Question T8D04
From subelement T8 - T8D
What type of transmission is indicated by the term "NTSC?"
Why is this correct?
NTSC stands for National Television System Committee, which established the standard for analog fast-scan color TV signals. This is a specific television transmission format, not an acronym for "Normal Transmission mode in Static Circuit" (choice A). It's not related to satellite uplinks (choice B) or frame compression schemes (choice D). NTSC refers to the analog color television standard used in North America.
Memory tip
When you see technical abbreviations in amateur radio, they're typically named after standards organizations or describe the actual technical process. NTSC, PAL, and SECAM are all television standards named after the committees that created them, not made-up acronyms.
Learn more
NTSC television signals require approximately 6 MHz of bandwidth, making them among the widest amateur radio transmissions. Amateur Television (ATV) operators use NTSC format when transmitting fast-scan television on amateur frequency allocations. This wide bandwidth requirement explains why ATV is typically restricted to VHF and UHF bands where spectrum is more abundant, and why special emission designators and band plans accommodate these broadband video transmissions.
Think about it
Why do you think television signals require such wide bandwidth compared to voice communications, and how does this affect where ATV can be operated in the amateur spectrum?