Philips PM5544

Philips PM5544 television test pattern

The Philips PM5544 is a television pattern generator,^[1] most commonly used to provide a television station with a complex test card commonly referred to as a Philips Pattern or PTV Circle pattern. The content and layout of the pattern was designed by engineer (da; 1939–2011) in the Philips TV laboratory in Copenhagen under supervision of chief engineer Erik Helmer Nielsen in 1966–67. The equipment, the PM5544 Test Pattern Generator,^[2] which generates the pattern, was made by engineer Finn Hendil and his group in 1968–69.^[3] The same team would also develop the Spanish TVE test card in 1973.^[4][5]

Since the introduction of the PM5544 in the early 1970s, the Philips Pattern has become one of the most commonly used test cards, with only the SMPTE bars and the BBC Test Card F coming close to its usage. Other related test cards by Philips are PM5520, PM5534^[6][7], PM5538^[8] (see section below), PM5540, PM5543, PM5547^[9], , PM5643, PM5644 (see section below) and PM5572/73/74.^[10][11]

Operation[]

Components of the PM5544 pattern

Rather than previous test card approaches that worked by a camera or monoscope filming a printed card, the Philips PM5544 generates the test patterns fully using electronic circuits, with separate paths for Y, R-Y and B-Y color components^[2] (Y′UV), allowing engineers to reliably test and adjust transmitters and receivers for signal disturbances and color separation, for instance for PAL broadcasts.

In simple terms, the displayed pattern provides reference levels of black, white and color saturation, to which a receiver can be set. Displayed image geometry (image centering, correct proportions of the circle, etc.) can also be corrected. More technical adjustments are also possible.

Main technical features of the test card:^[1]

• Circle with b/w and color information
  • Square wave - Repeating black and white (75% amplitude) blocks (same amplitude as the color bar);
  • Color bar - Yellow, cyan, green, magenta, red and blue with 100% saturation and 75% amplitude;
  • Crossed lines - at the center of the circle, they allow to check for proper interlace;
  • Definition lines - sine wave gratings with TV line frequencies corresponding to 0.8, 1.8, 2.8, 3.8 and 4.8 MHz;
  • Stair case - grayscale with 6 levels (can display up to 10);
  • White black step with needle pulse;
  • Color step - Red on yellow background colors, 75% amplitude;
• To the left of the Circle:
  • Vertical bar - line alternating positive and negative R-Y signal;
  • Vertical bars - positive and negative R-Y signal;
  • Two rectangles - G-Y signal;
• To the right of the Circle:
  • Vertical bar - line alternating positive and negative B-Y signal;
  • Vertical bars - positive and negative B-Y signal;
  • Two rectangles - G-Y signal;
• Background:
  • Grid - made from 14 horizontal x 19 vertical lines;
  • Background Level - adjustable between 0 to 80% amplitude;
  • B/W border castellations;

The Philips PM5544 pattern was later incorporated into other test pattern generators from Philips itself, as well as test pattern generators from various other manufacturers. Various configurations and modifications exist.^[12] While the basic specifications normally remain consistent, there are often small variations to the Philips Pattern depending on the brand and type of generator used to produce it, as well as how the broadcaster has chosen to configure it.

Wordwide usage[]

PAL broadcasts[]

Many broadcasters using a 625-line PAL system used some form of the Philips PM5544 pattern.

The BBC occasionally used a slightly modified version called Test Card G^[13] from 1971 until the late-1990s, in conjunction with Test Card F. The IBA initially used this card in the 1970s, also in conjunction with Test Card F, but eventually abandoned Test Card G and developed a unique test card called the ETP-1, which was brought into use on ITV from 1979 onwards.^[14] However, London Weekend Television (LWT)^[15] and ITV Channel Television, two constituent companies in the ITV network structure, continued to use Test Card G well into the 1980s and 1990s.

The PM5544 was also in widespread use in Australia for many years, most notably with the ABC and SBS. Some commercial stations also used it. In New Zealand, it was used by TVNZ from the rollout of colour broadcasting.

In Southeast Asia, the PM5544 test card was first introduced by Radio Television Singapore (RTS; now Mediacorp) (in conjunction with a modified version of Test Card F) upon the start of regular colour broadcasts in Singapore in 1974.^[16][17][18] The PM5544 was later introduced in Malaysia by its public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM)^[19][20] during its introduction of regular colour broadcasts in 1978–1980, replacing the monochrome Pye Test Card G, and was also used by said country's first commercial station TV3 from its launch in 1984 until 2014.^[21] The PM5544 was also used by the Indonesian national TV broadcaster TVRI from its launch of colour broadcasts in 1979–1982 until it switched to a 24/7 schedule in 2021.^[22]

In Hong Kong, the PM5544 was used by ATV^[23][24] and TVB^[25][26] until mid-2008. TVB then switched to its own heavily modified test cards based on the PM5544, PM5644 and Snell & Wilcox designs.

