MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER

ENGINEERING

BSc. TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

TEL4114: TELEVISION AND VIDEO ENGINEERING

GROUP 2 ASSIGNMENT 1

NAME REG. NO. COURSE

KAYONDE VANESSA 17/U/382 BSTE
JOHN ADOR AKOI 18/X/40698/PS BSTE
AKELLO MARY BSTE
BIDALI HENRY 18/X/40427/PS BSTE
ODONGO JAMES 18/U/41720 BSTE
KALULU WAAKO ABAABU 18/ BSTE
EITU JOHN 18/U/119 BSTE
ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 – 8

Question 1: Why is scanning necessary in TV transmission? Why is it carried out at a fast rate?

Solution:

At any instant there are almost an infinite number of pieces of information, existing
simultaneously, each representing the level of brightness of the scene to the reproduced. It is
practically difficult to transmit all the information simultaneously and decoding it at the
receiving end seems impossible and hence a method known as scanning is necessary in TV
transmission. It involves converting picture information to electrical form and its transmission
are carried out element by element in a sequential manner to cover the entire scene which is to be
televised.

Scanning of the elements is carried out at a very fast rate and repeated a large number of times
per second to create an illusion of simultaneous pick – up and transmission of picture details.

Question 2: What is the basic principle of operation of a television camera tube?

Solution:

An optical image of the scene to be transmitted is focused by a lens assembly on the rectangular
glass face-plate of the camera tube. The inner part of the glass face – plate has a transparent
conductive coating where a very thin layer of photoconductive material known as photolayer is
placed.

Light from the scene is focused on the photolayer and the optical image formed by the lens
system represents the light intensity variations of the scene [1]. The photolayer has a very high
resistance when no light falls on it, but decreases depending on the intensity of light falling on it.
Thus, depending on the variation of light intensity in the focused optical image, the conductivity
of each photolayer element changes accordingly.

The photoelectric properties of the photolayer then convert different light intensities into
corresponding electrical variations. The variations in resistance at each point across the surface
of the photoconductive material are utilized to develop a varying signal by scanning it uniformly
with an electron beam [1].

The electron beam formed by an electron gun in the television camera tube picks up the picture
information on the target plate in terms of varying resistance at each point. Any movement of
electric charge is a flow of current and thus the electron beam constitutes a very small current
which leaves the cathode in the electron gun and scans the target plate [1].

The scanning is done by deflecting the beam with the help of magnetic fields produced by the
pair of deflecting coils mounted on the glass envelope. The current in one coil gives horizontal
motion to the beam from left to right at a uniform rate and then brings it quickly to the left side
to commence the trace of next line and the current in the other coil deflects the beam from top to
bottom at a uniform rate and for its quick retrace back to the top of the plate to start this process
all over again.

Question 3: What is a raster and how is it produced on the picture tube screen?

Solution:

A raster is the entire screen of the picture tube on which the amplitudes of the currents in the
horizontal and vertical deflecting coils are adjusted and illuminated due to the fast rate of
scanning on the photolayer.

The glass envelope contains an electron gun structure that produces a beam of electrons aimed at
the fluorescent screen. When the electron beam strikes the screen, light is emitted. The beam is
deflected by a pair of deflecting coils mounted on the neck of the picture tube in the same way
and rate as the beam scans the target in the camera tube.

The video signal is fed to the grid or cathode of the picture tube. When the varying signal voltage
makes the control grid less negative, the beam current is increased, making the spot of light on
the screen brighter. More negative grid voltage reduces the brightness. if the grid voltages is
negative enough to cut-off the electron beam current at the picture tube there will be no light.
This state corresponds to black.
Thus, the video signal illuminates the fluorescent screen from white to black through various
shades of grey depending on its amplitude at any instant. This corresponds to the brightness
changes encountered by the electron beam of the camera tube while scanning the picture details
element by element. The rate at which the spot of light moves is so fast that the eye is unable to
follow it and so a complete picture is seen.

Question 4: Why are synchronizing pulses transmitted along with the picture signal ?

Solution:

The picture details would split and get distorted if the same coordinates are not scanned at any
instant both at the camera tube target plate and at the raster of the picture tube.

Question 5: Why is FM preferred to AM for sound signal transmission?

Solution:

FM is less susceptible to noise and interferences which leads to high signal to noise ratio hence
there is minimal or no distortion in the sound signal unlike AM where the varying amplitude of
the carrier signal is highly affected by noise and interferences.

FM has a wider bandwidth which enables more sounds to be transmitted unlike AM.

Question 6: Describe briefly the functions of various controls provided on the front panel of a
TV receiver.

Solution:

1) Fine tuning Control

This control is provided for obtaining best picture details in the selected channel.

2) Hold control
It is used to get a steady picture in case it rolls up or down.
 3) Brightness control
It varies the beam intensity of the picture tube and is set for optimum average brightness
of the picture.

4) Contrast control
It is actually the gain control of the video amplifier. This can be varied to obtain the
desired contrast between the white and black contents of the reproduced picture.

5) Volume and Tone controls

These form part of the audio amplifier in the sound section, and are used for setting the
volume and tonal quality of the sound output from the loudspeaker.

Question 7: Describe the basic principle of colour television transmission and reception.

Solution:

Colour television is based on the theory of additive colour mixing, where all colours including
white can be created by mixing red, green, and blue lights. The colour camera provides video
signals for the red, green, and blue information. These are combined and transmitted along with
the brightness (monochrome) signal.

At the receiver, the three colour signals are separated and fed to the three electron guns of colour
picture tube. The screen of the picture tube has red, green, and blue phosphors arranged in
alternate dots. Each gun produces an electron beam to illuminate the three colour phosphors
separately on the fluorescent screen. The eye then integrates the red, green and blue colour
information and their luminance to perceive the actual colour and brightness of the picture being
televised.

Question 8: Describe the function of saturation and hue controls in a NTSC colour TV receiver.

Solution:
Saturation control

It varies the intensity or amount of colour in the reproduced picture. For example, this control
determines whether the leaves of a tree in the picture are dark green or light green, and whether
the sky in the picture is dark blue or light blue.

Hue control

This control selects the correct colour to be displayed. This is primarily used to set the correct
skin colour, since when flesh tones are correct, all other colours are correctly reproduced.
References

[1] "Television Camera Tube-Basic Principle," [Online]. Available:

http://www.faadooengineers.com/online-study/post/ece/tv-engineering/344/television-
camera-tube-basic-principle. [Accessed 11 February 2022].

[2] R. Gulati, in Monochrome and Colour Television, New Age International (P) Ltd., 2005, pp. 8-
14.