Countdown clocks

Now, this will probably sound stupid, but it looks like the best place to ask the question - why does the countdown clock on BBC News not cope with the milliseconds in the countdown? In the countdown, all the numbers in it count down or rectory, apart from the first set of milliseconds, which goes 2 1 0 in an odd pattern - why is this the case? The following YouTube video shows what I'm talking about:



I'm assuming it'll be something to do with screen refresh rates or something simple, but I can't find a simple explanation. In addition to this, the Million Pound Drop on Channel 4 last night managed to countdown correctly, including the first set of milliseconds, so if they can do it, why can't BBC News?

I believe it's not milliseconds, but it's the number frames per second, so it countsdown from 25.

Yes, it's a count of 25 frames per second, as you would see in a broadcast timecode.

Speaking of it, do you know how to generate countdown with Sony Vegas?

I'm always baffled as to why these countdowns use the FPS. Even Sky News Australia uses the FPS style (because they ripped it off from the BBC)

They all have access to Adobe After Effects, and with a quick Google, you can find a decent countdown, that gives you the acurate milliseconds!

The problem is the interlaced format, if you used milliseconds you'd never be able to properly read them due to the way the image scans.

Also, broadcasters use these countdowns as fillers, if they were millisecond accurate people might mistake them for accurate clocks and set times by them, which when found out to be inaccurate would result in a Daily Mail scandal and them being removed (see recent BBC homepage clock issue)

So why bother using anything smaller than a second at all. WTH was wrong with the old BBC News style?

Rather than having numbers on screen, I'd have the footage without the logo and have the gallery countdown as a voiceover.

There are several reasons they don't use the Galley Countdown as a voiceover.
A - I assume with automation they don't need the PA doing a countdown or a PA at all.
B - Even if they did still have the full Gallery crew it isn't just the PA speaking.
C - When they did have a full Gallery Crew I assume there would be quite a lot of swearing with VTs not being ready on time.
D - Why waste a brilliant piece of music with someone chatting over the top,

Not literally live one, even a recorded version of what is being said in the gallery eg 'Studio ready?' '15 seconds' '10 seconds' 'resolve' 'roll vamp, cue George' etc

If they are going to cue the presenter in you have any idea how many versions they'dd have to do.

Not really - it would be the same as a voiceover announcer. Record each timing separately, then record 'cue *NAME*' and compose it together.