PH
I can't see any changes in the graphics to tell you the truth! Perhaps they have put them back to normal now. I don't think they would actually spend time trying to change the graphics at this late stage. Would they not be too busy with the new set and graphics already? It might have been an accident. They're probably coming from Studio 2 which has been converted to 16:9 already like all of RTÉ's studios (except for Studio 3, of course) and therefore there might have been some technical glitches resulting in the graphics appearing to be in 16:9.
And yes SNI is right - they seem to have lit up the blue background panels so its incredibly difficult to see a difference between the previous set and this one ... apart from when you see the wide at the end and the missing plasma! But fair play to them because there is absolutely no way that Joe Bloggs can tell that they're in a temporary studio. I thought myself that they had moved back into Studio 3 today!
And yes SNI is right - they seem to have lit up the blue background panels so its incredibly difficult to see a difference between the previous set and this one ... apart from when you see the wide at the end and the missing plasma! But fair play to them because there is absolutely no way that Joe Bloggs can tell that they're in a temporary studio. I thought myself that they had moved back into Studio 3 today!
RJ
I must say RTE do make pretty good tempory studios
Remember before the current look was introduced? I noticed the change becouse of the screens showing a globe were still and the studio was also not used to its full [ie, standing at the screen for the daytime updates ect]
Thing was, that time in the temp. studio was only about a week around the end of August
Would that mean maybe the current studio [not only the set] could be getting changed as some people mentioned?
Or could they be installing something a bit more complexed than a bunch of blocks, a screen, a desk and a still backdrop?
Remember before the current look was introduced? I noticed the change becouse of the screens showing a globe were still and the studio was also not used to its full [ie, standing at the screen for the daytime updates ect]
Thing was, that time in the temp. studio was only about a week around the end of August
Would that mean maybe the current studio [not only the set] could be getting changed as some people mentioned?
Or could they be installing something a bit more complexed than a bunch of blocks, a screen, a desk and a still backdrop?
SE
But you know that band that runs from top to bottom on theon the inset? I think that is gone. If possible, can I have new caps with the brighter background?
Phen posted:
I can't see any changes in the graphics to tell you the truth! Perhaps they have put them back to normal now. I don't think they would actually spend time trying to change the graphics at this late stage. Would they not be too busy with the new set and graphics already? It might have been an accident. They're probably coming from Studio 2 which has been converted to 16:9 already like all of RTÉ's studios (except for Studio 3, of course) and therefore there might have been some technical glitches resulting in the graphics appearing to be in 16:9.
And yes SNI is right - they seem to have lit up the blue background panels so its incredibly difficult to see a difference between the previous set and this one ... apart from when you see the wide at the end and the missing plasma! But fair play to them because there is absolutely no way that Joe Bloggs can tell that they're in a temporary studio. I thought myself that they had moved back into Studio 3 today!
And yes SNI is right - they seem to have lit up the blue background panels so its incredibly difficult to see a difference between the previous set and this one ... apart from when you see the wide at the end and the missing plasma! But fair play to them because there is absolutely no way that Joe Bloggs can tell that they're in a temporary studio. I thought myself that they had moved back into Studio 3 today!
But you know that band that runs from top to bottom on theon the inset? I think that is gone. If possible, can I have new caps with the brighter background?
TE
Nope the band is still there Seamus, but it does appear narrower in some uses of it.
This early move is very interesting, though is fully understandable and we ought to have predicted it beforehand! It is most certainly a wholescale revamp SNI – no question about it. However moving from Studio 3 altogether is highly unlikely I would have thought – they’ll be back in that facility in a matter of weeks, though whether it’ll be an extended studio remains to be seen! There most certainly is scope for expansion insofar as it’d only involve knocking a couple of internal walls as opposed to an additional building-type extension, but whether they’ll do it is anyone’s guess.
The move happening four weeks in advance is to be fully expected – just August suddenly creeping up like that took us all by surprise! Yes RTÉ News only usually take two weeks to introduce a new look, but on previous occasions that only involved building a new set – a doddle. This time round a camera and possibly full gallery refit is taking place, possibly even including a transfer from VT to server playout which has been on the cards for a while. So a very packed few weeks ahead, and as such I expect them to start out as they always do in the first few days of September, not mid-August as this early start may suggest.
A decent studio transfer overall – though the lighting is very dodgy indeed! What the heck sort of lighting is this?! Either you’re lighting something or you’re not – they haven’t made up their minds what they’re at here!
