. Numerous novelty and collectible items has been patterned after the famous test card, including wall clocks, bedsheets, wristwatches, and clothing. The BBC Test Card F features throughout 2006-07 TV sci-fi detective series Life on Mars . In Britain, music rather than radio sound was usually played with the test card. The music played by the BBC, and afterwards ITV ,

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946-430: The BBC began to build up its own library of specially produced music for the half hour tapes – initially three tunes in similar style, followed by an identification sign (the three notes B-B-C played on celesta ). ITV (which began its first trade transmissions in 1957) continued to use commercially available recordings until the late 1960s, when it also began to make specially produced tapes. For rights reasons, much of

989-495: The NTSC standard and was later modified for European and Australian PAL standards. Among other uses, it consisted of a flying spot scanner on which a test pattern printed on a cellulose acetate slide was shown. When CRT monitors were still commonly used on personal computers , specific test patterns were created for proper calibration of such monitors in the cases whereby multimedia images could not be shown properly on said monitors. Some VCD and DVD lens cleaner discs, such as

1032-590: The US was Lanesville TV, active between 1972-1977 and operated by the counter-cultural video collective the Videofreex from Lanesville, New York . Another documented pirate TV station in the 1970s was Lucky 7 , which broadcast for a single weekend in April 1978 from Syracuse, New York . There are several techniques for pirate TV broadcasting, most of which have been made very difficult, or obsolete, by better security measures and

1075-488: The content. The content simply appears on an existing channel, after close-down. This attack is generally now prevented by the channels broadcasting 24 hours per day (e.g. showing test cards instead of closing down), by using satellite feeds instead of repeating terrestrial signals, by electronic security to lock the relay to the authorised source, or by the switch to digital television. Unsecured analogue satellite transponders have also been reported to have been hijacked in

1118-453: The downstream signal path, were introduced in the late-1960s, and became commonly used from the 1970s and 80s. These are generated by test signal generators , which do not depend on the correct configuration (and presence) of a camera, and can also test for additional parameters such as correct color decoding, sync , frames per second , and frequency response. These patterns are specially tailored to be used in conjunction with devices such as

1161-406: The episode "Yours, Mine, and Ours" included references to Cats , Harvey , Star Wars , Dragnet , and The People's Court , and the title was that of a classic film . Other voice actors who appeared on the show included: Due to the short run and general obscurity of Channel Umptee-3 , only four episodes and the intro music have been found publicly after its initial airing. Originally,

1204-534: The main motif for numerous collectors' coins and medals. One of the most recent examples is The 50 Years of Television commemorative coin minted on 9 March 2005, in Austria . The obverse of the coin shows the centre portion of the Telefunken T05 test card, while the reverse shows several milestones in the history of television. The Philips Pattern is widely recognised as one of the iconic popular culture symbols of

1247-433: The move to digital television . Many analogue relay transmitters would "listen" to a more powerful main transmitter and relay the signal verbatim. If the main transmitter ceases broadcasting (for example, if a station closes down overnight) then a pirate signal on the same frequency as the main transmitter could cause the relay to "wake up" and relay unauthorized programming instead. Typically this would be done by outputting

1290-644: The music was recorded by light music orchestras in France and Germany, though sometimes by British musicians, or top international session players using pseudonyms, such as The Oscar Brandenburg Orchestra (an amalgamation of Neil Richardson , Alan Moorhouse and Johnny Pearson ) or the Stuttgart Studio Orchestra. Other composers and bandleaders commissioned for this type of work included Gordon Langford , Ernest Tomlinson . Roger Roger , Heinz Kiessling , Werner Tautz, Frank Chacksfield and Syd Dale . During

1333-460: The negative excursions of the colorburst signal may go below 0 IRE). Between the color bars and proper adjustment of brightness and contrast controls to the limits of perception of the first sub-black bar, an analog receiver (or other equipment such as VTRs) can be adjusted to provide impressive fidelity. Test cards have also been used to determine actual coverage contours for new television broadcasting antennas and/or networks. In preparation for

