Basic Television

Transmission
and Reception

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Basic Factors affecting Television
Transmission & Reception

1. Gross structure
2. Image continuity
3. Number of scanning lines
4. Flicker
5. Fine structure
6. Tone gradation
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1. Gross Structure
 Frame adopted is rectangle with Aspect Ratio
(Width/Height) = 4/3
Reasons:
1. Most of the motion occurs in horizontal plane
2. Eyes can view more easily and comfortably
3. For enabling direct television transmission of film
programs without wastage of any film area -
Motion pictures use a rectangular frame with
width/height ratio of 4/3 – so adopted this aspect
ratio in TV

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Requirements:
1. Aspect ratio of the size of the picture produced on
the receiver screen and the picture being televised
must be the same
achieved by setting the magnitude of the current in
the deflection coils to correct values both at the TV
camera and the receiving picture tube

2. Same coordinated should be scanned at any instant

both by the camera tube beam and the picture tube
beam
achieved by transmitting synchronizing pulses
along with the picture information

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2. Image Continuity
 To create an illusion of continuity we make use of
persistence of vision : sensation produced when
nerves of the eye’s retina are stimulated by incident
light does not cease immediately after the light is
removed but persists for about 1/16th of a second

 Scanning rate is made greater than 16 per second

i.e. number of pictures shown per second is more
than 16 – hence our eye can able to integrate the
changing levels of brightness in the scene

 Present day motion pictures – 24 still pictures of the

scene are taken per second and projected on the
screen at the same rate

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Scanning in Television systems
 The scene is scanned rapidly both in the
horizontal and vertical directions simultaneously
 Frame repetition rate is 25 per second

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Horizontal scanning
 Linear rise of current in the deflection coils deflects the beam across the
screen with a continuous uniform motion for the trace from left to right .
 At the peak of the rise, the saw tooth wave reverses its direction and
decreases rapidly to its initial value, producing the retrace or flyback

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Vertical Scanning
 Saw tooth current in the vertical deflection coils moves the electron beam
from top to bottom of the raster at uniform speed while the electron beam
is being deflected horizontally

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 Because of the motion in the scene being televised, the
information or brightness at the top of the target plate
or picture tube screen normally changes by the time
the beam returns to the top to recommence the whole
process. This information is picked up during the next
scanning cycle and the whole process is repeated 25
times to cause an illusion of continuity

 During the horizontal and vertical retrace intervals, the

scanning beams at the camera tube and the picture tube
are blanked and no picture information is either picked up
or reproduced

 Synchronizing pulses are transmitted during this period –

resulting in distortionless reproduction of the picture
details

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 3. Number of scanning lines
 Most scenes have brightness gradations in the
vertical directions
 The ability of the scanning beam to allow
reproduction of electrical signals according to these
variations and the capability of the human eye to
resolve these distinctly (while viewing) depends on
the total number of lines employed for scanning
 Number of scanning lines is judged by considering
the bar pattern as shown where alternate lines are
black and white

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 If the thickness of the scanning beam is equal to the
width of each black and white bar and the number of
scanning lines is chosen equal to the number of
bars, then the electrical information corresponding
to the brightness of each bar will be correctly
reproduced during the scanning process
 Greater the number of lines, better will be the resolution

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 However the total number of lines is limited by the resolving
capability of the human eye at the minimum viewing distance

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 With reasonable brightness variation and a minimum
viewing distance of 4 times the picture height (D/H = 4), the
angle that any two adjacent elements must subtend at the
eye for distinct resolution is approximately one minute
(1/60 degree)

Substituting the above values

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 In practice, the picture elements are not arranged as equally spaced
elements but have random distribution of black, grey and white
depending on the nature of the picture details.
 Analysis and tests suggests that about 70% of the total line get
separately scanned in the vertical direction and the remaining 30%
get merged with other elements due to the beam spot falling equally
on two consecutive lines (as shown in figure)

Thus the effective number of lines distinctly resolved

Nr = Nv × K
where K is the resolution factor whose value lies between 0.65 & 0.75
Assuming the value of k = 0.7;
Nr = 860 × 0.7 = 602
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 4. Flicker
 25 frames per second in television picture is not
rapid enough to allow the brightness of one
picture or frame to blend smoothly into the
next during the time when the screen is blanked
between successive frames
 Produces flicker
 Eliminated in motion pictures by showing each
picture twice – ie 48 views of the scene per second
– still the same 24 picture frames per second
 ie increased blanking rate
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 Interlaced scanning

 In Television pictures 50 vertical scans per

second – to reduce flicker
 Downward rate of travel of scanning electron
beam is increased
 Alternate lines get scanned instead of every
successive lines
 Here total number of lines are divided into two
groups called ‘fields’
 ie each field is scanned alternatively – called as
interlaced scanning – reduces flicker
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Interlaced scanning contd..

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 Interlaced scanning contd..

 625 lines of each frame /picture are divided into

sets of 312.5 lines
 Each set is scanned alternatively
 Horizontal sweep oscillator is made to work at a
frequency of 15625 Hz (312.5 × 50 = 15625)
 Vertical sweep circuit run at a frequency of 50 Hz
instead of 25 Hz
 Reduces the undesired effects of hum due to
pickup from mains
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Scanning periods

 Normal duration of the horizontal line is 64µs

(1/15625 = 64µs)
active line period = 52µs
line blanking period = 12µs

 Normal duration of the vertical trace is 20 ms (1/50

= 20 ms)
18.720 ms - for bringing the beam from top to
bottom
1.280 ms – to commence the next cycle
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Scanning periods contd..

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Scanning periods contd..

 20 horizontal lines cant be scanned during

each vertical retrace interval
 Thus 40 scanning lines are lost per frame
 Now active number of scanning lines Na =
625-40 = 585

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5. Fine Structure
 The ability of the image reproducing system
to represent the fine structure of an object –
resolving power or resolution
 Vertical resolution Vr = Na × K; Na-active
number of lines
 K-resolution factor
 Assuming K=0.69; Vr = 585 × 0.69 = 400 lines
 Horizontal resolution

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 Interlace error
- Usually the interlace ratio is 2:1
- Any error in the scanning timings and sequence would
reduce the quality of the reproduced picture

For interlaced scanning, the total number of lines in any TV

system must be odd
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 6. Tonal Gradation

Factors that affect the tonal quality of the reproduced

picture are
a) Contrast
b) Contrast ratio
c) Viewing distance

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COMPARISON OF VARIOUS TV SYSTEM
CCIR 625 B monochrome system – most parts of Europe
and India. BW: 5MHz, Resolution factor:0.69, Line
frequency: 15625

625 line – Britan - BW: 5.5MHz, Resolution factor:

0.73

819 line – France. BW:10.4MHz (improved vertical and

horizontal resolution)

525 line – America. Frame frequency:30, line

frequency: 15750, BW: 4MHz(ie lesser horizontal
resolution)
Note: Greater the no. of lines, better the vertical resolution
Greater the BW, better the horizontal resolution
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