BBC 2012 - The Olympic Broadcaster

Interesting - what's the new Sky Interactive Linux platform based around if they're replacing OpenTV?

Yes. I've got an HD box but no HD subscription so the SD channels are first followed by the HD ones.

I'm guessing HD swap is only available to HD subscribers as I can't find anything in the settings?

There was a bit of an issue with Mexico/South Korea just then towards the end. The pictures cut to some still image, still with BBC commentary but no crowd noise. Then it briefly cut to the BBC Olympics timetable with no audio followed by the last few minutes of the match with no sound at all.

Last year the HD boxes were updated to replace the OpenTV middleware with a Darwin kernel (not strictly Linux, but does run Linux software). The EPG was ported over, with an OpenTV emulator installed to ensure existing interactive applications can be used. It's the new platform that has allowed them to introduce Anytime+ and redesign the EPG to be HD.

I'm not sure if Sky have yet exposed the Linux platform to the broadcasters to build interactive applications (doing so requires Sky to build a new API for the applications to use), but its certainly possible for them to do so, so its quite possible the new red button app uses it.

Certainly it has a lot of possibilities in the future, especially as YouView have also gone down the Linux route, which would allow both platforms to run the same red button applications.

30 second Opening Ceremony clip issued by OBS

see here ……..

NEWS on BBC.CO.UK
26-Jul-2012 @ 17:11

Bit of a problem with the London 2012:Countdown to the Olympics titles on BBC ONE HD (at least). Bright yellow hue throughout - but no issues with the ident, pre-programme sting and actual programme itself.

Got got given a Freeview HD box today and am very excited about watching some of the events, including the opening ceremony in HD. For someone who hasn't have HD, the picture is amazing and the Olympic stadium whoooah!

Quite annoying to see this just crop up without warning on the BBC News. Considering all the efforts to #savethesurprise I don't get why the OBS felt the need to leak it. Does look amazing though.


They really are some of the worst BBC Sport graphics I've seen - they just don't look as polished as normal.

Talking of the BBC the Olympic Channels are quite random and confusing too - with 24 channels you'd think that they'd be able to keep the same sport on the same channel at least on the same day, but sessions move around all over the place - most sports have two or three sessions a day and if there is a break in between them they pretty much without exception switch to another channel. If people find switching from BBC1 to BBC2 frustrating this is 24 times worse!

Talking of BBC2 I notice in the Radio Times there are a couple of Sunday sessions with BBC2 coverage in addition to BBC1 and BBC3 - but that's about it. Indeed I suspect this is the least coverage BBC2 has had of the Olympics for a long time. I also think the BBC3 schedule is showing where BBC1 has gone wrong - they've got nice presenting shifts of 9am-2pm, 2-7pm and 7-11pm, while the BBC a chopping and changing every couple of hours (and the mornings are arguably "presented" by non-sports people) plus have multiple presenters thanks to the main actual presenters being on location and usually at least a couple of events being covered.

Alan Hansen becomes an athletics commentator talking about Bolt etc. Thought i'd never see the day...

Well I like the graphics. The gold works well and I like the alterations to the generic set - I think these are far better than the blue scheme used in 2004 and 2008.

And I can see why the BBC have kept BBC Two as a haven for those who don't want anything to do with the games - two lots of 'produced' coverage and then the digital channels with literally everything broadcast is plenty enough even for the die-hard Olympics fans. In this day of digital television it is possible for BBC Two to remain games-free and I can see why that's the route the BBC has gone down.

Animated caption without menu on Olympics 13 again if anyone wants to capture it!

LOL @ Dan Walker talking about the atmosphere - "it's like a real football match". Such a contradiction in styles though between football presenting, where they analyse everything pre, during and post match - and general Olympic coverage where for most team sports we'll go straight to kick-off, probably switch to another sport at half time and again move on to something else soon after the final whistle.

Far too many adverts visible behind the BBC studio in the Olympic Park. I can see ads for Dow, BP and of course the big Westfield signs.