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BBC Spotlight (Plymouth) is the latest reigon to get a new studio. (January 2015)

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DE
deejay
I think Channel Islands edit their lower third captions onto their packages, I'd be very surprised if they have VizRT (they certainly didn't have it last time I heard). Cambridge do have VizRT.
NG
noggin Founding member
I think Channel Islands edit their lower third captions onto their packages, I'd be very surprised if they have VizRT (they certainly didn't have it last time I heard). Cambridge do have VizRT.


Thought it was a bit odd. If the captions are pre-rendered then they can be as whizzy as the capabilities of the editor (and editing package) allow. Think we'd have heard if Channel Islands had gone Mosart...
MS
Mr-Stabby
The only live graphics system BBC Channel Islands News have is an Aston Green. So any live graphics they do are very basic. They actually burn their astons in on packages, hence why their package astons look quite good. Though the real reason they did this was because most of the time they only have one person in the gallery, so having a single operator running live astons and doing everything else was a bit too much. They used to use Apple Motion for their graphics because they are a Final Cut Pro based station, and the Motion Template system was quite nifty for getting simple graphics templates done, so Video Journalists could knock up their own graphics without an actual designer. Now only the astons are generated using the Motion Template system, all other graphics are now done using Adobe After Effects.

As for their playout, they use Sienna AutomationX Playout system. It ties in very nicely with FCP Smile
MI
m_in_m
The only live graphics system BBC Channel Islands News have is an Aston Green. So any live graphics they do are very basic. They actually burn their astons in on packages, hence why their package astons look quite good.

Does anyone know if Channel Islands retain a copy of their packages minus the graphics for use at a later date?
HB
HarryB
Video posted on youtube of the graphics used by the Channel Islands

NR
NthnRw
Watched Spotlight last night. One of the reports had a background with the NBH style 'connectors' like those used in the new coming up slides. Does this suggest the new gallery is operational and the new studio is in testing?
CI
cityprod
Watched Spotlight last night. One of the reports had a background with the NBH style 'connectors' like those used in the new coming up slides. Does this suggest the new gallery is operational and the new studio is in testing?


Considering it should have been on air in October, yep, it probably means they're in the test phase, which will probably include doing some reports.
MA
Markymark

I think Plymouth was the last BBC English region that didn't have a fully digital gallery set-up. No idea which region will be next to get a studio upgrade. I think Nottingham was the first to go digital (a year or so after News 24 launched) so it may have the oldest infrastructure, and Tunbridge Wells may not be far behind.


Nottingham's upgrade is out for tender
NG
noggin Founding member

I think Plymouth was the last BBC English region that didn't have a fully digital gallery set-up. No idea which region will be next to get a studio upgrade. I think Nottingham was the first to go digital (a year or so after News 24 launched) so it may have the oldest infrastructure, and Tunbridge Wells may not be far behind.


Nottingham's upgrade is out for tender


That makes sense - its core infrastructure must be well over 15 years old now. I think they moved to their current building in 1999 - and that would have made it one of the first, if not the first, English region with SDI rather than PAL analogue infrastructure.

I think Tunbridge Wells and Marylebone High Street were both around 2001 and also SDI? Norwich moved in 2003 to SDI facilities, and I think Leeds and Hull in 2004. Not sure when Bristol, So'ton and Newcastle got their upgrades as they didn't involve building moves.

Also not sure if Oxford Road and Pebble Mill were digital prior to the moves to Media City and Mailbox - have a feeling that Oxford Road was (as i think Oxford got some of their kit?).
MW
Mike W

Also not sure if Oxford Road and Pebble Mill were digital prior to the moves to Media City and Mailbox - have a feeling that Oxford Road was (as i think Oxford got some of their kit?).

The regional end of Pebble Mill was analogue circuits and technology, the move to 16:9 digital came with the move to the Mailbox - The Network end of The Mill was upgraded to digital in 1998, and mothballed/closed in 1999!
Manchester Oxford Road on the other hand was fully digital, upgraded in 2006 I think, and any surplus kit was donated/redistributed to smaller operations, or those who had broken kit when they went to Media City.
IS
Inspector Sands

I think Tunbridge Wells and Marylebone High Street were both around 2001 and also SDI?

Yep, both opened in the summer of 2001 and both were built with SDI. In fact they were the first 16:9 regions I think.


Because they, along with Nottingham were first they didn't get the same server systems as the later regional refurbs. Between then and Norwich the BBC chose an Avid system for the regions rather than Omnibus.


I remember hearing that they bought one system for each region therefore TW eventually got Avid too, I assume Nottingham did as well

EDIT - I meant Quantel, not Avid
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 26 January 2015 10:43am
NG
noggin Founding member

I think Tunbridge Wells and Marylebone High Street were both around 2001 and also SDI?

Yep, both opened in the summer of 2001 and both were built with SDI. In fact they were the first 16:9 regions I think.


Because they, along with Nottingham were first they didn't get the same server systems as the later regional refurbs. Between then and Norwich the BBC chose an Avid system for the regions rather than Omnibus.


I remember hearing that they bought one system for each region therefore TW eventually got Avid too, I assume Nottingham did as well


Do you mean Avid?

Aren't almost all the BBC English regions based around Quantel (similar but not quite the same as the network Quantel system which is integrated with Jupiter)?

ISTR that Quantel got a contract to provide generationQ in 2002. Certainly Norwich had it at The Forum and Birmingham had it at The Mailbox.

They originally had the dreaded 'Janice' Quantel server playout system, but I think that this has been replaced by an IBIS control system?

It was the ITV regions and ITN who went all Avid and iNews I think. Ironically ITN at Grays Inn Road was the original flagship Quantel digital newsroom using Inspiration and Omnibus News Control playout with ENPS production, but that was a generation older and they wanted to harmonise across ITV News - so ITN went Avid and iNews.

Pretty certain that BBC News in England (Network and English Regions) is pretty close to an Avid-free zone, with a mix of FCP and Quantel in use.

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