Test Card “M”-Bitstreams for DVB Test and Measurement

Traditional television test and measurement techniques have used “test cards” as a tool in establishing the quality of the transmission link the digital domain differs in that the link is assumed to be good even when there are link errors. The concept of a test card which shows these problems is a vital one for proving system performance. Test Card “M” is a suite of bitstreams being developed by Snell & Wilcox in conjunction with its partners, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and the ITC. The project is part funded by the UK's Department of Trade and Industry and is intended to help UK Digital terrestrial television get on air reliably. — A set of synthesised bitstreams which have been created to stress certain aspects of the digital syntax will help in identifying malfunctioning equipment and weak links in the digital chain. This paper describes the scope of the Test Card “M” work as well as giving examples of the bitstreams being developed.