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/ch045.jpg
Note how the under-desk lighting strip glows white in the darkness – something we rarely get to see properly in normal conditions.
The background is very dark indeed and looks poor – it would appear they haven’t been able to transfer the lighting units over, though saying that it looks fine on the presenter mid-shot. In fact, the colours are a teeny bit deeper and look better as a result in that shot. But it is strange how it looks fine in the mid and terrible on wide. The mid shot has since improved from the dark picture Phen posted earlier.
The floor reproduction is particularly impressive – it is an exact match in colour and texture, if a bit glossier than before. Nice and clean for once too!
The lack of plazma screen is most puzzling – why wasn’t it transferred? All it uses is a simple VT deck in the gallery! The set units look very mismatched as a result, indeed in the above picture they haven’t even been aligned properly! The only explanation is that they're either being cheapskates and reusing the old screen in the news set, or they're trying to keep fuss to a minmum and just ditching the monitor. In fact, the more you think about it, it probably is the latter, as the monitor is only ever used in studio when they have the robot camera to track around to the side to take the shot of it. Also, the set and studio looks too dodgy to use that often in wide shots anyway, so they're better off not using it!
But overall very well done – a classic RTÉ move done in the depths of a Sunday night
Of course the temp studio and gallery would’ve been prepped a couple of weeks in advance. The only other differences noticeable include the appearance of presenters who appear more 3D and video-like in their harsher setting, the audio which is slightly echoing (not sure if it’s better or worse than usual), and all the various titles which bizarrely look fantastic! At the top of the programme and at ad breaks they appear more vivid and sharper than usual – are they using copies of the master originals or something? Also the DOG is different to usual – a lighter colour and a bit transparent by the looks of things! Similarly the green band down the left of the screen is much more translucent, like it was when first launched. I think this was filled in with more green as time went on!
Of course in all of this, the one thing we forget is the temporary gallery. All of the graphics generators and hard disks have to be either moved or replicated in the new gallery, which I imagine is quite a headache to bring about! Similarly a stack of VT decks and additional feeds have to be brought through to what may be a fairly primitive studio, not to mention links to the Newsroom upstairs. All they can do now is pray on their lives that no major news story breaks in the next few weeks!
But credit where due, it’s been a fairly clean move. No dodgy cut from Pres, no wonky camera operation (well, not too much
), excellent VT cuts, decent cueing etc etc. It is noticeable with Eileen tonight that she was just ever so slightly off – bit wary of cues through the bulletin, and quite a few autocue feckups that seemed to be the responsibility of the operator. But it’ll be interesting to see how the next few weeks pan out!
This early move is very interesting, though is fully understandable and we ought to have predicted it beforehand! It is most certainly a wholescale revamp SNI – no question about it. However moving from Studio 3 altogether is highly unlikely I would have thought – they’ll be back in that facility in a matter of weeks, though whether it’ll be an extended studio remains to be seen! There most certainly is scope for expansion insofar as it’d only involve knocking a couple of internal walls as opposed to an additional building-type extension, but whether they’ll do it is anyone’s guess.
The move happening four weeks in advance is to be fully expected – just August suddenly creeping up like that took us all by surprise! Yes RTÉ News only usually take two weeks to introduce a new look, but on previous occasions that only involved building a new set – a doddle. This time round a camera and possibly full gallery refit is taking place, possibly even including a transfer from VT to server playout which has been on the cards for a while. So a very packed few weeks ahead, and as such I expect them to start out as they always do in the first few days of September, not mid-August as this early start may suggest.
A decent studio transfer overall – though the lighting is very dodgy indeed! What the heck sort of lighting is this?! Either you’re lighting something or you’re not – they haven’t made up their minds what they’re at here!
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/ch045.jpg
Note how the under-desk lighting strip glows white in the darkness – something we rarely get to see properly in normal conditions.
The background is very dark indeed and looks poor – it would appear they haven’t been able to transfer the lighting units over, though saying that it looks fine on the presenter mid-shot. In fact, the colours are a teeny bit deeper and look better as a result in that shot. But it is strange how it looks fine in the mid and terrible on wide. The mid shot has since improved from the dark picture Phen posted earlier.
The floor reproduction is particularly impressive – it is an exact match in colour and texture, if a bit glossier than before. Nice and clean for once too!
