Composite Video Signal
ETT05103
COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL
Composite video signal consists of a camera
signal corresponding to the desired picture
information, blanking pulses to make the retrace
invisible, and synchronizing pulses to synchronize
the transmitter and receiver scanning.
Since sync pulses are needed consecutively and
not simultaneously with the picture signal, these
are sent on a time division basis and thus form a
part of the composite video signal.
COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL
COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL
Pedestal height; is the distance between the
pedestal level and the average value (dc level) axis
of the video signal. It indicates average brightness
since it measures how much the average value
differs from the black level.
Any smaller value than the correct one will make
the scene darker while a larger pedestal height will
result in higher average brightness.
The video control operator who observes the scene
at the studio sets the level for the desired
brightness in the reproduced picture which he is
viewing on a monitor receiver.
COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL
• The blanking pulses; make the retrace lines invisible by raising
the signal amplitude slightly above the black level (75 per cent)
during the time the scanning circuits produce retraces. The
repetition rate of horizontal blanking pulses is equal to the line
scanning frequency of 15625 Hz. The frequency of the vertical
blanking pulses is equal to the field-scanning frequency of 50 Hz.
BLANKING PULSES
Sync pulse and video signal amplitude ratio.
• The sync pulses, specially designed for triggering
the sweep oscillators are placed in the upper 25
per cent (75 per cent to 100 per cent of the
carrier amplitude) of the video signal, and are
transmitted along with the picture signal.
• The line blanking period is divided into three
sections; the ‘front porch’, the ‘line sync’ pulse
and the ‘back porch’.
Horz line and sync details compared to horizontal deflection
sawtooth
Front porch
• This is a brief cushioning period of 1.5 μs
inserted between the end of the picture detail
for that line and the leading edge of the line
sync pulse.
• This interval allows the receiver video circuit to
settle down from whatever picture voltage level
exists at the end of the picture line to the
blanking level before the sync pulse occurs.
Line sync pulse
• After the front porch of blanking, horizontal
retrace is produced when the sync pulse starts.
• The fly back is definitely blanked out because
the sync level is blacker than black.
Back porch
• This period of 5.8 μs at the blanking level allows plenty of
time for line fly back to be completed.
• It also permits time for the horizontal time-base circuit to
reverse direction of current for the initiation of the
scanning of next line.
• The back porch also provides the necessary amplitude
equal to the blanking level (reference level) and enables
to preserve the dc content of the picture information at
the transmitter.
• At the receiver this level which is independent of the
picture details is utilized in the AGC (automatic gain
control) circuits to develop true AGC voltage proportional
to the signal strength picked up at the antenna.
VERTICAL SYNC DETAILS
• The basic vertical sync added at the end of both even
and odd fields is shown in Fig. below
• Its width has to be kept much larger than the horizontal
sync pulse, in order to derive a suitable field sync pulse
at the receiver to trigger the field sweep oscillator.
• The standards specify that the vertical sync period
should be 2.5 to 3 times the horizontal line period.
• If the width is less than this, it becomes difficult to
distinguish between horizontal and vertical pulses at
the receiver.
Fig. Composite video waveforms showing horizontal and basic vertical sync
pulses at the end of (a) second (even) field, (b) first (odd) field.
Note, the widths of horizontal blanking intervals and sync pulses are
exaggerated.