Telefunken FuBK explained

The Telefunken FuBK^[1] (from the German Funkbetriebskommission for "Television Service Commission") is an electronic analogue television test card developed by AEG-Telefunken and Bosch Fernseh in West Germany as the successor to the monochrome T05 test card in the late-1960s^[2] and used with analogue 625-lines PAL broadcasts.

Not as popular as the Philips PM5544, nevertheless it saw widespread use in West Germany (and later reunified Germany) and some other European, Asian, South American and African countries, and by a few commercial TV stations in Australia.^{[3] [4]}

Physical equipment

The test card was generated electronically by several video-signal generators,^{[5] [6]} including two variations of the Philips PM5644 generator (PM5644G/50 and PM5644G/70 ^[7]) and the Rohde & Schwarz SGPF-B3^[8] (the Grundig VG 1001 test signal generator has a different pattern design, but is sometimes indicated as "FuBk" because it features similar test elements^[9]). It has also been used in conjunction with digital broadcasts^[10] by means of the PT5300 from ProTeleVision/DK Technologies.^[11]

Test card features

Some elements present on the FuBK test card are:^{[12] [4]}

• Cross hatch - makes up the background of the table, with 19x15 white lines over a dark gray (25% luminance) background, allowing adjustment of CRT convergence and focus;
• Circle - provide a way to correct vertical and horizontal raster scan geometrical distortions;
• Colour bars - EBU colour bars at 75% luminance (75/0/75/0) to adjust colour saturation and purity
• Grey staircase - five bars (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) that allow setting brightness, linearity and contrast control
• 2T convergence cross - check for signal reflections and group delay, help with geometrical image centring
• Multiburst- four grating with sine curves at 1, 2, 3 and 4.433 MHz, as a test of horizontal resolution
• Black section- check for reflections, transient response and group delay
• ±V/ +U ramp - two lines that allow checking PAL decoder linearity with UV signals
• +V/ ±U anti PAL - two achromatic fields to test the PAL decoder delay line

On PAL broadcasts, with a maximum displayable video bandwidth of around 5 MHz, individual lines should just be visible in all Multiburst gratings. In other situations, like a VHS recording with reduced bandwidth, they become more and more indistinct, merging into a grey area.

The two special achromatic fields should be displayed as grey if PAL decoding is functioning correctly. If not, colour will be seen on these areas.^[4]

Variations

4:3

• A variation (used by Doordarshan^[13] in India, by PTT-NL/Nozema/NOS^[14] in the Netherlands, TVR in Romania, YLE^{[15] [16]} in Finland, Sky One in the United Kingdom and in West Germany^{[17] [18]}) simply omitted the centre circle. This variation is also anecdotally called "Simplified FuBK".
• Another variation adds a second set of colour bars (replacing the ±V/ +U Ramp and +V/ ±U Anti PAL sections) and flips the middle downward triangle. This was used by IRIB in Iran.
• Another variation that adds border castellations and changes the middle downward triangle to a simple vertical bar, used by Kanal 2^[19] in Denmark, Rupavahini^[20] in Sri Lanka, Televerket Kabel-TV in Sweden and on some German channels.^{[21] [22] [23] [24] [25]} Used with further modifications and added graphics by al-Jamahiriya TV (Libya).^[26]
• Another modification, again omitting the circle but including a grid cross in the middle and slightly different resolution gratings, was known to be used on some TV transmitters in Belgium and the Netherlands.^[27]
• A monochrome variant, omitting the centre circle and replacing the colour bars with a black box showing the transmitter name and channel, as well as an on-screen line gauge replacing the ±V/ +U Ramp and +V/ ±U Anti PAL sections near the bottom, was used on some DBP-operated TV transmitters in West Germany in the 1970s.^{[28] [29] [30]}
• While not exactly a variant, the Grundig VG 1001 pattern features many of the FuBK test elements, like the colour and grey bars, PAL check area and gratings. This allows it to be used to perform the same adjustments.^[9] This pattern was used by a few channels like BRT (Flemish Community of Belgium),^[31] SDR (southwest Germany),^[32] Polsat (Poland), MVQ-6 (Mackay Region, QLD, Australia), at the headends of many Finnish cable TV providers,^[33] as well as on point-to-point cable and satellite feeds in the UK,^[34] France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.^[35] A heavily modified version of the VG 1001 pattern was used for SECAM transmissions by Bulgarian National Television (BNT)^[36] during People's Republic of Bulgaria era and also later in PAL by NOVA from its launch in 1994.

