Boston TV Test Patterns (NE+NYC) - 80s

[shibainuwalker]

Ahhh before there was 24 hour television and cable we had test patterns. Kids today don't know what a test pattern is??

[kyle1081]

I wish they would still show test patterns instead of those stupid infomercials.

[kyle1081]

Wow, I was proved wrong on two points today:

1- I thought the circular test patterns were only used through the 60s. Guess I was wrong.

2- I also though all stations used a 1000 Hz tone...guess I was wrong there too...

[Nokorola]

My local ABC affiliate runs a test pattern 2 nights a week from ~2:30am till 3:00am.

[MSTS1]

@Nokorola - Would that be a circular pattern, or color bars?

[Nokorola]

@MSTS1 It's just the generic bar pattern with their logo overlaided on the bottom right. pic: bit DOT ly/cJ177A

[CWM480]

at the 1:05 mark

the WBZ 4 logo

what does the "GROUP W " mean?

[MSTS1]

Group W was the corporate name for the division of Westinghouse which owned radio and television stations.

[wmbrown6]

The Group W branding and accompanying font were first introduced at all Westinghouse stations on May 20, 1963; both were designed by Lippincott & Margulies (which later brought us the infamous red-and-blue "N" logo for NBC in 1976). It is they who created what was approximated by freeware font designer Ray Larabie as "Anklepants."

[imbwinkle]

@MSTS1 GroupW was the WestingHouse broadcast company

[tornadoman566]

Why does sometimes test patterns look a little tilted?

[wmbrown6]

These were from optical 35mm slides, and the stations did not necessarily align them properly on the pertinent slide projectors (usually RCA TP-7A, though there were other brands used by some TV stations). Other factors were problems with vertical and horizontal linearity on the film chain cameras (whether RCA TK-26, 27 or 28, or General Electric PE-24, 240 or 245).

[mythreekitties]

It's great to see these are still around!

[TornadoMan86]

At 1:05, I didn't know that the WBZ test pattern was accompanied with a 470 Hz tone.

[CWM480]

Whats the different tones mean?

[FCDKJ1]

all the test patterns were recorded between 1982 to 1987 in nerdade, since you said so, all the recordings were made in the following order:

WSBK-TV38 - 1986, WSBK-TV38 - 1987 - WNEV TV7 - (slides) 1982 WNEV-TV7 - 1987, WPRI-TV12 - 1982

WSMW-TV27-1982, WPIX-TV11 - 1987, WLVI-TV56 - 1985/87, WJAR-TV10 (slides) - 1982, WGBH-TV2 - 1985/86, WHLL-TV27 - 1986/87, WCBS-TV2, 1987 , and ultimately, a WBZ-TV4 1985/87 AND SLIDE (antenna), 1986/1987

I am very grateful to you MSTS1

[FCDKJ1]

where these years of test patterns were recorded exactly? could you tell me, please?

[MSTS1]

Here's my recollection of the years I recorded each of these:

TV-38: '86-'87. SE7EN: '82. WNEV-7: '87. WPRI-12/WSMW-27: '82. WPIX: '87. WLVI-56: '85-87. WJAR-10: '82. WGBH bars: '85-'86. WHLL bars: '86-'87. WCBS: '87. WBZ: '85-'87. WBZ (antenna): '86-'87.

[FCDKJ1]

all records of these tests patterns are aired in 1985-87?

[FCDKJ1]

what the currect year of the WPIX TV11 record?

[MSTS1]

That would be 1987.

[wmbrown6]

The recording would've been '87, as 'MSTS1' said (and I have no doubt that's the case) . . . but from what I've researched, WPIX first put that color pattern to use in the early 1980's (probably '82 or '83 or thereabouts). Interesting that while WGEM in Quincy, IL and WJW/WJKW in Cleveland took WPIX's original B&W pattern (designed in 1949, and also in use in its original form by WPRI) and did their own color adaptations, WPIX ironically did not follow those stations' examples.

[tazcatsdad]

Love this video! But I'm wondering ... can someone tell me what the name of the font is that was used by WNEV-TV, please?

[uncleskizo]

I'd rather have these on my TV at 3 AM instead of the shit TV reruns and infomercials they have now.

[mtc2300]

Yes. I'm glad that Swedish TV2 still broadcasts testcard with wonderful classical music in the morning. The Danish public stations just has the programetable with national radio as background. The commercial stations has endless soaps og TV Shop, Twins Shop or whatever commercial.

[Weaseltunes]

Good ol' fucked up boston stuff. thank god i live near boston.

[luno44]

I thought they only used a 1KHz tone

[wmbrown6]

Ah, the ones with the 1956 EIA pattern.

[wmbrown6]

Which ones - WKYC? WJW? WEWS?

