BBC 2012 - The Olympic Broadcaster

Just to go back to the previous discussions around the sound problems, mainly echo, in the BBC's Olympic studio that the News channel and the National news are using.

The only reason I can think of that is stopping similar sound problems in the World News/BBC London studio is the addition of the sofa. Most studio techies/studio construction teams know that if you stick a sofa, or any large fabric object in a room that is boxed or glass, it will absorb the echo and improve the acoustics.

I remember installing some radio studios and they needed to be used before any acoustic paneling was installed. The sound was terrible and echoey, as you can imagine being a square box. So we stuck an old sofa in the studio and it transformed the acoustics and stopped any echo, almost completely.

I'm sure if the Beeb stuck a sofa in that studio, much like World - it would help stop the echo we can all hear. The sofa doesn't have to be in vision (although this is dependent on studio space). But surely to improve the sound and studio experience, it can be justified.

The old Breakfast sofa must be knocking around TVC, gathering dust somewhere!

The OBS title sequence is quite nice, in a generic sort of way. Lots of circles and lines, with a mix of live-action sportspeople and animations. It finishes with a London skyline, which resolves into a circle, then turns into the OBS logo.


I'm not sure that it counts as a discussion if only one person is talking about it. More of a monologue, maybe?

It might well be, but there's nowhere to put it! The studio is a pretty cramped space as it is, and all the remaining floor area is needed for the cameras to move around in. The walls that you can't see are already covered with heavy black cloth - so I'm afraid you'll just have to accept the fact that presentation from there will sound a little echoey.

Speaking of which here is the title sequence

Thanks, saves me from trying to work out how to post it

They are exactly the same transponder streams 'on Sky' and 'on Freesat'. However Sky have permitted 'Freesat' SI/ EPG data to be carried alongside Sky SI/EPG data on the transponders, but that's only an extension of the agreement that allowed Freesat to launch in the first place. In fact the delay in launching Freesat was partly due to the technical challenges in carrying two separate SI systems on the same transponders, which AIUI Sky were very helpful in solving (both politically and technically)

Are Virgin Media having to contribute something towards Sky's transponder costs to be able to receive the BBC Olympic channels and re-broadcast them over their cable network?

Don't think so - do know that Virgin Media are actually RBRing them from Sky? I know the original press release talked about 'making them available' - but those press releases are not usually written by people who know about technical details.

Live Torch Relay pics on Freeview 304 - 301 HD.

Glass windows and other flat hard surfaces in a studio are a nightmare - they give spaces a very live sound. To reduce this you'd normally hang black drapes on your 'dead' wall (not just paint the walls black) to absorb some sound, or put carpet down in areas where you don't need to track cameras which helps in the same way. Or both. You also often put acoustic foam tiles in the studio grid / ceiling as well - they're not that expensive.

Air conditioning noise is also an issue in studios with large glass windows - as they behave like greenhouses and get very warm. Temporary air con units tend to be quite noisy (the permanent installations often have noise reducing baffles - but these are huge) - and often the only solution then is to use a digital noise reduction system that effectively "learns" the ambient noise level in the "silent" studio and removes it to a degree.
This can compromise the overall sound - but it usually improves things.

If you end up with more than one mic open - as is the case with interviews - you have to drive the balance very hard, or use an automixer (which will automatically dip mics until people speak - but again these can reduce the optimum sound quality in an environment)

And BBC Olympics 13

Thanks for that - I was going up through the channels to see if it was on but gave up long before 13. Why 13?

Well they've been doing it for a couple of days but it isn't scheduled, so I don't know.