16:9

In the 1990s, a FuBK variant in the aspect ratio format was developed for the PALplus and (HD-)MAC standards and was used by some channels such as ARD.^{[37] [38]} Crosshatch was changed to a 25x15 grid, and geometric markings for the central safe area were included, with the other details being generally the same as on the original version. This pattern could be generated by the Grundig VG 1100 video generator, introduced around 1995^{[39] [40]} as well as the digital PT5300 from DK Technologies (with an optional hardware upgrade).^[41]

Variation Gallery

Usage

This pattern was used by many broadcasters, including:

• ARD^[42] and ZDF^[43] (Germany, ARD also used the 16:9 variation)^[3]
• Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR Fernsehen; Northern German Broadcasting Hamburg)^{[44] [3]}
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR Fernsehen; West German Broadcasting Cologne)^[45]
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR Fernsehen; southwest Germany)^[46]
• Deutsche Bundespost, Deutsche Telekom and T-Systems (Germany)^[47]
• Hessischer Rundfunk (hr-fernsehen, Germany)^[48]
• Kabel Deutschland and Premiere (Germany)^[49]
• Hrvatska radiotelevizija (Croatian Radiotelevision)
• Argentina Televisora Color, Telefe (Argentina)
• Rupavahini (Sri Lanka)^[20]
• RTL9 (Luxembourg)
• Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP; Portuguese public broadcasting corporation)^{[50] [51]}
• Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; used a variation of the pattern)
• RTL-TVI^[52] and VT4^[53] (Belgium)
• Canal+ (Belgium; used a modification of the pattern with grid cross)^[54]
• NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)^[3]
• YLE,^{[55] [56]} Kolmoskanava,^[57] MTV3^[58] and Nelonen^[59] (Finland)^[3]
• Yugoslav Radio Television (RTV Zagreb, Sarajevo)^{[60] [3] [51]}
• SRG SSR (SF,^[61] TSR,^[62] TSI^[63]); Teleclub^[64] (Switzerland)^{[65] [3] [66] [67]}
• Doordarshan (Indian public television broadcaster; 4:3 version without circle)^[13]
• BTV6^[68] and GTV9^[69] in Australia
• Channel 5 and Channel 7 (Thailand)^[70]
• Magyar Televízió (Hungarian public television broadcaster; replaced Philips PM5544 from 2009)^[71]
• Alfa TV Budapest, TV2 Hungary^[72]
• NPO 1, NPO 2, NPO 3 (Netherlands)^[73]
• Nozema and Staatsbedrijf der Posterijen, Telegrafie en Telefonie (Netherlands)^[74]
• Televiziunea Română (Romanian public television broadcaster; with^[75] and without^[76] circle)^[77]
• Czechoslovak Television^[78]
• ERTT (Tunisia)^{[79] [80]}
• M-Net^[81] and e.tv^[82] (South Africa)
• al-Jamahiriya TV (Libya; original and modified versions)^{[83] [26]}
• Kanal 2^[19] and TV 2 Zulu^[84] (Denmark)
• Channel One Russia^[85]
• TVRI from 1974 until 31 December 1984, TPI from 1991 until early-2000 (Indonesia)
• Televerket Kabel-TV (Sweden)^[86]
• Sky One (United Kingdom)^[87]
• Warszawska Telewizja Kablowa „Porion” (Poland)^[88]

Usage Gallery

Cultural references

The Telefunken FuBK test card is featured in the 2016 Finnish indie video game My Summer Car, which the player's television sets in his house and in the in-game town's jail would show during the in-game overnight broadcast break. This was done to mimic the Finnish public broadcaster YLE's test card, which was used from the 1970s until the 2000s.^[89]

