Technologist's posts in TV Home - Automated recordings of BBC idents

The starting point fir a recording was set in the days of PDC ..
(Btw this is far better than DVB p/f)

The BBC decided that the recording should be "as the viewer should enjoy it as live"
So the last junction item before the programme - being network ident , is when the PRF flag was created and the VCR started to record ( having been threaded up by the PRF flag being set c 30 sec before orig start .. but none did !)
This meant that there was a BBC ident in the front of the recording ...this was In The days before "BBC blocks " in the programme , and any "health warning " would be recorded ... this was more important as the programme could be viewed at any time not just after watershed,.

Likewise the stop recording was sent after the junction item after the programme fir "if you were affected " messaging and also to guarantee that the signal was sent after the end if the programme thus avoiding it being cut off !!!

These basic simple rules had a few modifications like what it two programmes were abutted ....
like strart at start of programme and stop 10 sec after end of programme .. note in PDC there could be four "programmes" being controlled at any one time ..

As other have said both are RedBee white city /Salford and Chiswick / Leeds
But the BBC tightly specified and provided equipment to generate the triggers both for PDC when it was valid and for P/F in running status having the same start at interstitial event before programme, end at end of next interstitial and if the programme is cut on air signal it asap ....
Itv does not have those add on systems relying on what the playout system does,
Also BBC group and Red Bee tend not to have experts who understand linking /tweaking the schedule to give good results ... like they used to have ....
....and as itv and LWT never embraced PDC thus never had.
( remember PDC required c 30 sec clairvoyance )