The lack of plazma screen is most puzzling – why wasn’t it transferred? All it uses is a simple VT deck in the gallery! The set units look very mismatched as a result, indeed in the above picture they haven’t even been aligned properly! The only explanation is that they're either being cheapskates and reusing the old screen in the news set, or they're trying to keep fuss to a minmum and just ditching the monitor. In fact, the more you think about it, it probably is the latter, as the monitor is only ever used in studio when they have the robot camera to track around to the side to take the shot of it. Also, the set and studio looks too dodgy to use that often in wide shots anyway, so they're better off not using it!
But overall very well done – a classic RTÉ move done in the depths of a Sunday night
Of course the temp studio and gallery would’ve been prepped a couple of weeks in advance. The only other differences noticeable include the appearance of presenters who appear more 3D and video-like in their harsher setting, the audio which is slightly echoing (not sure if it’s better or worse than usual), and all the various titles which bizarrely look fantastic! At the top of the programme and at ad breaks they appear more vivid and sharper than usual – are they using copies of the master originals or something? Also the DOG is different to usual – a lighter colour and a bit transparent by the looks of things! Similarly the green band down the left of the screen is much more translucent, like it was when first launched. I think this was filled in with more green as time went on!
Of course in all of this, the one thing we forget is the temporary gallery. All of the graphics generators and hard disks have to be either moved or replicated in the new gallery, which I imagine is quite a headache to bring about! Similarly a stack of VT decks and additional feeds have to be brought through to what may be a fairly primitive studio, not to mention links to the Newsroom upstairs. All they can do now is pray on their lives that no major news story breaks in the next few weeks!
But credit where due, it’s been a fairly clean move. No dodgy cut from Pres, no wonky camera operation (well, not too much
), excellent VT cuts, decent cueing etc etc. It is noticeable with Eileen tonight that she was just ever so slightly off – bit wary of cues through the bulletin, and quite a few autocue feckups that seemed to be the responsibility of the operator. But it’ll be interesting to see how the next few weeks pan out!
RJ
Telefís, where would we be without you!!
lol
Just wondering, would RTE ever considdering making their online news service a bit better. Like since they are relaunching and, as I am hoping, bring it into the 21st century they should follow the trend of on tv, on radio online stuff?
Like there isn't really an irish online news service available. You would expect RTE to have a decent one that is well maintained.
I just find the standard of RTE News Online being very poor
lol
Just wondering, would RTE ever considdering making their online news service a bit better. Like since they are relaunching and, as I am hoping, bring it into the 21st century they should follow the trend of on tv, on radio online stuff?
Like there isn't really an irish online news service available. You would expect RTE to have a decent one that is well maintained.
I just find the standard of RTE News Online being very poor
PH
At last you have commented Telefis - I thought something had happened to you! Its good to have your view on things. I forgot all about the gallery etc. having to be refitted so as you say, we should have expected the temporary studio to have come into use this early!
Anyway ... I think RTÉ haven't been able to develop their website more because of some restrictions imposed on them so its not their fault but word on the street says that they will soon be given permission to make improvements to the site. Exactly what this will involve: I don't know but people say that they are going to make as much of their own content available online as is possible so we could presume that that will include news.
As for a cap of the brightened background - my TV card has packed it in for now so I can no longer take caps but its just the same as it was before they moved so no need to worry about it seamus!
Anyway ... I think RTÉ haven't been able to develop their website more because of some restrictions imposed on them so its not their fault but word on the street says that they will soon be given permission to make improvements to the site. Exactly what this will involve: I don't know but people say that they are going to make as much of their own content available online as is possible so we could presume that that will include news.
As for a cap of the brightened background - my TV card has packed it in for now so I can no longer take caps but its just the same as it was before they moved so no need to worry about it seamus!
TE
Yup, the site is desperately in need of an upgrade, service and presentation, and as you say ought to be sorted soon.
I've just hit on a massive titbit of news about the look of the new set! They're going for a BBCesque newswall!!! And it's to wrap all the way around Studio 3! (well, all 13 metres of it!)
As you'd imagine, the new look has been on the drawing boards probably since the spring, and once roughly finalised, tenders then went out to try and source this exceptionally expensive equipment. And here is the tender!