In the DACH countries, the PM5544 test card was used by the German commercial terrestrial channel RTL^[27] and the German public-service channel Phoenix.^[28][29] The Austrian public broadcaster ORF used a slightly modified version of the PM5544.^[30] Use of the PM5544 in the DACH was solely confined to these broadcasters as most TV stations in these areas instead preferred to use the Telefunken FuBK test card when they adopted colour television.

In Italy, its national broadcaster RAI^[31] introduced the PM5544 test card in 1977 at the same time as it launched its first regular colour broadcasts, replacing heavily modified versions of the Indian-head test pattern. Telefriuli also used a heavily modified version of the PM5544 in the 1980s.^[32]

In Spain, the PM5544 was introduced by the various autonomous and private channels in the early-1980s notably by TV3, El 33, Telemadrid, Antena 3, and Canal+ Spain, although not by its national public broadcaster TVE, which had used its own TVE test card card from 1975 until the early-2000s.

In South Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)^[33][34] made use of the PM5544 pattern since they started testing their first television system in 1975, but independent broadcasters M-Net, which launched in 1986, and e.tv, which launched in 1998, opted not to.

In the former SFR Yugoslavia, the PM5544 was used by its national broadcaster Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT)^[35] in conjunction with the Telefunken FuBK test card. Use of the PM5544 continued for some time afterwards in some of its constituent successor countries.

Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) in Saudi Arabia used a heavily modified version of the Philips PM5544 pattern from 1982 until 2009, with the side "brackets" removed and 1/4 of the top half of the PM5544 "circle" replaced with a white and black background and colour bars.^[36]

Some television stations have also been seen to have included a digital clock and/or date, as well as the station logo or ID, inside the "circle" of the PM5544 test card. This practice is common in Asia and in some parts of Europe, as well as in South Africa.

SECAM and NTSC broadcasts[]

NTSC variant as used by CBC Montreal, Quebec, Canada

SECAM variant as used in France

Since the Philips PM5544 pattern is geared towards the PAL colour-coding system, this test pattern is uncommon among NTSC and SECAM broadcasters, though some, such as CBFT^[37] and CBMT^[38][39] in Quebec, Canada, WBOY-TV and WNYW^[40] in the United States, DZBB-TV in the Philippines, Myawaddy TV in Myanmar, América TV and El Nueve^[41] in Argentina, KBS and MBC in South Korea and TTV Main Channel, CTV Main Channel and CTS Main Channel in Taiwan and RTNH in Haiti have used a 525-line variant of it.^[42][43]

The Japanese national broadcaster, NHK, also used a 525-line version of the test card, albeit with slight technical differences as compared to those used by the American and Canadian broadcasters so as to conform with the NTSC-J system.^[44]

SECAM users of the Philips PM5544 test card included TF1, Antenne 2, FR3,^[45] Canal+,^[46] La Cinquième and M6^[47] in France, Iraqi TV^[48] in Iraq, VTV^[49] in Vietnam , bTV in Bulgaria and RTM^[50] in Morocco.^[51] TVP in Poland and was using this test card for SECAM transmissions since 1970s and continued using it after switching to PAL in 1990s.

PM5644 (widescreen)[]

Philips PM5644 widescreen television test pattern

Components of the PM5644 widescreen pattern

A widescreen-capable Philips Pattern generator, the PM5644 PALplus test pattern generator,^[52] was introduced by Philips in the 1990s and featured support for the emerging PALplus widescreen standard. This version of the test card retains the signals present in the original, and features additional signals to test signal and picture quality, including Television lines resolution and correct overscan and image centering.

As with its predecessor, the widescreen Philips Pattern was adopted by various other manufacturers of test pattern generators. It was used by broadcasters such as RAI^[53] and BRT^[53]

PM5538[]

Philips PM5538 (PM5544 squared variant)

A squared version of the Philips PM5544 test pattern, called PM5538, was used by some stations in some parts of the Middle East like Dubai 33^[54] and Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTC) in Jordan^[55].

Image gallery[]

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  Philips PM5544 used to display test pattern on a television set

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  Philips PM5544 generator with top lid opened

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  Philips PM5644 generator (NTSC variant)

See also[]

• TVE test card
• Philips PM5540
• Telefunken FuBK
• ETP-1

References[]

External links[]

• Philips TV Measuring Equipment, 1980
• Technical information on the PM5544 test card
• Jerome Glick : Test Cards & Signals