LD#93: A test tool that never needs calibration Revised: 16 Jan 92 2002-07-15 Note: LD-101 "AVS" was replaced by "Video Essentials", and both are lilley long out out of print now. "VE" is available on DVD. "A Video Standard", the Reference Recordings LD-101 laser video test/demo disc was released in May 1989. The list price was $59.95 and is now 69.95 (but has expanded booklet). LD-101 was available from most LD retailers, all non-club mail-order sources and in the US directly from Reference Recordings, Box 77225X, San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 355-1892. In Canada, MAW Audio (514) 651-5707 is supposed to stock it ($99CAN+7%GST). If you own or plan to own a laser videodisc player, are serious about video image quality, and don't own a roomful of NTSC test and pattern generation equipment - investigate this disc. LD-101 is a single-sided CAV 12-inch LD with TOC subcodes. Early editions were pressed by Disctronics (now DMI), and current pressings are PVI Industrial. There are unconfirmed rumors of 3M castings as well. 1989 editions included a 16-page instruction booklet and a blue filter for adjusting color level and hue on the SMPTE colorbar patterns. The current versions have a much expanded booklet with step-by-step TV adjustment tips. The new book is available separately for about $8. According to the jacket, most of the video material was created and edited in the digital (video) domain and not converted to analog until disc mastering. Both digital and analog sound is provided (not always the same, either), and the analog trips CX on and off at various times. Mono, stereo, Dolby Surround and Dolby Pro-Logic Surround material is included. There are eight chapters and around a hundred still frames. Few of the stills are stop-coded, evidently to prevent interruption of the audio program. All of the stills are cataloged in the new instruction booklet. Chapter 1: "Video Control" - Introductory digital video and animation. Chapter 2: "Studio Video Production" - Setup tests in a video studio. Includes some stills duplicated and identified later. Chapter 3: "Electronic Field Production" - Stills concerning Sony Betacam. Motion sequence is a video "letterboxed" production created by electronically joining two interlocked Betacams. Interesting, but I would have preferred a tutorial on aspect ratios, with some examples of pan-and-scan vs letterboxing. Chapter 4: "Transferring Film to Video" - Begins with stills of the Rank- Cintel flying spot scanner and frames describing 3-2 pulldown. Motion sequences compare transfer of the same material from print and negative sources. Chapter ends with an SMPTE resolution pattern. Chapter 5: "Audio Demonstration with Video Test Signals" - This is the useful stuff. Here are some typical frames: SMPTE Color Bars Gray Scale Multiburst Full Field Pluge Pluge w/Log Gray Scale Pluge w/100% White 250 KHz Square Full Field Color Bars EIA Color Bars 100, 70, 30 IRE Windows Positive & Negative Needle Pulse VIR Color Bars w/Decoder Reference Level Field Rate Gray Scale Color Bars w/Gray Scale Minimum/Maximum Phase Change Color Bars Full Field Red Purity Convergence Geometry CIE Diagrams Luminance s/n 80, 50, 20 IRE Flat Field Chroma s/n Blue, Magenta, Yellow There are also tips and info on setup, adjustment, viewing enviroment, CRT technology and laser disc production. Chapter 6: "Audio Test Signals" - Over two dozen steady-state and swept audio signals, L, R, L+R, L-R (for Dolby). Some as low as -90 dB. Several at 0 dB (stop-coded with warnings). Chapter ends with 7.5 IRE Black frames. These signals are especially useful if your surround decoder has input/left-right/front-back balance controls, but lacks built-in test tones. Chapter 7: "Monitor Calibration Test Signals" - More stills, examples are: Line Rate Gray Scale High/Low Level Window Pattern Chroma to Luminance Delay Check Patterns 1 & 2 Decoder Pattern (R-Y, B-Y) 100..14 IRE Window Patterns (about a dozen) Modulated Ramp Chroma Wedge Indian Head Chapter 8: Credits. LD-101 was produced by Joseph J. Kane, Jr. The booklet contains tutorials on how to use the test patterns to setup your system, with or without additional test equipment. With this disc, and your TV/monitor's service manual, and CONSIDERABLE CARE if you need to open the TV/monitor... (WARNING - LETHAL VOLTAGES ALL OVER THE PLACE!) ...you can adjust for correct