Test Card F facts for kids

Test Card F is a special image created by the BBC for television in the United Kingdom. It first appeared on July 2, 1967. This card was shown when no TV shows were on air. It helped engineers check if the TV picture was working correctly.

The image on Test Card F shows a young girl named Carole Hersee. She is playing a game of noughts and crosses with a clown doll. Around them, there are many patterns and signals. These signals helped TV engineers make sure the colors, brightness, and sharpness of the picture were just right.

The Purpose of Test Card F

Test Card F was very important for many years. Before TV channels broadcasted programs all day, there were times when nothing was on. During these times, the test card would appear. It allowed engineers to adjust their equipment. This made sure that when shows did start, the picture quality would be excellent for viewers.

The card was designed by George Hersee. He was a BBC engineer and also Carole Hersee's father. He created the card to include all the necessary test signals. This made it a very useful tool for television broadcasting.

Changes Over Time

In the 1980s, Test Card F was shown less often. This was because the BBC started to broadcast Ceefax pages more. Ceefax was an early text information service. After 1999, Test Card F was only shown for about one minute each day on BBC Two.

Even in the 2010s, Test Card F found new uses. It was sometimes used on the BBC website to show HTTP errors. These are messages that tell you something went wrong when trying to view a webpage. Because of how often it was shown, Carole Hersee became the most seen face on British television.

Different Versions of Test Card F

Over the years, a few different versions of Test Card F were made. In the 1990s, three main versions appeared:

• Test Card J: This was very similar to Test Card F but had small updates.
• Test Card W: This version was made for widescreen televisions. Widescreen TVs have a wider picture than older TVs.
• Another widescreen version was also created.

These different cards helped the BBC keep up with new television technologies.

Images for kids

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  BBC Test Card F as seen on BBC1 from 17 February 1991 to 4 October 1997.

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  Original transparency of the central image created for Test Card F.

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  The test card displayed every morning at 7:00 on BBC 2.