See also

• Philips PM5544
• ETP-1
• Test card

Notes and References

1. Web site: EBU Review. European Broadcasting. Union. December 14, 1988. Administrative Office of the European Broadcasting Union. Google Books.
2. Book: Operational Testing in Telecommunications: Transmission technology. December 14, 1982. Technicopy Limited. 9780905228174. Google Books.
3. Web site: Non-UK Television Test Cards, Tuning Signals, Clocks and Idents. January 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160112103800/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/Test-Cards/Non-UK.html. 2016-01-12.
4. Web site: Rohde & Schwarz - Signals produced by CCVS + Component Generator SAF and CCVS Generator SFF Standard BG/PAL and N/PAL. scdn.rohde-schwarz.com.
5. Web site: tv pattern generators gv-798+, gv-898+ | Manualzz. manualzz.com.
6. Web site: PT5300 HD-SD VariTime Sync Generator. dk-technologies.com.
7. Web site: PM5644 Manual Chapter 3. www.github.com.
8. Book: TV Generators SGPF, SGSF, SGMF . ROHDE&SCHWARZ GmbH & Co. KG . Germany.
9. Web site: Videogenerator VG 1001 Equipment Grundig Radio-Vertrieb, RVF. www.radiomuseum.org.
10. Web site: Tele Serata . 2023-01-13 . InNice.
11. Book: PT5300 Operating Manual . DK-Technologies A/S . 2009 . Denmark.
12. Web site: 1973 . Technische Richtline Nr. 8/13.1: Elektronische Testbildgeneratoren zur Erzeugung des FuBK-Farbtestbildes . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210430024636/irt.de/fileadmin/media/Neue_Downloads/Publikationen/Technische_Richtlinien/8-13_1.pdf . 2021-04-30 . Institut für Rundfunktechnik.
13. Web site: TV-DX Doordarshan DD1 India 09.04.1992. 24 February 2017 . www.youtube.com.
14. Web site: Testbeeld Markelo 199x. 11 February 2018 . www.youtube.com.
15. Web site: Television testikuva – Nostalgia-TV . 2023-01-13 . fi.
16. Web site: Reception DX TV Finlande . 2023-01-14 . dxtv . fr.
17. Web site: Reception DX TV Allemagne Rhenanie du Nord Westpha. dxtv.
18. Web site: Reception DX TV Allemagne Hesse. dxtv.
19. Web site: Kanal 2 Danmark. 17 November 2007 . www.youtube.com.
20. Web site: Rupavahini: Closedown And Startup (23.02.2021 - With New Screen Bug). 17 November 2007 . www.youtube.com.
21. Web site: Germany West. March 31, 2015. Flickr.
22. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
23. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
24. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
25. Web site: Testcard Gallery 4 . 2023-01-13 . radiovibrations.com.
26. Web site: Lybia FuBK Testcard (ca. 1996). 16 April 2010 . www.youtube.com.
27. Web site: Testbeelden van de Nederlandse Televisie. www.radio-tv-nederland.nl.
28. Web site: Reception DX TV Allemagne Rhenanie du Nord Westpha. dxtv.
29. Web site: Reception DX TV Allemagne Rhenanie Palatinat. dxtv.
30. Web site: Reception DX TV Allemagne Basse Saxe. dxtv.
31. Web site: Reception DX TV Belgique Flamande. dxtv.
32. Web site: S3 Pausenfilm und Sendeschluss mit unbekanntem Testbild 20.03.1984. 9 January 2021 . www.youtube.com.
33. Web site: Kaapeliyhtiöiden testikuvat – Nostalgia-TV . 2023-01-13 . fi.
34. Web site: BBC1 loss of transmission testcard Calais. 25 July 2021 . www.youtube.com.
35. Web site: Testcards-feeds. ing-sat.what.hu.
36. Web site: БТ-СОФИЯ - BT Sofia Bulgarian TV test card 1988. 31 May 2009 . www.youtube.com.
37. Web site: Astra ARD PAL Plus. October 8, 2021. Flickr.
38. Web site: Test Card Telefunken FuBK PALplus. 21 December 2007 . www.youtube.com.
39. Web site: Grundig video generator VG 1100 - Vintage Photograph. IMS Vintage Photos.
40. Web site: Videogenerator VG1100 Equipment Grundig Radio-Vertrieb, RVF. www.radiomuseum.org.