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1376-567: The new commercial ITV service in the 1950s, the Independent Television Authority (ITA) tasked Belling & Lee, an Enfield -based British electronics company best known for inventing the Belling-Lee connector just over three decades earlier, with designing a series of Pilot Test Transmission test cards and slides intended for potential viewers and DX-enthusiasts to test the ITA's new Band III VHF transmitter network that

1419-486: The second, third, tenth and twelfth episodes were posted to YouTube , but they were blocked worldwide by Sony Pictures , leading them to be posted elsewhere, ultimately on the Internet Archive . Currently, Sony Pictures Television has the full rights to Channel Umptee-3 , and has the option to provide the series for streaming content providers. As of 2022, it is not yet available on any streaming platform, although it

1462-443: The signal and then create a stand-alone multiplex to carry it. In Spain, in major provincial capital cities, usually operates one or more than one pirate TV digital multiplex. Some multiplexes started to operate after digital switch-over migrating pirate channels from analogue pirate television to DVB-T digital multiplexes. Since shortly after digital switch-over and still today in secondary cities, some channels broadcast by means of

1505-403: The specific size and shape of the setup in question. These custom test images can also be an opportunity for the technicians to hide inside jokes for the crew to see while installing equipment for a show. Rather than physical test cards, which had to be televised using a camera, television stations often used a special purpose camera tube which had the test pattern painted on the inside screen of

1548-413: The subject of ownership (which was the real topic of that show). Meanwhile, "The Frumps" (i.e., Stickley Rickets and his henchmen) would try to shut the station down or increase their own power, but whatever plan they came up with would fail. The show made great use of stock footage , as did the earlier WB show Freakazoid! Also, the show sometimes made references to well-known films and TV shows; e.g.,

1591-401: The target, rather than displaying an image, a varying electrical signal was produced generating a video signal from the etched pattern. Monoscope tubes had the advantage over test cards that a full TV camera was not needed, and the image was always properly framed and in focus. They fell out of use after the 1960s as they were not able to produce color images. A lesser-known kind of test pattern

1634-415: The top of existing channels, often all of them simultaneously . Test card A test card , also known as a test pattern or start-up/closedown test , is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast (often at sign-on and sign-off ). Used since the earliest TV broadcasts, test cards were originally physical cards at which

1677-399: The tube. Each tube was only capable of generating the one test image, hence it was called a monoscope . Monoscopes were similar in construction to an ordinary cathode-ray tube (CRT), only instead of displaying an image on its screen it scanned a built-in image. The monoscope contained a formed metal target in place of the phosphor coating at its "screen" end and as the electron beam scanned

1720-424: The use of test cards has also expanded beyond television to other digital displays such as large LED walls and video projectors . Test cards typically contain a set of patterns to enable television cameras and receivers to be adjusted to show the picture correctly (see SMPTE color bars ). Most modern test cards include a set of calibrated color bars which will produce a characteristic pattern of "dot landings" on

1763-430: Was library music , which was licensed on more favourable terms for frequent use than commercially available alternatives. Later, Channel 4 used UK library LPs from publishers like KPM , Joseph Weinberger and Ready Music. Until September 1955, the BBC used live playing 78 RPM commercial records as an audio background to the test cards. After that date, they switched to using recorded music on tape. The following year,

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1806-598: Was designed with the assistance of the General Post Office (GPO), then the UK's government-run PTT agency . These test cards, some featuring the G9AED call sign assigned by the GPO for said transmissions, featured a squiggly line in a circle in the middle of the test card with an on-screen line gauge indicated in miles which was used as a guide to reveal the distance between the receiver,

1849-400: Was rumored at one point to be potentially available on streaming platform Crackle sometime in late 2022/early 2023. Pirate television A pirate television station is a broadcast television station that operates without a broadcast license . Like its counterpart pirate radio , the term pirate TV lacks a specific universal interpretation. It implies a form of broadcasting that

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