Television Engineering Principles and Practice Course Syllabus

Television Engineering Principles and Practice (E5)

A 15 day course

This course can be provided 'in-house' on request

Course Outline

AIMS OF THE COURSE
This course introduces trainee/junior engineers (who should have studied electronics and/or telecommunications at least to intermediate level) to the specialist equipment and associated skills required to line-up, operate and maintain a television station, studio centre or facility house.

It is anticipated that the course will be of particular interest to people who are:
Junior engineerswho are newly qualified to graduate or intermediate level, in electronic/communications engineering but who wish to apply this basic knowledge to television broadcasting.
New entry graduate engineerswho have just taken up systems development and design appointments for television equipment manufacturers
Experienced engineers from other electronics fields, (radar, marine electronics, instrumentation etc) who are seeking, or have recently gained employment in television broadcasting systems care and maintenance
Audio engineerswho need to widen their knowledge to encompass video engineering principles and systems
Operational technicianswho wish to extend their engineering knowledge and skills.

COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
The course begins by recapping some important concepts of physics and electronics applicable to television and audio engineering. It moves on to examine the colour television process from the basic requirements of scanning, through signal origination from the camera A detailed study of component encoding is covered. The NTSC and PAL systems are explained in detail and an overview of SECAM is given. Also analogue sound and vision systems performance evaluation and measurement are discussed.

Videotape recording principles and practice are covered in depth. Digital video and audio signal systems are treated alongside their analogue counterparts. A comprehensive programme of practical demonstrations is included to reinforce theoretical concepts taught. The emphasis will be on measurement of signal levels, equipment alignment and evaluation of the performance against a professional Code of Practice specification such as the largely analogue Technical Performance code published by the ITC (Independent Television Council), and the Digital Code of Practice issued by the EBU.

Finally an overview of digital video and audio compression is given and a cursory look at digital multiplexing for transmission.

Course Syllabus

DAY 1
AM

Sessions 1 & 2 - Lecture E1 Recap of some important concepts
Amplitude modulation and energy spectra, modulation depth, frequency modulation and energy spectra, deviation aspects, modulation index, dispersion. Properties of transmission lines, characteristic impedance, reflection coefficients etc. Standing waves and impedance matching.

Sessions 3 and 4 - Lecture E2 Basic video signal principles
Pixels, pixel arrays, aspect ratios and wide screen. Scanning principles, interlace, line and field timings, luminance waveform parameters, analogue luminance/bandwidth derivation and considerations. Analysis of the vertical interval waveforms. gamma, DC component of video signal.

DAY 2
AM

Session 1 - Lecture E3 Colorimetry
Primary colour mixing, colour vision and colour mixing, luminance and chrominance acuity of the eye. Spectral distribution. Parameters of colour, luminosity coefficients. Colour locus and the colour triangle. Chromacity diagrams (CIE), colour temperature and the black body locus.

Session 2 - Lecture E11 Component Analogue Video
From RGB to the component domain, some definitions, Y, R-Y, B-Y. Y Cb, Cr. Y,U,V. etc. EBU N10 Levels. Legality and validity, CAV timing errors. Monitoring CAV signals, discussion of parade, x/y lightning, and diamond displays.

Session 3 - Lecture E4 Composite Video Coding
Colour difference voltages, monochrome compatibility, frequency interleaving and the colour sub-carrier, principle of constant luminance, Y, Cb and Cr spectrum, Chrominance sub-carrier frequency, dot patterns, 1/2 and 1/4 line offset, chrominance signal bandwidth, frequency interleaving. Principle of PAL encoding.

Session 4 - Lecture E5 The PAL Process
The NTSC problem, The PAL approach, v axis switching, vector averaging v axis identificationof v axis via color burst, PAL encoder algorithm, understanding vectorscope displays. PAL encoder algorithm.

DAY 3

Session 1 - Lecture E7 The PAL Decoding Process
Basic process, U and V wighting, V axis switching, QAM and resultant phasor diagram, suppressed carrier AM, standard PAl waveform and phasor diagram. Vectorscope display. PAL encoder algorithm, Bruch Blanking. Effect of phase errors on hue. PAL S decoder, subcarrier regeneration, PAL D decoder, phase error corrections, chrominance delay line specification, Hannover bars. PAL decoder algorithm.

