From: myers@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Myers)
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1993 16:03:09 GMT
Subject: Re: subliminal message flashing on TV
Message-ID: <7480237@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpfcso!myers
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
References: <1993Apr15.234259.9557@news.clarkson.edu>
Lines: 18

> Hi.  I was doing research on subliminal suggestion for a psychology
> paper, and I read that one researcher flashed hidden messages on the
> TV screen at 1/200ths of a second.  Is that possible?  I thought the
> maximum rate the TV was even capable of displaying images was 1/30th
> of a second.  (or 1/60th of a second for an image composed of only odd
> or even scan lines)

You are correct; the fastest "complete" image that could be presented on
TV would be one field, which is 1/60 of a second (approximately).  Of course,
the phrase "TV screen" is often thrown around in reference to any CRT
display, so perhaps this researcher wasn't using normal TV rates.  Might
even be a vector ("strokewriter") display, in which case the lower limit
on image time is anyone's guess (and is probably phosphor-persistence limited).


Bob Myers  KC0EW   Hewlett-Packard Co.      |Opinions expressed here are not
                   Systems Technology Div.  |those of my employer or any other
myers@fc.hp.com    Fort Collins, Colorado   |sentient life-form on this planet.
