Bell & Howell test patterns

This page is dedicated to cataloging the numerous test pattern types used by Bell & Howell and its successor entities for over 40 years.

Test pattern types

• Black screen, 500 Hz tone
• Black screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Lime screen, 400 Hz tone
• Lime screen, 975 Hz tone
• White screen, 400 Hz tone
• White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• White screen, 875 Hz tone (medium clicking)
• White screen, 875 Hz tone (fast clicking)
• White screen, 950 Hz tone
• White screen, 975 Hz tone
• White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• White screen with red letterbox bars, 1000 Hz tone
• White screen, 1000 Hz tone (clicking)
• White screen, 1025 Hz tone
• White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• White screen, 1175 Hz tone
• From 1988 to 1996, many tapes had a white screen test pattern (with optional red bars until 1989) and/or a closing black screen with a moaning sound.

Pre-1984 test patterns

Tapes duplicated at Bell & Howell before Q4 1984 (i.e. before the 40th week of 1984) had a wide variety of test patterns. Tapes confirmed to not have test patterns are listed in the next section. If you don't know what test pattern is on a tape, or whether or not such a tape had a test pattern, list it here without any additional info apart from the name of the releasing company and the year of release; if you can 100% confirm such a tape did not have a test pattern after all, move it to the next section. Also, for Disney tapes, check if the bottom of the square label says "Fotomat Drive-Thru Movies" instead of "For Rental Only, Not for Sale" or "For Sale Only, Not Intended for Rental" before moving anything, because if it says "Fotomat Drive-Thru Movies", it was definitely duplicated at Bell & Howell.