Session 2 - Lecture E6 Colour bar signals
Standard colour bars, saturation and amplitude, weighting factors (necessity for and calculation of) colour bar parameters. EBU, 75%, 100% EBC colour bar notation and parameters. SMPTE colour bars.

Session 3 Lecture 8 - Optical image sensors
Introduction to charge coupled devices (CCD), characteristics of CCD image sensors. Principle of operation of the CCD image sensor, FT, IT and FIT devices. Characteristics, blooming, smearing, gamma, sensitivity, shutter methods etc.

Session 4 - Lecture E9 Optical considerations
Camera optics, colour separation optics, optical aberrations, filters (neutral density, etc.) definition of parameters, Units of illumination, Lumen, Candela, Lux Apostlib.

DAY 4
AM

Session 1 - Lecture E10 Camera systems
Three sensor camera system. Vertical and horizontal aperture correction, contour correction gamma correction. Flare correction. Block diagram of three sensor camera system. Some aspects of camera system engineering line-up, grey scale tracking, colour balancing, flare correctors gamma performance evaluation etc.

Session 2 - Lecture ENT1 Digitising
Signals Basic sampling theory. Nyquist sampling criteria, Sub Nyquist anti alias and anti image filtering. Quantisation criteria. Decision lavels. Q levels. Typical q range and SQNR considerations.

Session 3 - Lecture E13 Channel Coding
Channel codes, NRZ, Bi phase, Miller, Miller squared, PNRZ. Time code as an example of a serial code. LTC and VITC protocol, flag and control bits.

Session 4 - Lecture ENT3 Digital Audio Systems
Digital Audio systems and standards AES 3 interface, protocol, frame structure, channel status modes, CUV and R bits etc. AES data blocks and multi video standard audio editing. Digital audio reference and peak levels, and suitable level meters

DAY 5
AM

Demonstrations

Session 1 - P7 Using Oscilloscopes for TV. Waveform Measurements

Sessions 2 & 3 - P8 WFM and vector measurements. the pulse cross display

Session 4 - P3 Grade 1 Picture Monitor, alignment and measurements

DAY 6
AM

Session 1 & 2 - Lecture EVT20 Digital Video Coding Standards
CC1R Recommendation 601. 625 and 525 digital parameters, Sampling patterns, orthogonality, extensible family of codes. 4:2:2 sampling, quantisation maps for 601 serial and parallel protocol. CAV to 601 interfacing. Digital 601 test equipment. 656 standards. Choice of sampling frequency for NTSC & PAL systems, line synchronous versus sub carrier synchronous sampling. Sampling patterns for multiples of sub-carrier sampling frequencies. 4 fs/c PAL & NTSC sampling criteria.

Sessions 3 & 4 - Lectures E16 & E17 TV Measurements
Linear and non-linear measurements. Test signal waveforms (PLUGE, grille, chroma ramp, etc.). Line locked sweep, checking frequency response and phase response. Differential phase/gain, 2T and 10T pulses, K factor measurement, measurements using insertion test signals. Measurement of S/C-H phase.

DAY 7
AM

Session 1 - Revision and Buffer Period

Session 2 - Lecture E12 Display devices
Shadow mask tubes, PIL/Trinitron tubes, scanning geometry, purity, static and dynamic convergence, grey scale tracking. Deflection and colour centres.

Sessions 3 & 4 Lecture - E18 & E19 Audio Measurements
The decibel, derivation and comparison off the dBm, dBu, dBv, dBV, dBW. DBA etc. Relation between the audio levels using PPMs and VUs and the voltage waveform., cross talk, microphones, audio working impedance's. Signal/noise ratio, types of distortion, frequency response of audio systems, audio tape recorder, alignment set up to include bias, playback equalisation, head adjustments, and other measurements stereo phasing and associated problems, stereo phase correlation.

DAY 8
AM

Session 1 - Lecture E23 Timecode
Timecode and editing technology, electronic editing, LTC and VITC protocol. EBU and SMPTE LTC and VITC standards. General approach to electronic editing. EBU and SMPTE protocol, user bits, flag bits etc. Timing to the mixing point, editing and S/C-H phase in the composite and component environment, the PAL/NTSC footprint.

