Sky News

Yep - the latter is slightly the case as MHEG5 is only related to DTT. DSat doesn't have anything to do with it and uses OpenTV's middleware.

However any bit image based system is 720x576 based irrespective of aspect ratio AIUI - so the width is entirely dependent on the ratio signalled by the rendering device - which is partially controlled by the ratio of the underlying video, if there is any.

One thing I've found rather refreshing so far - the Live at 5 blog. It's wonderfully and brutally honest about the channel as a whole. It's already "answered" questions from two of the people who put the show together and a refreshingly honest few lines from Jeremy Thompson who says things never stand still and they're always looking what works and what doesn't.

The weekend on Sky News is now MILES better than it ever was before - and on Friday things were running a lot better than they were on Monday. Actually think Lunchtime Live, Sky Report and Sky News Tonight are some of the best bits of the new look - and noticed the three way Sky News Today's seem to be split up a lot more...ie not afraid to stick one of them at the newswall and two at the desk rather than all three of them delivering the story.

Still, a long way to go but certainly getting there.

I agree with all of that, except the Sky Report; I think that needs work on the format, which is good in principle, but isn't quite working right at the moment. My only gripe regarding the weekend is that they are still doing the "old style" newspaper review on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.45pm, rather than having the new Press Preview at 11.30pm seven days a week. At the very least, the Press Preview should be on Saturday nights because of the importance the Sunday papers often have on the news.

One thing about presentation on the Sky Report; the backdrop used for it with the scrolling "SKY REPORT | SKY REPORT" etc. needs to go; it is too distracting. It is alright when they use that effect for breaking news, but to have it on constantly doesn't work.

I think that if they want to give each of the different programmes a different feel, the ATV ones at least should stand out more from the rest, which means at the very least, giving them their own slightly distinct graphics from the rest, different title sequences, music etc.

From today's MediaGuardian - an interview with the "co-creator" of this new spoof rolling news show...

"Morton recalls talking to one Sky journalist who told him that typically the person standing in Berlin, Moscow or Baghdad does not know any more than the presenter in the studio and often knows a lot less. "She said the information usually comes into the newsroom first and then the reporter on the ground in Moscow is briefed from the newsroom so that they know what's just happened and the anchor can say 'John, what can you tell us about what's going on on the ground out there?' "

Now this happens across all the channels to some extent - there are inevitably times when information comes from multiple sources and places, and comes together on agencies and in newsrooms rather than on location. If you're doing lives from location from a channel, it'll take an absolute MINIMUM of 10 minutes per "hit", and usually 15-20. In between there's time for some phone-bashing to do a bit of journalism - which is fine for "specialists" in a particular field with a load of contacts - but in many situations you have to go and see things and speak to people. That often can't be done in a forty minute round trip. So often when News24 does an "earlier I spoke to...", it'll be because the journalist in question is off being a journalist rather than just feeding the machine with second-hand information fed via an earpiece.

very minor point - and I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but they have changed the coloured bars in the studio from yellow to light blue. Looks a lot better.

Yep - they change throughout the day, they turn red for breaking news.

Sky News are still using a 4:3 feed cropped of the House of Commons. Nothing wrong with that if there wasn't a 16:9 feed available, but since there is...

I am getting SO tired of seeing presenters start sentences only for them to be interrupted by another presenter half way through with some inane comment about something.

Take this example:

Presenter 1 ''Prince Charles is off on a tour of the United States, his first official visit to the country in over twenty years. His last visit was, of course, with Princess Diana, and most famously remembered for that dance with John Travolta. The Princ...''

Presenter 2: ''Oh, they were lovely pictures though. And a lovely dress''

Presenter 1: ''Yes, they were, yes. The Prince is....'' and so on.

I saw a business update this morning and half way through the business presenter - caught entirely off guard - was interrupted by one of the newsreaders and looked quite annoyed. It makes for a really disjointed presentational style.

Plus, today there has been almost no coverage. It's only twenty past three and they're already talking about skydiving. Why?! It's not even remotely topical, as far as I can see.

Normally there is a bit of banter and the odd quirky story, but this is just too much.

Is the Millbank operation also 16:9?

It would seem not - Adam Boulton was cropped when they were speaking to him earlier.

That was the secondary live point, with the static image of the Houses of Parliament and Portcullis House as the backdrop. The main studio with the videowall and office behind appears to be 16:9.

Worth pointing out, given we've heard so much about how News 24 have supposedly trounced Sky with breaking news over the past week, Sky are comprehensively thrashing them tonight with the Blunkett story.