geometry (especially overscan), white level, black level, color balance, color intensity, color temperature (maybe), "sharpness" and other tweakable parameters. LD-101 is also useful for testing LD players, TV/monitor/displays and surround decoders, if you are in the market for any of these items. What LD-101 does NOT contain: - Min/max/outspec tracks for pitch, pit depth, track alignment or dropouts (like the Pierre Verany test CD). - Calibration signals for player optics adjustment (e.g. crosstalk). - CLV tests of any kind. - Flashing white/black pattern for power regulation testing. - Tutorial on LD encoding/format, film aspect ratios and what generally to look for when evaluating a film/video transfer. - Tutorial on NTSC artifacts, with worst-case signals for evaluating Y/C separators, etc. This disc is not a substitute for actual video test equipment, since the results are limited by both the LD player and the monitor. But, it is ideal for testing and calibrating the LD-monitor chain as a single entity. I have no idea if a PAL version is planned. Tape versions would be difficult or impossible, due to: 1. the random-access nature of the program. 2. the extensive still-frame material, and 3. the need to auto-still prior to 0dB audio signal sections. 4. the crummy inherent resolution of VHS plus the crummy performance of many VHS decks. Probably both VHS and S-VHS editions would be needed. ____________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Info for LD101 A Video Standard >From: rjn@.com (Bob Niland) Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1992 21:49:21 GMT Newsgroups: rec.video > If it weren't so ludicrously overpriced, I'd agree. Before making a judgement like that, I'd request a quote from PVI on having a disc made with similar complexity. LD-101 probably has more "action point" edits than any previous LD (including Criterion's CAV "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the ODC "Space Archive" interactive series, which were equally expensive). Complex LD edits are easy to get incorrect, as demonstrated with the initial press run of the CAV CE3K. LD-101 has chapter marks, stop codes, TOC, CX on/off, separate programs on analog/digital audio, live audio during still-frame sequences as well as precise CAV frame counter encoding. The edit sheets must have amounted to a book. Joe Kane reportedly insisted that Pioneer break some customs, and some of the material (e.g. 0dB audio and video levels) probably pushed the pre-mastering equipment and processes to the limit. In addition, Reference Recordings was very picky about quality. The nature of LD-101's content has probably resulted in a higher-than-average return rate for what would normally be minor tolerated defects on other titles. The title is reportedly currently being made by PVI's "industrial" arm, due to quality issues on the regular pressings. LD-101 also includes a gate-fold jacket, blue filter and an extensive booklet. The per-disc production costs are higher than for routine CAV discs. The preparation, transfer and LD pre-mastering costs probably set a record. LD-101 has been pre-mastered at least three times (Disctronics, twice at PVI, with rumors of 3M in between). The limited interest value of this title means that all these one-time charges have to be spread across a smaller volume of discs than would be the case for a popular CAV short like "The Dream is Alive". On reflection, the twice-normal list price ($69.95) of LD-101 is comparable to the twice-normal list price of CD test discs like CBS CD-1 ($45), Denon 38C37-7147 ($25) and Pierre-Verany PV.788031/32 ($35). $70 is a lot less than Pioneer itself charges for diagnostic discs like LD GGV-141 ($121) and CDV YEDS-7 ($145). At least you can get a 10% discount on LD-101 from most dealers, which you can't on most test CDs and GGV-141 & YEDS-7 (neither of which I have, by the way). LD-101 is not the ultimate test LD, but it is an excellent value for the money. And as infrequently as most people need it, renting is an economical alternative. Ask your dealer to stock a copy if the price is too high for you. Regards, PO Box 248 Bob Niland Enterprise mailto:name@isp-name.domain Kansas which, due to spam, is: 67441-0248 USA rjn AT access DASH one DOT com Unless otherwise specifically stated expressing personal opinions and NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.