N6 video wall

BBC News spent a lot of money installing Barco screens in N6, but for most of the time most of the walls just display a newsroom background.

Rarely, and today's Antarctica story was an example, the use a full back wall image, but this is usually for less important stories lower down the running order and far from the norm.

Should they make better use?

I don't know about the use of the wall. But the London skyline backdrop was far far better than the newsroom one they have now. it looks horrible.

I'd like to see them match the screens in brightness and tint levels as well.

Really? Why didn't you mention it before?

My thoughts exactly. Why haven't you brought this up before now Worzel?!

In regards to the BARCO screens, I think they're used appropriately at the moment. Pictures for the background behind presenters look okay sometimes, but others look quite appauling and slightly inappropriate for the seriousness of the story.

What would you suggest putting on the screens?

How about the war in Gaza? Would it be appropriate or attractive to have the shots of Gaza city being attacked on the screens?

I personally prefer the current newsroom background to the real newsroom of Sky. It's calm, undistracting and does it's job - providing an interesting background for the presenters. Sky showing off their newsroom doesn't work for me - there's too much going on (even when there aren't people having arguments behind the presenter).

The London skyline was also quite nice, maybe they should have kept it for the 1, 6 & 10 bulletins.

I pressed yes, I meant no. And I agree with the above post.

Appropriate yes, attractive no. War isn't attractive, but it is news, and as this *is* the news, then surely it makes sense to portray it.

I actually think the Gaza story illustrates just how the backdrop could be used more effectively. If the presenter had a full backdrop of the bombed out buildings of Gaza it'd be a similar device to having reporters at the scene. We've always agreed it often brings little more factually to a story having a presenter at the scene, but as it is television - a visual medium - then pictures add to the story.

They couldn't totally lose a generic backdrop as not all stories lend themselves to a wall to wall image, but for those that do, such as Gaza, the current economic stories (could have a City backdrop of Canary Wharf etc), Afghanistan (a mountainous Afghan backdrop), Welsh Assembly story (Cardiff Bay), I think it'd be a benefit.

They could also do a lot more with things like Film 24. In N8 they used to have virtual curtains etc. Now they have nothing. They could make N6 look like a cinema if they tried for strands like that. The do Question Time OK.

I don't understand how covering the entire screen with a (vaguelly) story related background adds anything to the coverage.

Maybe I could accept your point if you were arguing that they should have more inserts into the screen. E.g. my Gaza question - with a section of the screens with images as you describe in them, presenters stood would look ok. Having the entire screen showing ruined buildings while sat at the desk wouldn't add anything to the story - it would just look like a ruined building.

Do you think this would help understanding in the story?
http://home.vis-is.co.uk/data/grabs/news_buildingwall.jpg

Yes, that's the sort if thing, but obviously it looks stupid in that example because the presenters are smiling. As I said also, it doesn't add to the understanding, just to the visuals on what is teleVISION!

It would look stupid whatever their expression!

It works ok for Al Jazeera as in the opening few seconds of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGIcsYJn3r8&feature=channel