Session 2 - Lecture EVT18 Editing technology
Electronic splicing requirements, insert and assembly modes, field sequences, PAL eight field sequence, S/C-H phase monitoring, 8 field monitoring for timecode. Timing to the mixing point.

Session 3 - Lecture E20 VTR Recording principles and FM standards
Limitations of magnetic recording process for video signals. Dynamic frequency range of video signals, use of modulation for video recording. FM parameters for analogue component VTR formats. Beta SP Principle of colour under video systems (heterodyne colour). U-Matic and SVHS FM standards. Time base errors and colour under VTR. Auto tracking systems and helical VTR. Appraisal of RF head replay envelopes.

Session 4 - Lecture ENT 36 Error Systems
Digital error systems and outline approach from parity to Reed Solomon. 'Error concealment' techniques. Convolutional codes, Inner and outer block codes etc.

DAY 9
AM

Session 1 - Lecture 25 Test Patterns and Test Cards
Camera performance evaluation using Test Cards such as 57, DH3915 and resolution charts etc.. Monitor/receiver performance evaluation using test cards. Electronic test cards. Phillips PM1155 test pattern. Telecine performance evaluation charts the SMPTE resolution chart. The ITC camera test charts.

Session 2 - Lecture E21 Analogue VTR formats
Tape footprints for component VTR formats, HB U-Matic and. SVHS VTR Formats Block diagram of analogue video tape system, time base errors, head errors (positional and velocity), head switching considerations etc

Session 3 - Lecture E22 Analogue VTR Systems
Block diagram of a VTR Servo system, use of alignment tapes. Servo references. Equalisation & record optimisation, Chroma compensation, timebase correction. methods (overview only) Drum and Capstan servo algorithms. Servo locking modes.

Session 4 - Lecture EVT9 The DVTR Formats
Transport and system arrangements. Tape footprint, segmentation, guardbands and azimuth, drum configurations. Non real time recording concepts. Packing density and minimum recorded wavelength. Channel codes and track density.

DAY 10

DEMONSTRATIONS

Sessions 1 & 2 - P5 Analogue Component VTR alignment and set up

Sessions 3 & 4 - P4 Camera alignment & evaluation

DAY 11

DEMONSTRATIONS

Sessions 1 & 2 - P10 Linear and Non Linear Video measurements Analogue Component and analogue composite measurements

Session 3 & 4 - P17 ITC TPC Path measurement the using the VM700 Checking a composite signal path against the ITC COP

DAY 12
AM

Session 1 - Revision and Buffer Period

Session 2 - Lecture EVT17 The DVTR System
A look at specific aspects of the DVTR system. Inter and intra line shuffling, inner and outer codes, channel codes, Reed Solomon Product Block architecture for specific formats. Output processing for varispeed modes. Error concealment tactics, etc.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Sessions 3 & 4 - P16 Timecode Calibration and Signal Timing

DAY 13

DEMONSTRATIONS

Sessions 1 & 2 - P Digital Video Monitoring.
Practical examination and discussion of the WFM 601m digital waveform monitor.

Session 3 - P30 Digital Audio Monitoring
Practical examination, and discussion of the Tek 764/DK Audio digital audio monitor.

Session 4 - P11 Audio measurements

DAY 14
AM

Session 1 - Tutorial Revision of previous work

Session 2 & 3 - Lecture E28 Other composite colour systems
The NTSC system, SECAM system. Engineering principles and parameters. Detailed comparison of the systems

Session 4 - Lecture E29 Wide Screen Systems
16x9, cropping, letterbox, maintaining 4x3 compatibility when presenting widescreen material, (some alarming facts and figures). Pan and scan methods. The PAL Plus system.

DAY 15
AM

Session 1 - Lecture E24 Equipment performance evaluation
Objective and subjective performance requirements. Codes of Practice. Use of manufacturers' published data and specification. Method of approach to maintenance of systems and equipment. Preventative and/or corrective maintenance. Review of the ITC Code of Practice

Session 2 - Revision Sessions

Session 3 & 4 - Assessment and Discussion

NOTE
JLA courses are constantly under review. Thus course content may not be exactly in line with the topics indicated