[worm082]

i remember a lot of these

[pm0501]

I sure do miss test patterns! They have been replaced by Kevin Trudeau's infomercials. What I'd like to see is some of those old analog CATV message boards from the

mid 1970's. There was a fixed B&W cam pointed at an eight sided carousel with advertisers posters and community info. There was a fixed header at the top with an analog clock and a dial thermometer. The carousel would turn 1/8 revolution about every 30 seconds.

[MSTS1]

We used to see a B+W pan across several circular dials ('78-'81-ish). The cam panned left to right, and then reversed, continually. Maybe four dials: a clock, a thermo., maybe a barom. and something else. It was gone before I got the VCR. Another I missed was an hourly combo message/ad board-ID-electronic clock on WTEV-6 Providence. Seen that one '77-'81.

P.S.: screw K. Trudeau :]

[markojameow]

Kevin Trudeau is a flim-flam man, trying to trick little old ladies and not-too-bright insomniacs into buying his books. Okay! I'd rather see an Indian Head test pattern or another repeat of some ancient series than that guy, any night.

[Punkghost21]

38 and 4 are connected

[davidhazard71]

Did you live in a good area with a good antenna??? I lived in Providence and was able to get in RI, MA, CT, NY, NH, VT, and ME I had a roof antenna and loved it. Does the same theory apply to digital outdoor antennas or are you limited to how many channels you can get?

[MSTS1]

No antenna for these; all cable. Some of the old slides were produced before cable was widespread, but were still in use for some years after.

[davidhazard71]

Wow , you know i got to enjoy most of the channels without cable and just used an outdoor antenna, Boston came in grade a. The further away i.e. Maine and NH came a little more like grade b signal. I didn't get cable until the late 80s and by then USA and alot of the other cable channels started airing what the independent channels used to.

[wmbrown6]

The oldest patterns I've noticed were WPRI, WSMW and WLVI. WLVI's, as I said, dated to about 1974-75, while WSMW's may've been circa 1972-73; the other color patterns (WSBK, WNEV and WPIX) were all early to mid '80's. When WVAH (Fox 11) in Charleston-Huntington, WV first signed on Ch. 23 in 1982, they used that later pattern.

[wmbrown6]

Also, on the WBZ pattern: KYW in Philadelphia had a similar T.P. arrangement (with a number-in-a-number-in-a-number and color wedge scheme). Wonder if this was also the case with WJZ in Baltimore and KDKA in Pittsburgh (I'm told KPIX in San Francisco used a B&W pattern, instead)?

[rd2mms]

yup, same pattern appearance for WBZ, KYW and WJZ, for they are part of the same group, Westinghouse Broadcasing, back then.

[wmbrown6]

Wonder how they were able to get the "13 in a 13 in a 13" for WJZ the way they had with KYW (3) and WBZ (4).

[Tuberboy104]

If I am not mistaking, did'nt Ch 4 WNBC TV use the same audio tone of 416Hz with the

original b&w Test Pattern like WSBK TV Boston

before the similar color Test Pattern was introduced to WNBC in 1975?

[wmbrown6]

So far I've detected the following on here: WSBK - 402 Hz (first), 963 Hz (second); WNEV - 389 Hz (first), 399 Hz (second); WPRI - 442.5 Hz; WSMW - 1050 Hz; WPIX - 1008 Hz; and WCBS - 392 Hz (the lowest I've measured from that station).

[wmbrown6]

The remainder: WPRI (second) - 443.25 Hz; WLVI - approx. 931 Hz; WJAR - 988 Hz; WGBH - 405 Hz; WJLL - 1010 Hz; and WBZ - 455 Hz.

[wmbrown6]

Actually, WLVI's pattern dated in that form to 1974 - the year that station changed its call letters from WKBG. The color scheme itself dated to the 1960's - around the time WSMW used it. Ironically, WPRI's pattern was the same design as had been used by WPIX from 1948-49 to the '70's.

[wmbrown6]

Interesting, that WPIX in its last year or so of signing on and off switched from its "classic" B&W test pattern to the circa 1980 color version. (Which differs from the 1960's color version used by a few of the stations such as WLVI.)

[Tuberboy104]

Did'nt WNBC TV Ch 4 use a 409Hz. audio tone with their b&w Test Pattern before switching to the color version in the mid 1970's?

[wmbrown6]

Can't say, but as of March 22, 1980 (by which time they started using EIA RS-189A color bars), WNBC's tone was 400 Hz.

[Tuberboy104]

At that same time in March 1980,the WCBS TV

Test Pattern if I am not mistaken was accompanied by a 349.5Hz tone continuously until November of that year!

[NEPatriot]

WOW!  Simply WOW!