The Newsroom

BBC News Channel - changes announced

Split from BBC News Channel General Discussion (February 2016)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
IL
i-lied
London Lite posted:
i-lied posted:
RR posted:
Also, when it does, the missing word is "new" TVs - given reliability, it will be some time before virtually everyone has upgraded / changed their sets


True but anyone who goes out and buys a new TV will have Freeview HD.


So called 'HD Ready' sets with DVB-T only tuners are still on sale.


I think it's an old model. I saw an article I think on a516 saying that there is a new minimum requirement for all TV's from January 2016.
ST
Stuart
noggin posted:
That's not what ITV did though is it? Their decision was nothing to do with HD and local news, it was because HD audiences were rising and advertisers wanted their ads to be seen by those watching ITV HD as well as ITV SD. So ITV started simulcasting the larger ITV macro-regions in HD. Sure, as a by-product, it means that some people get their local news on ITV HD, but it was only because of advertising it was done, which is a very different situation to the BBC.


Furthermore, I think only ITV London & Granada actually produce their local news in HD, the other macro-regions just broadcast upscaled SD: the quality of which is questionable to say the least.

The downscaled picture from BBC One SW in SD is better here in Plymouth than the alternative upscaled 'ITV News Central' we are offered on ITV HD.
MI
Mike516
i-lied posted:
London Lite posted:
i-lied posted:

True but anyone who goes out and buys a new TV will have Freeview HD.


So called 'HD Ready' sets with DVB-T only tuners are still on sale.


I think it's an old model. I saw an article I think on a516 saying that there is a new minimum requirement for all TV's from January 2016.


*Ears burning*

32inches+ larger: now
All other devices: 2017
http://www.a516digital.com/2015/09/freeview-logo-to-be-restricted-to-dvb.html
(My criticism: means devices in circulation with new style 2015 Freeview logo that won't be DVB-T2 compatible.)

----

And ITV News Central (West) went HD on 30th November 2015.
NG
noggin Founding member
Stuart posted:

The downscaled picture from BBC One SW in SD is better here in Plymouth than the alternative upscaled 'ITV News Central' we are offered on ITV HD.


Golden rule - garbage in=garbage out (I'm exaggerating and not suggesting ITV News Central pictures are garbage) However the rule holds true - the better quality the picture starts off, the better it will look downscaled. A modern HD camera downscaled will often look a lot nicer than an older SD camera upscaled - even though, in theory, they should both be limited to SD. Combination of newer cameras working better, oversampling delivering a higher quality SD picture when derived from HD than it would if it were originated SD.

Only issue with HD cameras downconverted is that some people find the 'edge detail' a bit subtle in SD (hence I believe some early HD cameras had separate SD CCU outputs with different edge processing for situations where the SD output was used - in some cases alongside the HD output) Personally I think the subtle edge detail and oversampling mean you don't need it unless you like your pictures to have 'the French look'...
MA
Markymark
Stuart posted:

Furthermore, I think only ITV London & Granada actually produce their local news in HD, the other macro-regions just broadcast upscaled SD: the quality of which is questionable to say the least.


Meridian is a native HD studio operation, I see them (albeit the Kent version though I live in the Thames Valley)
in HD.

FWIW BBC South are using HD cameras (Sony HDC-300) though of course the studio infrastructure is still SD
LL
London Lite Founding member
Markymark posted:

FWIW BBC South are using HD cameras (Sony HDC-300) though of course the studio infrastructure is still SD


That explains why I saw Emma Vardy do a Down the line on the NC on Friday from Southampton in HD.
DE
deejay
That's for a slightly different reason though, because the regional newsroom cameras are being replaced with HD chroma key studios. Several are now live and they all use HD cameras and Dirac encoders to send HD video down SD contribution circuits.
IL
i-lied
Is it allowed for the News Channel to be partially funded by BBC Global News Ltd? This would ensure that the channel is protected from cuts to BBC News even further.
MA
Markymark
i-lied posted:
Is it allowed for the News Channel to be partially funded by BBC Global News Ltd?


Well, money from BBC Worldwide (international programme sales, books, mags etc) finds its way back into the Beeb's domestic bank account, so I assume it's not an issue ?
IL
i-lied
I wasn't sure because of the license fee, etc. I thought it might help ease the strain on the channel as it already shares a lot of output with its international sister channel and if the international arm were to share some of the burden it might help save the domestic channel from complete ruin.

If they do decide to merge their news channels, I'm not sure legally what the positions would be regarding adverts, etc. It seems like it's going to be quite complicated for the minimal savings it'll achieve.
MI
m_in_m
i-lied posted:
I wasn't sure because of the license fee, etc. I thought it might help ease the strain on the channel as it already shares a lot of output with its international sister channel and if the international arm were to share some of the burden it might help save the domestic channel from complete ruin.

If they do decide to merge their news channels, I'm not sure legally what the positions would be regarding adverts, etc. It seems like it's going to be quite complicated for the minimal savings it'll achieve.

I don't think the advert issue is a problem in the UK. I'm sure sport, business, weather or a UK story could fill the gaps.
IL
i-lied
I didn't think a BBC channel targeted at a UK audience (albeit in this case global with the UK as a subset) could be funded by adverts either?

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