This book is intended for electronics enthusiasts and professionals alike, who want a much deeper understanding of the incredible technology conquests over the pre-digital decades that created video. It details evolution of analogue video electronics and technology from the first electro-mechanical television, through advancements in Cathode Ray Tubes, transistor circuits and signal processing, up to the latest analogue, colour-rich TV, entertainment devices and calibration equipment.

Key technological advances that enabled monochrome video and, eventually, colour are explained. The importance, compromises and techniques of maintaining crucial backward legacy compatibilities are described. The generation, signal processing and playback of analogue video signals in numerous capture, display, recording and playback devices together with operating principles and practices are examined. Technical and, often, political merits and deficiencies of key national and international video standards are highlighted. Several formats are shown to win and ultimately to co-exist.

This book begins at fairly basic levels; concepts are introduced with human physiological perceptions of light and colour explained. This leads to the subject matter of luminance and chrominance; their equations and the circuits to process. There is full, detailed analysis of waveform shapes and timings inside video equipment and relevant popular connections e.g. S-video. Several analogue video projects which you can build yourself are also included in this book; with schematics, circuit board layouts and calibration steps to help you obtain the best results. The book makes use of many colour pages where the subject matter demands it (e.g. test cards).

If you really want a deeper understanding of analogue video then this book is for you!