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Adventures of Chip and Dale (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• Airplane! (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• Airport (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Alvarez Kelly (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings), White screen, 1000 Hz tone (B&H pressings)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 1175 Hz tone
• America at the Movies (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• American Gigolo (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• American Graffiti (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The Andromeda Strain (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Animal House (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)
• Apocalypse Now (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 950 Hz tone
• The Apple Dumpling Gang (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• April Wine: Live in London (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Barbarella (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Battlestar Galactica (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• Benny Hill's Video Revue (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• The Black Hole (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Boat (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 975 Hz tone
• Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Breaker Morant (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1981)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Bridge on the River Kwai (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1981) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Bye Bye Birdie (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1979) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Can't Stop the Music (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Cat Ballou (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1981) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Charlotte's Web (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Chinatown (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Special Edition (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• The Conversation (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Day the Earth Caught Fire (Thorn EMI Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Death Machines (VCI Home Video, 1983)
• Death on the Nile (Thorn EMI Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The Deer Hunter (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Dracula (1979 version) (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• The Dresser (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 975 Hz tone
• Emmanuelle (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Emmanuelle: The Joys of a Woman (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Escape from Alcatraz (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Escape to Witch Mountain (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• Flash Gordon (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• For Pete's Sake (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone
• The Four Seasons (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (fast clicking)
• Friday the 13th (Paramount Home Video, 1981)
• Friday the 13th Part II (Paramount Home Video, 1981)
• Friday the 13th Part III (Paramount Home Video, 1983)
• The Front (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Getting Wasted (VCI Home Video, 1983)
• Gimme Shelter (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• The Godfather (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Godfather Part II (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Godfather: The Complete Epic (Paramount Home Video, 1981)
• Goin' South (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Grease (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Great Movie Stunts/The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (Paramount Home Video, 1982)
• Hardcore (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• Harlan County, U.S.A. (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Harold and Maude (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - Black screen, 500 Hz tone
• Hatari (Paramount Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 950 Hz tone
• Heartland (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Heaven Can Wait (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Hot Lead and Cold Feet (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• Hud (Paramount Home Video, 1982)
• The Hunter (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• I Am a Dancer (Thorn EMI Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Jaws (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)
• Jaws 2 (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)
• Jesus Christ Superstar (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)
• Kids Is Kids (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Killers (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - Black screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• King Kong (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The Last Married Couple in America (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1982) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• Little Darlings (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• The Little Prince (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Longest Yard (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Looking for Mr. Goodbar (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Lord of the Rings (Thorn EMI Video, 1982)
• Malicious (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Mandingo (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Marathon Man (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Masada (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Melvin and Howard (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Midnight Express (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1979) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Murder on the Orient Express (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• North Dallas Forty (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• On Vacation (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Thorn EMI Video, 1982)
• The Owl and the Pussycat (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Pete's Dragon (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• Play It Again, Sam (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Popeye (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz
• The Professionals (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• Providence (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983)
• Pumping Iron (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Queen: Greatest Flix (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (Paramount Home Video, 1983)
• Rockshow (Thorn EMI Video, 1982)
• Romeo and Juliet (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (medium clicking)
• Rosemary's Baby (Paramount Home Video, 1981)
• The Royal Wedding (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• S.O.S. Titanic (Thorn EMI Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Same Time, Next Year (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Saturday Night Fever (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Save the Tiger (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• Scars of Dracula (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Schizoid (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The Seduction of Joe Tynan (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Seven Beauties (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Shane (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Shootist (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - Black screen, 500 Hz tone
• Slap Shop (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Smokey and the Bandit (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980) - Black screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Spider-Woman (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1982)
• Stalag 17 (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• Star Trek Vol. 1: The Menagerie (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - Black screen, 500 Hz tone
• Star Trek Vol. 2: Amok Time/Journey to Babel (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Star Trek Vol. 3: Mirror, Mirror/The Tholian Web (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Star Trek Vol. 4: The Trouble with Tribbles/Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Star Trek Vol. 5: Balance of Terror/The City on the Edge of Forever (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Starting Over (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Sunset Boulevard (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Swept Away (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - Color bars, 1000 Hz tone (CPVS pressings)
• Taxi Driver (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• The Ten Commandments (Paramount Home Video, 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• Thank God It's Friday (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• Three Days of the Condor (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 975 Hz tone
• The Three Stooges Vol. 2 (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone (B&H pressings)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 6 (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 7 (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 8 (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1984)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 9 (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1984)
• Times Square (Thorn EMI Video, 1981) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• To Kill a Mockingbird (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1981) - White screen, 875 Hz tone (slow clicking)
• The Tubes Video (Thorn EMI Video, 1981)
• Up in Smoke (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Victor/Victoria (MGM/UA Home Video, 1982) - White screen, 1000 Hz tone
• The War of the Worlds (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Way We Were (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1983) - White screen, 400 Hz tone
• When Worlds Collide (Paramount Home Video, 1981) - White screen, 1125 Hz tone
• Which Way Is Up? (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)

Pre-1995 Bell & Howell tapes without test patterns

This list does not include tapes that have the moaning sound but no white screen test pattern.

• The Bad News Bears (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• The Betsy (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Chaplin's Art of Comedy (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Crossroads (RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 1986)
• The Crying Game (Live Home Video, 1993)
• The Electric Horseman (MCA Videocassette, Inc., 1980)
• Field of Dreams (MCA/Universal Home Video, 1992)
• The Fisher King (Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1992)
• Foul Play (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• In Cold Blood (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982)
• The King and I (FoxVideo, 1991)
• The Love Bug (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Man Who Would Be King (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie (FoxVideo, 1994)
• The Next Man (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Nobody's Perfekt (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982)
• The North Avenue Irregulars (Fotomat Video, 1980)
• The Odd Couple (Paramount Home Video, 1980)
• Papillon (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Popeye (Paramount Home Video, 1981, post-1984 printings)
• Quantrill's Raiders (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (Allied Artists Video, 1980)
• Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (Allied Artists Video, 1980)
• This Man Must Die (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 1 (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 3 (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1981)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 4 (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982)
• The Three Stooges Vol. 5 (Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1982)
• Tickle Me (Allied Artists Video, 1978)
• The Woman in Green (Allied Artists Video, 1980)