Color Bars

Color Bars (as show above) provide a reference. They are used when calibrating the output of cameras or video tape players. Using color bars allows these different sources to be adjusted to match, resulting in color and video characteristics that look similar on all devices. This calibration might seem unnecessary, but in reality, almost all video sources (cameras, VTR) will output different color and video characteristics. They must be properly calibrated or 'phased' with one another. There are several reasons why this occurs.

Every video tape player outputs a slightly different signal. Even identical models by the same manufacturer will display slight differences upon play back. Subtleties such as video head and roller wear can affect output. Factors such as cable length, electrical interference, and humidity all can cause changes in the video quality. However, using color bars as a reference and Time Base Correctors (TBC) and video proc amp we are able to right these inconsistencies.

Monkey Tip: Always puts at least 30 seconds of bars at the beginning of each video tape.