Experiments with a vectorscope for video.

Connect up a vectorscope for looking at colour video signal performance, and see what happens when we make adjustments to the settings of an analogue signal.
Apologies for some audio distortion, this problem has now been debugged and will not happen again.
Audio and video transfers: www.video99.co.uk/
Please support us on Patreon / video99couk
or Paypal to [e-mail]
Music “Let It Run” with permission, copyright Cristie/MacFarlane.
Sorry I do not offer an audio or video equipment repair service.
00:00 Introduction
00:22 An analogue vectorscope failure
02:18 Videotek TVM-821D SDI
03:30 Set up with Digital Betacam
10:09 Analogue source set up
11:41 Making adjustments
17:55 Conclusion

[@stupossibleify]

Have seen these constantly in the background in video suites archives and always wondered if they were ever actually used. Great video.

[@Petertronic]

Nice to see a vectorscope in action. With an analogue one, you would of course see an extra pair of shorter lines for the colour burst, as well as sync, chroma & colour burst on the waveform display. Where I worked I had a Philips waveform monitor and vectorscope on the bench, probably made in the mid 80's, they were on all day every day for the 6 years I was there and always worked.

[@video99couk]

Perhaps I should get the analogue on onto the workbench again one day.

[@eugenemode]

cool! thx!

[@ByTurkoglu]

thany you

[@mspysu79]

I have that same model of Videotek Vectorscope at work(with a very weak CRT), in our dedicated PAL capture area. I think we have a manual for it as well, I will look for it when I get a chance later this week (or sooner if we get a load of PAL 1" or U-Matic transfer requests). For some real fun turn the preset off for Chroma Phase (Tint in NTSC land) on the Digi Bata and mess with that post when using a composite input, the internal/external sync switch will cause some interesting results as well.

[@video99couk]

A manual would be a huge help, especially the pinout of the connector. Tint would certainly screw up the colours, just like Never Twice the Same Color usually gives purple or green faces.... EDIT, the manual has been found: assets.tequipment.net/assets/1/26/Documents/TVM-821D_manual.pdf

[@zx8401ztv]

Ahh the vector scope, i've seen them used for setting up the colour side of old t.v sets. But they are often never needed as colour decoders are quite reliable generally. i've managed to tweak messed up sets to bring the colour back. People can't leave adjustments alone :-( It's like engine tuning by ear, you can get it really close just using your senses. The vectorscope would be the ideal tool, but all those years ago it would have been way too expensive. Sell a kidney anyone? lol.

[@video99couk]

They were also required equipment for setting up old tube video cameras.

[@Coderjo.]

I just picked up a pair of Tek 1720 and 1730 waveform monitor and vectorscope. They both have rifa filter capacitors and the one in the WFM exploded while I was checking it out.

[@video99couk]

It will be smelly for days!

[@Petertronic]

The Tek TSG-131A video signal generator has a RIFA too, built into a metal cased mains filter. Popped after about 30 minutes when put on its first test!

[@ER7ABY]

Amazing, I need the device that u use for change the brightness and saturation. I search on it every where but I could bot fine it .

[@video99couk]

A digital timebase corrector with Proc Amp. They are hard to find but do appear on eBay or similar.

[@gj6989]

I've had two Tektronix 601 vector scope's now and the removable front left control panels have always given problems, these as with yours select the sdi in and all the other functions. what i found was over the years of constant button pressure use at the studio or on ob's the panel flexes slightly back and shorts against the chassis, there is also an earthing strap which looks like a coax cable shield which goes around the inner part of the front panel and the pins on the control board can short to that if the panel has been pulled in and out over the years. otherwise when they work they are quite good and you can also display the video picture on the screen checking for black levels. assets.tequipment.net/assets/1/26/Documents/TVM-821D_manual.pdf

[@gj6989]

@Matt Quinn no the tektronix, just a useful tale of what can go wrong. not had much to do with videotek.

[@frankowalker4662]

Just a silly question, what sort of a display would you get if you played a tape though it, as opposed to colour bars ?

[@video99couk]

A bit of a squiggly mess. You can see this in various placed online, or generate it yourself with DaVinci Resolve.

[@rsuryase]

Where did you buy those calibration audio cassettes?

[@video99couk]

This seller: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/we-love-analog

[@bobjerome5390]

did you get the 1 inch fixed in the ended i have a scully 280 i am workng on using tascam 38 parts as the motor are the right watts and i have the right parts to pimp it with tascam 38 parts there's alot of fool not using the wrong motors to drive 14 inch spools 20watt min for for 1/4 14 inch spools you know what i am going on about

[@video99couk]

The 1" C format machine requires some brake components but also a lot of time which is what I'm short of at the moment.

[@Capturing-Memories]

Young Scott explains to old Scott what is a Vectroscope, Nice idea. Wait... Shouldn't be the other way around since old people know old stuff better than young people? Oh well I don't understand time travel very well.

[@bobjerome5390]

hi are you having a hard time with the blake's in the one inch i take the blake bands out and wash them as i have find they have dryed out funny they work alot better o did this on a hard to find EMI BTR 4 DECK as the deck was getting hot there is zero i could lose at the time worked well i am asking around the place for a akai mg14d very hard to find any thing there kind of club out there bob

[@video99couk]

The brakes look more like idler tyres on this, and they have completely disintegrated.

[@lord_doomsday]

where is the colour burst on the vectorscope also not much use without it parner the waveform monitor.

[@video99couk]

It is possible (somehow!) to get the colour burst display onto the waveform monitor function, I had it once but not when running the camera.

[@JasonMontell2501]

You skipped over the sweep button and it's driving me crazy