scope:

This practice specifies a color bar pattern compatible with both high- and standard-definition environments. The multi-format color bar signal originates as an HDTV signal with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and may be downconverted to an SDTV color bar signal with an aspect ratio of either 4:3 or 16:9.

The color bar signal is generated with unconventionally slow rise and fall time values, and is therefore only intended to facilitate video level control and monitor color adjustments of HDTV and SDTV equipment. It can be applied to HDTV video productions, especially in a multi-format environment where HDTV video sources are frequently converted and used as SDTV video content either in 525 or 625 environments with the same frame frequencies as in the original HDTV signal.