Hdtc Quality Sample Guide
# Example FFmpeg command for generating a raw YUV 4:2:2 10-bit test sequence ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc2=size=1920x1080:rate=30000/1001:duration=300 \ -f lavfi -i sine=frequency=1000:sample_rate=48000:duration=300 \ -filter_complex "[0:v]drawtext=text='HDTC QUALITY SAMPLE':fontsize=72:x=(w-tw)/2:y=h-th-10, \ setparams=range=pc,format=yuv422p10le[v]" \ -map "[v]" -map 1:a -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -tune grain \ -crf 12 -pix_fmt yuv422p10le -x264-params "colorprim=bt709:transfer=bt709:colormatrix=bt709" \ -c:a pcm_s24le -f mpegts hdtc_quality_sample.ts Post-generation validation : The resulting .ts file must be verified with a compliance checker (e.g., tshark or Elecard StreamEye ) to ensure no PCR drifts > 50 ns and that all DTS/PTS timestamps are monotonic.
| Zone | Pattern | Purpose | Pass/Fail Threshold | |------|---------|---------|----------------------| | 1 | Zone Plate (Sweeping frequency) | Detects aliasing, moiré, and scaler artifacts. | No shimmer or color fringing at any frequency. | | 2 | Pathological 18-bit color bars | Stresses the timebase corrector’s PLL. | Color bars remain stable; no horizontal jitter. | | 3 | Moving 2:2 pulldown cadence | Validates inverse telecine and frame sync. | Every 4th frame is cleanly repeated; no blend artifacts. | | 4 | Black with -20dB 1kHz tone | Tests audio/video lip-sync and black level clamping. | Audio offset < ±1 frame; black = 16 (legal range). | | 5 | Rolling text crawl (1 pixel high) | Exposes deinterlacing weave/comb failures. | Text remains sharp; no interline twitter. | hdtc quality sample
A single HDTC quality sample should contain a sequence of distinct test zones, each targeting a specific failure mode: # Example FFmpeg command for generating a raw
An HDTC quality sample is the ultimate litmus test for any system claiming professional-grade video throughput. Without rigorous, standardized samples that stress timebase correction, chroma pathways, and transport stream integrity, hidden signal degradation can propagate from production to distribution. Organizations should regenerate their reference samples annually to accommodate evolving codecs (VVC, AV1) and higher dynamic ranges (HDR10+, HLG). Remember: a system that passes the HDTC quality sample is a system you can trust for live broadcast. Document ID: HDTC-QS-2025-04 Review Date: April 14, 2025 Maintainer: Video Quality Assurance Lab | | 2 | Pathological 18-bit color bars
Using professional-grade software (e.g., Tektronix TG8000 or open-source tools like tsduck combined with FFmpeg ), the generation process follows these steps:
