Video decoder

A method of decoding video signals comprising:

• demodulating from a component video signal chroma signal:
• a hue signal, and a saturation signal;
• and
• determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal,
• wherein determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal comprises determining an encoding standard of the video signal,
• wherein determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal comprises:
• determining when a phase alternating line phase lock occurs between the hue signal and saturation signal;
• receiving the video signal chroma signal and determining when a Db and Dr sequence from the chroma signal match;
• and
• outputting an encoding standard indicator dependent on the condition of the signal lock and sequence match, and
• wherein outputting an encoding standard indicator dependent on the condition of the signal lock and sequence match comprises outputting an unknown encoding standard indicator when the hue signal and the saturation signal are not phase locked and the Db and Dr sequence from the chroma signal are not matched.

A video decoder comprising:

• means for demodulating from a component video signal chroma signal:
• a hue signal and a saturation signal;
• and
• means for determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal,
• wherein the means for determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal comprises means for determining an encoding standard of the video signal,
• wherein the means for determining at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal comprises:
• means for determining when a phase alternating line phase lock occurs between the hue signal and saturation signal;
• means for receiving the video signal chroma signal and determining when a Db and Dr sequence from the chroma signal match;
• and
• means for outputting an encoding standard indicator dependent on the condition of the signal lock and sequence match, and
• wherein the means for outputting an encoding standard indicator dependent on the condition of the signal lock and sequence match comprise means for outputting an unknown encoding standard indicator when the hue signal and the saturation signal are not phase locked and the Db and Dr sequence from the chroma signal are not matched.