Please Stand By

In the early days of television in the US, things were quite different than today. TV sets had tubes, reception was via an antenna mounted to the... more

by Vic Eberly

Title

Please Stand By

Artist

Vic Eberly

Medium

Digital Art - Fine Art Print

Description

In the early days of television in the US, things were quite different than today. TV sets had tubes, reception was via an antenna mounted to the roof, there were only three networks, and the broadcast day was less than 24 hours long. Picture quality was nothing like it is today, but network engineers kept the quality as high as they could at the time.

To do this, engineers used a graphical test pattern that allowed them to correct for any skewing of the picture, ensure that the picture was as crisply-focused as possible, and ensure that colors were rendered properly. The test pattern was most commonly displayed during that part of the night when no programs were being broadcast.

But it was also sometimes displayed when programming was interrupted because of a problem at the network or station. At those times, it was often overlaid with a message such as "Experiencing technical difficulties - Please Stand By."

This image is an abstract that calls to mind the old TV test patterns. But many viewers have also seen a quilt or blanket pattern here as well.

Copyright Vic Eberly. All rights reserved.
viceberly.com

Uploaded

November 14th, 2015