41. Book: PT5300 Operating Manual . DK-Technologies A/S . 2009 . Denmark.
42. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
43. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
44. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
45. Web site: Germany West. March 31, 2015. Flickr.
46. Web site: Germany West. March 31, 2015. Flickr.
47. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
48. Web site: Germany West. March 30, 2015. Flickr.
49. Web site: Sammlung: Archiv . 2023-01-13 . tsubassa-kurenai.de.
50. Web site: Portugal. March 11, 2015. Flickr.
51. Web site: Wireless World. December 14, 1982. Wireless World. Google Books.
52. Web site: RTL TVI: fermeture (16 janvier 1990). 10 March 2021 . www.youtube.com.
53. Web site: Television Graphics Around the World. www.meldrum.co.uk.
54. Web site: Belgium. August 19, 2012. Flickr.
55. Web site: Finland. August 29, 2012. Flickr.
56. Web site: MTV Lopettaa, YLE TV1 Jatkaa, Päivän lopetus 11.1.1992. 27 November 2019 . www.youtube.com.
57. Web site: Kolmoskanava - Päivän lopetus (1987 tai 1988). 5 October 2021 . www.youtube.com.
58. Web site: MTV3 Testikuva (Re-Upload) (Kaasukuningas). 14 February 2021 . www.youtube.com.
59. Web site: Pastanjauhaja. 10 February 2018 . www.youtube.com.
60. Web site: Yugoslavia. May 12, 2015. Flickr.
61. Web site: Programmtafeln zum Sendeschluss TV DRS 11.12.1982. 27 November 2019 . www.youtube.com.
62. Web site: TSR - fin de programmes + Mire PTT (1996). 19 June 2019 . www.youtube.com.
63. Web site: TV-DX / E34-TSI-closedown. 7 December 2012 . www.youtube.com.
64. Web site: Teleclub Sendeschluss 04.09.1990 [Testbild]]. 30 May 2020 . www.youtube.com.
65. Web site: Switzerland. March 17, 2015. Flickr.
66. Web site: Television test card – distant memory of the nightly broadcast shutdown. July 30, 2021. Swiss National Museum - Swiss history blog.
67. Web site: Eutelsat Teleclub FuBK 1. October 6, 2021. Flickr.
68. Web site: BTV6 Ballarat TV sign-on 1987. 14 August 2007 . www.youtube.com.
69. Web site: GTV9 Melbourne FUBK Card. 12 August 2007 . www.youtube.com.
70. Web site: ช่อง 7 HD กระแสไฟฟ้าขัดข้อง (ปิดสถานีภาคกลางวัน) วันที่ 25 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2533. 19 September 2018 . www.youtube.com.
71. Web site: Hungarian ETC's. ing-sat.what.hu.
72. Web site: Podani György .
73. Web site: Netherlands. March 23, 2015. Flickr.
74. Web site: Ruud's DVB-T DX logboek . 2023-01-13 . www.radio-tv-nederland.nl.
75. Web site: TV-DX / R2-TVR-Bukarest-opening. 25 February 2010 . www.youtube.com.
76. Web site: Deschiderea programului tvr 2 (21 octombrie 2000). 28 August 2019 . www.youtube.com.
77. Web site: Romania. March 13, 2015. Flickr.
78. Web site: Czechoslovakia. August 11, 2012. Flickr.
79. Web site: Tunisia. March 5, 2015. Flickr.
80. Web site: Various Testcards from 16°East (1994) RTM,RTT7,Algeria,Duna. 6 October 2008 . www.youtube.com.
81. Web site: TV-DX M-NET South Africa S10 13.01.1991. 23 February 2017. www.youtube.com.
82. Web site: e.tv test card. youtube.com.
83. Web site: TV-DX Peoples Revolution TV Libya, opening and news 25.10.1993. 24 June 2020 . youtube.com.
84. Web site: Denmark . 2023-01-13 . ing-sat.hu.
85. Web site: Channel One RF Telefunken FuBK usage. 25 July 2017. www.youtube.com.
86. Web site: Testbilder: Yle Stockholm, TV1 och Televerket KabelTV (1987-07-24) . . 2 February 2021 .
87. Web site: BSKYB Test card with Videocrypt encryption tests 1991 (no sound). 13 June 2009 . www.youtube.com.
88. Web site: Porion - Fragment planszy testowej z ok. 1997 roku. 9 May 2023 . www.youtube.com.
89. Web site: my summer car night tv music. 7 May 2019 . www.youtube.com.