We just came across this video (Thanks Dave Baum!) and it really explains what an eye pattern is and how you can use this testing methodology to evaluate the quality of a digital signal (digital video for us … right?).
Yes, it is long and yes, it is kind of geeky:
However, troubleshooting sketchy video runs is really hard to do: With digital signals, everything works fine until it just doesn’t. We don’t get the benefit of ‘snow’ or noise as a signal degrades like it did in the old days.
What makes it even harder is that different devices (monitors, switchers, cameras, DA’s, etc.) will have a different level of tolerance to signal impairments such as jitter, ringing, overshoot, undershoot, and noise.
This typically isn’t a problem with an edit suite or a small to medium sized studio. Once you get into larger venues, or are running hundreds of feet of coax through multiple patchbays and electronics, signal degradation will start to occur. The world is analog ultimately, and the receiving equipment shouldn’t be made to try and ‘guess’ at the ones and zeros.
Thanks to Ham Radio operator w2aew for creating and posting this great video.
Questions? Give us a call – we’re hear to help.
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