2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

I think I will give it a try, for the first time ever in HD, although I'll have the remote at the ready to switch back to SD.

Surprised they took BBC coverage - isn't there usually a multilateral feed available? Although I guess the same fault could have affected that.

Saddest question of the tournament so far .... (if someone hasn't got there first)

Any ideas what the music ITV is using in the build up to the ad breaks? They seem to be playing under the coming up segments.

*ahem* ... sad moment over.

is it not a part of the opening music?

I think you are referring to Boy Lilikoi by Jonsi (the lead singer of Sigur Ros) - I know that the tune is used in some coming up segments, I'm not sure if it's the one you mean.

Is the BBC the only broadcaster that has it's own graphics generated by the host? I'm not aware of anyone else who do it, I know most of Europes broadcasters use the FIFA provided graphics and ESPN/ABC also take the FIFA.

It looks much better, but how much more would it cost the BBC, a lot?

It is not quite as simple as you think.

The BBC's graphics aren't actually generated by the host, instead they are generated from DATA provided by the host, which is then used to drive the BBC's own (or BBC contracted if provided by a 3rd party) graphics kit.

I think this facility is available to all rights holders (not sure if it costs extra) - and the BBC have historically done this in previous World Cups as they have such strong and consistent BBC Sport branding.

I assume it is done at the IBC mainly - so the graphics boxes at the IBC can be used over a clean match feed provided at the IBC - so you don't need graphics boxes at every stadia and I'd expect clean-feeds to be provided within the IBC to all rights holders.

Well I knew they wouldn't be generated by the host as such, I was just trying to put the question in the most simplistic why possible. In terms of extra cost I meant in terms of equipment, extra staff etc.

Still does anyone know if other broadcaster are doing it.

Also as I asked before in 1998 when ITV used their own in-match graphics, where they generated in the same way or would they just have been using a clean feed? In1998 it was really necessarily as their was only a French language feed available to the BBC.

Isn't there a broadcast metadata feed for this tournament that can be latched onto providing the raw data code for interpretation. I know that Vancover provided one for the Olympics which was really effective and was tapped into by the BBC Website which at times was in advance of the onscreen OBS graphics. I would assume similar arrangements apply in this case.

Had ITV Live on during yesterdays match, watching the text messages coming up on screen made the on-pitch action much more enjoyable.

Presumably they'll be rolling out this ITV live service for other events, say X Factor and the like, particularly if it's revenue generating.

Really enjoying 'Manu' Adebayor's comments on the BBC Panel, which surprises me as I find him somewhat arrogant on the pitch when he plays.

<sad>Nah that's not it - it's a kinda flutey number ...</sad>