The Color Bars You've Seen Countless Times Were Invented by Two Men You've Never Heard Of
Test Pattern History: How Color Bars Became a TV Staple (2020)
Norbert D. Larky and David D. Holmes patented the color test pattern generator in 1956, creating the iconic bars that became a TV staple. Before color bars, black-and-white patterns like RCA's stereotypical "Indian head" were used for calibration. The bars evolved with SMPTE standards and remain vital for video engineers, even appearing as Easter eggs on Netflix.
You don’t know Norbert D. Larky and David D. Holmes, but you’ve most certainly seen their work many thousands of times in your life.