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BBC 'Safe Areas'

(May 2010)

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E1
E180
I've got a 2 year old CRT widescreen television plugged into a bog-standard Sky box.

I've noticed recently that the BBC seems to have disregarded the importance of safe areas with their on-screen graphics. The BBC needs to be reminded that a hell of a lot of people don't all have 50" plasma/LCD HD-ready televisions which pretty much show 99.9% of the picture unlike CRT models which 'chop' off around 5% of the picture around the edges - hence the need for safe areas.

I've quickly knocked this image up in Photoshop to demonstrate what BBC News looks like now. Note the ticker, logo and clock are almost completely hidden - only the top of the boxes on the BBC logo are visible.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/1863/bbcsafeareacrap.jpg


It's not just the news, either. I flicked onto Songs of Praise just now, and the hymn lyrics at the bottom of the screen are way out of the safe area.

What's going on, then? Have the BBC disregarded the importance of keeping on-screen graphics inside a universally accepted safe area? If so, why?
DV
DVB Cornwall
To upset a few again ....

The time is rapidly approaching when the whole 16:9 screen area should be regarded as valid graphics space, as I've mentioned here many times before.

I suggest 31-Dec-2010 as the graphics 'switchover' date.
E1
E180
To upset a few again ....

The time is rapidly approaching when the whole 16:9 screen area should be regarded as valid graphics space, as I've mentioned here many times before.

I suggest 31-Dec-2010 as the graphics 'switchover' date.


But many many people still have CRT widescreen televisions which do cut off the edges of the picture. I'm not prepared to replace my current television for another couple of years, so until then I expect broadcasters to be very aware of the safe area guidelines.

We're not all living in spartan and chic Kensington apartments with a two-grand HD plasma hanging on the wall.
DV
DVB Cornwall
Ok, when should the cutover be then?
E1
E180
Ok, when should the cutover be then?


When all the main channels (BBC, ITV, Sky, UKTV, Discovery etc.) are broadcasting in HD on all platforms.
DA
davidhorman
Quote:
The BBC needs to be reminded that a hell of a lot of people don't all have 50" plasma/LCD HD-ready televisions which pretty much show 99.9% of the picture


Mine doesn't - it crops not much less than my CRT did, as do most flat screens (by default) in my experience. Are you sure there isn't something wrong with your telly? There seems to be plenty of space under the ticker on my screen, in both Screen Fit (at least one ticket-height) and overscan modes.

To upset a few again ....

I suggest 31-Dec-2010 as the graphics 'switchover' date.


It's chicken-and-egg though, isn't it? TVs are still being manufactured that crop away what they expect to be overscan, and broadcasters are still broadcasting with safe areas. Who goes first? Even if all new TVs "switch over" now, you'll annoy a lot of current owners when they can't read tickers, etc. How often do people even notice that graphics are keeping their distance from the edge?

David
JO
Jonny
Are you sure your TV isn't set to a zoom/crop mode? I've never witnessed the above on a CRT set before.
:-(
A former member
Personally, I would have to side with Mr C. It is time to move on - especially now digital switchover is well under way. The last few clinging on to old ways should not stop progress - cf. the UK's thirty year switch to metrication.

It came as a slight shock to see Sky taking the lead with its HD news channel using the whole screen - but a welcome one. It was the same surprise as seeing - I think it was The Tudors - with the credits in the opening titles falling out of the 4:3 safe area and thinking how good it looked on a widescreen tv.
MI
Michael
E180 - your TV is up the cock. I've got a CRT set and the situation you've described doesn't happen for me, and mine is set up properly.
IS
Inspector Sands
E180 posted:
To upset a few again ....

The time is rapidly approaching when the whole 16:9 screen area should be regarded as valid graphics space, as I've mentioned here many times before.

I suggest 31-Dec-2010 as the graphics 'switchover' date.


But many many people still have CRT widescreen televisions which do cut off the edges of the picture. I'm not prepared to replace my current television for another couple of years, so until then I expect broadcasters to be very aware of the safe area guidelines.

There's a difference between using the whole 16:9 screen and things getting cut off in overscan. Even in HD there are still safe areas around the edges.

I agree that the broadcasters should soon ditch the 14:9/4:3 safe areas. Now switchover is well under way there is no need to limit 'action' to the centre of the screen for them as almost everyone has the ability to see the whole 16:9 frame
BR
Brekkie
Not quite sure what the first couple of posts have to do with BBC Safe Areas, but though I agree it's time to ditch the 4:3 safe zone, the BBC especially need to take into consideration the top and bottom of the picture with their graphics. Many earlier adopters of widescreen TV do have CRT models and considering the BBC still cater for people with black and white TV's through the licence fee, they need to show a bit of consideration with their graphics too, at least until DSO is complete in 2012.
DA
davidhorman
Quote:
as almost everyone has the ability to see the whole 16:9 frame


They may have the ability - my set, a series 7 Samsung, doesn't allow you to see the whole frame unless you're feeding it a 1080i signal. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with HD sets but SD STBs.

Even if they do have the right set up, "Exact Fit" modes aren't enabled by default, and no-one's going to pay for an army of engineers to go round pushing the right buttons for the old dears. I suppose it might keep Digit Al in work, at least...

Is anyone actually bothered that there's a little extra space around on-screen text? I know I'm not.

David

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