Adding color bars and test tone to a DVD

ArmyVideo wrote on 1/9/2004, 5:19 PM

tone set at or just under 0db, peaks at, just under or just over 0db. In other words, your peak levels and tone levels should just about match. If you have tone at -20 and peaks at 0, your program will air +20db (over modulated).

farss wrote on 1/9/2004, 5:43 PM

I've done quite a few transfers to/from SP etc, but it has been a few weeks since the last one and I don't have an SP machine here so you'll have to wait until after the weekend for me to be 100% certain.

But from memory the tone is -20dB (actually I think its -18 but lets not split hairs!) and the program is to peak to 0dB. If you do set the tone to 0dB, no big drama, it's so far over what's expected the operator will just utter a few expletives and align to 0dB.

But what was said before is also pretty true, the stations should check in anycase by running through the program before it goes to air, usually now they'll ingest it into their own system and check it on the way in. After all it might have been a good tape when it was sent to them but...

If they are serious broadcasters they'll check both the audio levels and the video. They'll not put anything to air that's going to overmodulate the transmitter. The hard bit is getting them to put a program to air that's quiet. You might like the whole thing to play out at -30dB but I'll bet they'll wind it all the way up no matter what your reference tone said at the beginning of the tape.

Randy Brown wrote on 1/9/2004, 7:26 PM

FWIW, here's what happened at KENW (a podunk PBS station out of Portales,NM) when I dropped off a show to them at about 4 PM MST today:
I went in so that we could try to determine a set of standards for the audio.
I had done a PTT with a 10 second bars/test tone and had set my audio to peak at about -2db. "Master Control" loaded the tape into one of their Sony digtal DV cam/Mini DV cam deck. The test tone generated -18db and the audio showed to peak at about -12 db. They were happy with the levels and suggested that from now on that I just use those levels and not generate a test tone.
Like I say, this is a smal town PBS station and the guy may not know jack, but thought it was worth mentioning just to keep this thread alive as I feel it's worth coming up with some definitive answers.
Thanks,
Randy

farss wrote on 1/9/2004, 7:53 PM

That sound pretty right from what I know.
I seem to remember that pro machines line UVW1800s and DVW500 have a mark on the meters at -18dB which is what we'd align an incoming tone to if doing a dub to go to a station.

The guy who checked it probably does know what he's doing although there's a HUGE amound of FUD floating around about this topic. The only reason I'm sensitive to it is all the TV guys I know are from our national broadcaster in Australia. They tech check everthing that comes in and in general if it's a program they've payed for and it ain't right they just send it back.
Outside of that rarified atmosphere most places will do their best to get your program to air if they can. If your video is a bit hot or your audio's down in level a bit they'll fix it. Still it doesn't help to try to get it 100% right, bit like the difference between a typed CV and a handwritten one.