No Signal — SMPTE Colour Bars Full Screen
SMPTE colour bars are the pattern broadcast television used to align cameras, tape decks and monitors to a shared reference. The seven top bars descend in luminance from left to right, and the small PLUGE patches in the bottom right are how an engineer set black level by eye.
What people use the no signal for
Set black level by eye
The PLUGE strip contains patches slightly below, at, and slightly above black. Adjust brightness until the sub-black patch is indistinguishable from black while the above-black one is just visible. That is correct black level.
Check colour accuracy roughly
The primary and secondary bars should read as distinctly themselves, in the right order, with no tint. Obvious hue errors are visible without any instrument.
Broadcast-style set dressing
Instantly reads as 'television'. Good for retro looks, event displays and short films.
Placeholder on a signage screen
A recognisable, deliberate-looking holding pattern for a display that is between jobs.
How to use the no signal
- 1Press F for fullscreen and set the display to native resolution.
- 2Set your normal viewing brightness first.
- 3Find the PLUGE patches at the lower right and adjust brightness as described above.
- 4Check the seven main bars for correct order and any colour cast.
Frequently asked questions
What are the small blocks at the bottom for?+
That is the PLUGE — Picture Line-Up Generation Equipment. The three narrow patches sit just below black, at black, and just above black. Correct black level is when the below-black patch vanishes into the surrounding black while the above-black one stays just barely visible.
Do I need to install anything?+
No. Everything on whitescreen.studio runs inside the browser tab you already have open. There is nothing to download, no extension and no account.
Is it free?+
Yes, all of it, with no sign-up and no usage limit.