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Colored lines on screen on TV channel programming

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First post, by BEEN_Nath_58

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I had this question for a long time, it has happened quite many times. It was WrestleMania today, I was watching it on TV and during the Hall of Fame event, the channel was interrupted, by a screen which consisted of colours such as Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink,... And after it went away it got a brief commercial and then back to the TV programme. The screen is, you can imagine to be the same, you would see on memes with a beep sound.

I don't know what this is and why it happens. Can anyone explain.

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previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 1 of 3, by Jo22

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That's a test pattern? 🤷‍♂️

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_card

Back in the mid-late 20th century, it also was transmitted during night time,
when the TV program was suspended until morning.

But by contrast, there also was an overlay with the station ID and the current time.

My parents still experienced them in real life (on TV), when they were young.

Some video cassette recorders also had a test pattern generator built-in.
It was activated by a switch on the back side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8T4XMnhIiU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN4srD7bfP8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BWjvE_m5IM

(*dadaditdah dida dadah.. QAM. The last weather message was..)

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 3 of 3, by Big Pink

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMPTE_color_bars

If you see the test signal it means the broadcast link is established but that no active programming is currently transmitting (either intentionally with scheduled test transmissions, or a technical interruption to service).

I thought IBM was born with the world

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