[Zionist Conspirator]

Maybe you have knowledge on this subject?

[Cyber Liberty]

It's a sign that we, as a society, have arrived is when we become nostalgic for Test Patterns.

:^)

[Delta 21]

[doodad]

I only vaguely remember those from early childhood as the stations went to different formats quickly afterwards to the color bars.

I used to get up on Saturdays mornings very early because the first thing that came on was the Creature Feature. I would set the TV right, get some cereal and juice and curl up with the dog ready for Boris or Lon or Godzilla.

[FourtySeven]

Is THAT what the test pattern was for? I never knew till now, thanks.

I always thought they were as the name implied, to “test” that the broadcast equipment was working; I never thought that it was to fine tune the TV.

[i_dont_chat]

Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy

http://michelesworld.net/dmm/frog/gremlin/memory.htm

[weegee]

Babalu?

[Bigg Red]

I did not know that that was the purpose of the test patterns. Thanks, I learned something.

BTW, I don’t remember an Indian. I just remember one bid circle with lines forming a kind of cross. Also, I never remember hearing music — just an annoying, electronic whine. (I grew up in Maryland, and our TV stations were in Baltimore.)

[i_dont_chat]

test card music

http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk/

[The KG9 Kid]

I know that there were variants of the RCA test pattern already shown in this thread, but for station signoff I recall several different clips used by my local TV stations as a kid.

YouTube has these that I remember:

Flag Evolution

This one has a Pittburgh PA station ID, but the following USAF 'High Flight' segment I remember well.

I remember the USAF 'High Flight' poem with footage of a silver F4 Phantom II with early '60s markings the best. The version of 'High Flight' I linked above shows F16s, which came far later. I was unable to find the F4 'High Flight' footage on YouTube.

[weegee]

Coolest test pattern?

Channel One Test Pattern by Ed Epstein, � 1967, Pasta Productions, Inc.

[weegee]

Another tv staple was Take 5 by Dave Brubeck.

So was A Taste Of Honey by Herb Alpert At The Tijauna Brass.

And there were a lot of “industrial” records just use for background and bumper music and in house advertising.

[JZelle]

[SunkenCiv]

What’s TV?

[ADemocratNoMore]

Aside from The Star Spangled Banner, all I remember is “tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”, (sound of kHz sine wave).

[Mugwump]

FLIPPO THE CLOWN FROM COLUMBUS, AHIYA!

Many fond and funny memories.

[greene66]

I remember the test-pattern well enough, but I really don’t recall any musical accompaniment with it. On the other hand, those “Please Stand By” type cards almost always had something Bert Kaempfert-ish playing.

Anyway, I too miss ‘local television’ as it used to be... the movie-hosts, in-studio kiddie shows and such... even though much of it was disappearing already when I was young. Television as it exists now, with hundreds of vapid satellite stations, and zero local identity (other than news), is really, really depressing. I’ve pretty much given up on it entirely, limiting myself almost exclusively to old favorites on dvd.

[real saxophonist]

bump for later

[LibFreeOrDie]

Music? We didn't have no stinkin' music back when I was a kid. Just an annoying tone.