Publication Date: 31 May 2006
Radio Telefis Eireann, (RTE), Ireland's national Broadcasting Services,
wishes to enter into technical dialogue with interested parties in
consideration of purchasing an LED panel display approximately 13,8
metres long by 1,5 metres high for use as part of the set in a television
news studio. As yet no firm decision has been taken as to the procurement specification that will be used. The contracting authority invites interested parties to contact us with a view to investigating options available. RTE will be particularly interested to here from companies who already provide such services to television broadcasters. The object of the technical dialogue will therefore be to enable RTE to assess all possible procurement variations.
So there we go! Don't know what to make of this news - the fact that they're willing to invest to this extext, and their entering into this level of technical expertise in production through the use of extensive graphics in bulletins!
Bye bye picture windows though?
Oh well...
For all we know, they may not use the wall to the extent that the BBC does, by framing it using solid set elements which I hope they do - the BBC look is too impersonal and techy I think. The1.5 metre height is also an indication of their intention to use extensive high skirting around the top and bottom, also like the BBC.
A further tender is most interesting also, perhaps offering an indication as to the increased use of journo stand-up acts and international sat feeds, offering a more worldly outlook at last.
Publication Date: 4 July 2006
Radio Telefis Eireann, (RTE), Ireland's National Broadcasting Services,
wishes to enter into technical dialogue with interested parties in
consideration of acquiring contribution links for television and radio
programme content acquisition, primarily sourced from Europe including but not confined to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Such capacity may include permanent leased satellite capacity, fixed and switchable fibre links together with occasional satellite and fibre capacity. As yet no firm decision has been taken as to the procurement specification or specifications that may be used. The contracting authority invites interested parties to contact us with a view to investigating options available. RTE will be particularly interested to hear from companies with experience of providing programme content contribution links solutions to broadcasters. The object of the dialogue will be to enable RTE to assess all possible procurement variations.
An indication as to substantially improved, more stable and more regular use of links in the upcoming news and current affairs presentation relaunches?!
Alas, there's no tenders out for carpet fitters or joiners or perspex suppliers, so that element will have to wait!
Can't get over this news - have to sleep on it
I've just hit on a massive titbit of news about the look of the new set! They're going for a BBCesque newswall!!! And it's to wrap all the way around Studio 3! (well, all 13 metres of it!)
As you'd imagine, the new look has been on the drawing boards probably since the spring, and once roughly finalised, tenders then went out to try and source this exceptionally expensive equipment. And here is the tender!
Publication Date: 31 May 2006
Radio Telefis Eireann, (RTE), Ireland's national Broadcasting Services,
wishes to enter into technical dialogue with interested parties in
consideration of purchasing an LED panel display approximately 13,8
metres long by 1,5 metres high for use as part of the set in a television
news studio. As yet no firm decision has been taken as to the procurement specification that will be used. The contracting authority invites interested parties to contact us with a view to investigating options available. RTE will be particularly interested to here from companies who already provide such services to television broadcasters. The object of the technical dialogue will therefore be to enable RTE to assess all possible procurement variations.
So there we go! Don't know what to make of this news - the fact that they're willing to invest to this extext, and their entering into this level of technical expertise in production through the use of extensive graphics in bulletins!
Bye bye picture windows though?
Oh well...
For all we know, they may not use the wall to the extent that the BBC does, by framing it using solid set elements which I hope they do - the BBC look is too impersonal and techy I think. The1.5 metre height is also an indication of their intention to use extensive high skirting around the top and bottom, also like the BBC.
A further tender is most interesting also, perhaps offering an indication as to the increased use of journo stand-up acts and international sat feeds, offering a more worldly outlook at last.
Publication Date: 4 July 2006
Radio Telefis Eireann, (RTE), Ireland's National Broadcasting Services,
wishes to enter into technical dialogue with interested parties in
consideration of acquiring contribution links for television and radio
programme content acquisition, primarily sourced from Europe including but not confined to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Such capacity may include permanent leased satellite capacity, fixed and switchable fibre links together with occasional satellite and fibre capacity. As yet no firm decision has been taken as to the procurement specification or specifications that may be used. The contracting authority invites interested parties to contact us with a view to investigating options available. RTE will be particularly interested to hear from companies with experience of providing programme content contribution links solutions to broadcasters. The object of the dialogue will be to enable RTE to assess all possible procurement variations.
An indication as to substantially improved, more stable and more regular use of links in the upcoming news and current affairs presentation relaunches?!
Alas, there's no tenders out for carpet fitters or joiners or perspex suppliers, so that element will have to wait!
