Technicolor test patterns

This page is dedicated to cataloging the numerous test pattern types used by Technicolor Video Services, formerly known as VCA/Technicolor, S/T Videocassette Duplicating Corp. and Technicolor Videocassette, Inc., for over 40 years.

Test pattern types
The first four test pattern types listed below were used on tapes printed in Newbury Park and/or New York City from late-1985 to April 1989.
 * Black screen, 400 Hz tone
 * Black screen, 410 Hz tone
 * Black screen, 420 Hz tone
 * Black screen, 1010 Hz tone
 * Gray screen, 400 Hz tone
 * White screen, Silent (only used on some Mexican tapes and tapes from 2006)
 * White screen, 1000 Hz tone (only used on Mexican tapes and possible carryovers from Deluxe Video Services printings)
 * From 1986 to 1987, some tapes released by Walt Disney Telecommunications & Non-Theatrical Company had a silent white screen (with black vertical lines). This usually preceded the black screen with the tone.
 * From 1989 to 2004, most tapes duplicated in New York City and Livonia in SP mode would open and close with DTMF tones. This is usually identifiable if there is/are generic prefix(es) on the printing on the tape spine, and no tape speed names next to the stock number on the printing.
 * Sometimes, the tones were heard twice (at either the beginning and/or the end).
 * Sometimes, in 1992, the tones were only heard in the linear track.
 * Most tapes had the tones played on the left audio channel. Sometimes, in early-to-mid-1993, the tones were heard on the right audio channel. However, the tones are identical if the linear track on your VCR is only mono, as it is rare to find a VCR with linear stereo.
 * During the 1990s, some tapes had shuffling color/black-and-white bars (usually 1-2 seconds if at the end of the tape; 1-6 seconds if it's a print-mastering error in the middle of the tape)

Post-1989 test patterns

 * Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Very Merry Christmas Songs (Walt Disney Home Video, 1990) - DTMF tone (twice)

Honorable mentions

 * Some tapes from one other duplicator, printed after the early-1990s, use the black screen with the 400 hz tone.