The Harding test

This is a British broadcasting test for epilepsy inducing broadcast content. Has anybody heard of this and why is it so expensive? Phil UK

I can't tell how effective it is because every time I run it, I wake up on the floor a half-hour later.

Koz

...not very funny for the epileptics visiting the forum.



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I'm narcoleptic.

Koz

It's so expensive because broadcasters are a tiny potential market and they've got a virtual monopoly with their product as far as I can tell.

Martin Baker
www.digital-heaven.co.uk
Unique plug-ins and tools for Apple Pro Apps

I recall seeing a standards/laws (yes laws) for blinking lights/images on video. You might google it and get the definitive answer. Some cartoons had some problems and well as some video games.

I think I'll look it up, myself.

Is this a good time to raise my hand and say all European PAL flickers to my eyes? I can well imagine that putting a flashing object on a video system already just at the edges of human perception would cause problems.

No doubt that's why the test is so exclusive. 25Hz is already at the upper edge for PhotoSensitive Epileptics. Project something flashing at 5Hz (normally safe) and the combination will *also* flicker at 20Hz which is right in the middle of the primary16-25 range.

I've never heard of anything like that for NTSC--not that there isn't one, but it's escaped me. We just have fuzzy green pictures.

Koz

how do you fare at the movies, koz?
they're only 24fps

the thing that bought all this to a head was an episode of Pokemon, i believe, that triggered fits in some Japanese kids.
that would be NTSC, wouldn't it?
but animated at film rate, i suppose, so with your crazy "pulldown"
(never seen an episode.. you can tell i don't have kids!)


nick

<<<they're only 24fps>>>

No, they're not. The picture progression is 24, but the flash rate is either 48 or 72 sepending on whether or not they have a three-blade shutter in the lamphouse. Well out of range.

<<<that would be NTSC, wouldn't it?>>>

Yes, but. The early games signified success or failure by rapidly flashing the whole screen along with a sting sound track. It's really easy to program an every-other frame flash which puts the flash rate at 15.

It was annoying to conventional people. I can imagine what someone sensitive to the flash rate would have thought.

Koz

Three words: "Battling Seizure Robots"....
Best Simpson's Episode EVER.



Kevin Monahan
Social Support Lead, DV Products
Adobe
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro Community Blog
Follow Me on Twitter!