Can't get over this news - have to sleep on it
DI
Interesting thing about the RTÉ website. I was reading the Sunday Business Post a few weeks back and I saw this:
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/07/23/story15831.asp
Very impressed that RTÉ is doing all this at once. New studio and possible server outputs by September, new online multimedia website by year end and a big news wall. All very impressive stuff (thanks Teilifis!)
Only thing I'm slightly worried about now is that they will continue to use the old dogs for presenting the news... Nothing fundamentally wrong with maintaining the continuity of familiar faces in foreign backgrounds, but if the level of blundering continues from Dobbo, Doyle and Ní Bheolain, I think this could come across as way-over-their-heads stuff. RTÉ are well-capable of providing a news service that's familiar and warm, but modern and newsy. It's just with the sheer number of presentational errors of late that the transition might be difficult for all concerned (gallery included).
Overall I'm hugely impressed with what they've done so far in the public domain. And I really really hope it works... But you can't teach an old dog new tricks!
diarmy
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/07/23/story15831.asp
Very impressed that RTÉ is doing all this at once. New studio and possible server outputs by September, new online multimedia website by year end and a big news wall. All very impressive stuff (thanks Teilifis!)
Only thing I'm slightly worried about now is that they will continue to use the old dogs for presenting the news... Nothing fundamentally wrong with maintaining the continuity of familiar faces in foreign backgrounds, but if the level of blundering continues from Dobbo, Doyle and Ní Bheolain, I think this could come across as way-over-their-heads stuff. RTÉ are well-capable of providing a news service that's familiar and warm, but modern and newsy. It's just with the sheer number of presentational errors of late that the transition might be difficult for all concerned (gallery included).
Overall I'm hugely impressed with what they've done so far in the public domain. And I really really hope it works... But you can't teach an old dog new tricks!
diarmy
PH
It sounds like that is exactly what we are going to get! It seems that I can now predict the future !
But yes this is fantastic news! I only dreamt that they might introduce something like this into Studio 3 ... I never thought that they'd be bold enough to actually invest so much in the new set. I suppose you're talking a large 6-figure sum for the LED? So its obvious now that they're not extending the studio but RTÉ's news presentation is going to change radically with this new set - like the BBC's did back in April with all the standing-up and everything. I had a feeling though that they would put a lot of effort into this new set bcause there's so much competition now and they have the money to do it as well so its vital that they produce a good relaunch. Hopefully we'll have some fancy graphics as well! And yes Telefis, I think its curtains for the picture windows! But I can live with that if they built a good set. This really is fantastic. I can't wait! But what heppens with the next relaunch? They'll almost certainly have to use CSO next time round. There's no way they could move a huge LED screen out of Studio 3 overnight!
About 6 weeks ago, Phen posted:
I was thinking about what they might do with the set and in my opinion a hybrid of the BBC World set with a curved newswall behind it like Sky News would be a nice idea but with a much larger desk. Then they could get rid of the whole plasma screen idea which is extremely dated at this stage I think - they've had one in Studio 3 since the start of 2000! Either way they'll have to introduce some movement in the background of the new set. It'd also be nice if there was a wider shot of the studio after the titles à la BBC World or better still a rail-cam like BBC News 24 would work nicely in Studio 3 if that small studio can handle it.
It sounds like that is exactly what we are going to get! It seems that I can now predict the future
!
But yes this is fantastic news! I only dreamt that they might introduce something like this into Studio 3 ... I never thought that they'd be bold enough to actually invest so much in the new set. I suppose you're talking a large 6-figure sum for the LED? So its obvious now that they're not extending the studio but RTÉ's news presentation is going to change radically with this new set - like the BBC's did back in April with all the standing-up and everything. I had a feeling though that they would put a lot of effort into this new set bcause there's so much competition now and they have the money to do it as well so its vital that they produce a good relaunch. Hopefully we'll have some fancy graphics as well! And yes Telefis, I think its curtains for the picture windows! But I can live with that if they built a good set. This really is fantastic. I can't wait! But what heppens with the next relaunch? They'll almost certainly have to use CSO next time round. There's no way they could move a huge LED screen out of Studio 3 overnight!
SE
Since the Screen us LED, I imagine the screen must be like The london stock exchange studio. The screen isn't LCD, I'ts LED.
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/NR/rdonlyres/00AF4077-EC39-4956-AA66-915C054C528F/0/img_studio1_1.jpg
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/NR/rdonlyres/00AF4077-EC39-4956-AA66-915C054C528F/0/img_studio1_1.jpg