BBC NEWS 24

I've noticed that on euro/brief - the aston is touching the bottom of the screen!

Are you serious?! Jeez, just give us it pillarboxed for god sake! Why is this so hard for broadcasters to get their head around...?

Cheers, Asa

As has been mentioned many, many, many (zzzzzz.......) times before, 4:3 and 16:9 programmes are a technical minefield when it comes to what shape they are broadcast in.

Talking Movies is compiled in a BBC suite in the US. They're not 16:9 yet so the programme is made 4:3.

If N24 broadcast the show arc'd into 4:3, it would look awful as it would have been converted a number of times...
4:3 > 16:9 > smaller 4:3

Also, the programme is about films made for the cinema, which are widescreen. Think about the size of picture you would see, or rather squint at, when they show a clip from a movie.

Yws but there are other shows like Simpson's World for example, can't it be shown 4:3 in a 16:9 frame?

well why don't they zoom ABC World News Tonight which looks nice in mini4:3 as I call it.

Talking Movies is a BBC production for BBC World and BBC News 24. It is made 14:9 letterbox safe - so that it can be shown 4:3 full frame (12F12) on BBC World, and 14:9 pillarbox on BBC News 24 (14P16) All other 4:3 programmes made for News 24 are made 14:9 letterbox safe (and subsequently 4:3 centre cut safe)

ABC World News is the only 4:3 show that is broadcast on BBC News 24 which is not 14:9 safe, as it is not a BBC production. For this reason it has to be broadcast as 4:3 pillarbox (12P16). This is out of the ordinary for BBC News 24, and has to be specially catered for. (This is also the reason that the clock is taken out)

The reasons most 4:3 shows are not shown as 12P16 on News 24 are :

1. BBC News 24 does not offer aspect ratio switching, so 4:3 letterbox viewers would see a 4:3 postage stamp / window box / floating image surrounded by thick black bars...

2. BBC News 24 on BBC One analogue is broadcast in 14:9 letterbox permanently (14L12). This means that a 12P16 source image would go out on BBC One in postage stamp (albeit with thinner black bars all round than mentioned above)

Both of these reasons, and the 14L12 <=> 14P16 mutual compatibility system (pictures can go round this loop many times without changing size) mean that 12P16/12F12 is unlikely to be introduced on News 24...

As for EuroBrief - this is only 12F12 on World and 14P16 on News 24 when it is from Brussels. When made in Millbank I think it is 14L12 and 16F16 respectively - though I may be wrong - as Millbank still make shows in 4:3 for the regions (and could do for World...)

why doesn't N24 offer ratio switching?

noggin...
think you've just completely blinded them with science!

Presumably cheaper, less equipment and less staff needed or something.

News 24 doesn't have a separate presentation area (unlike every other BBC TV channel) who would normally look after such things, monitoring the various outputs etc.

News 24 was never planned to be a multi-aspect ratio network, and expecting the existing gallery staff to monitor the various networks off-air, and get the aspect ratio switching correct, as well as offering nice transitions for aspect switching is unrealistic. It would probably go wrong too often for too long. It is likely that aspect switching would be made relatively redundant anyway - as fewer and fewer 4:3 shows are being made by BBC News now, so the issue will recede...

(A similar argument holds for CBBC on BBC One and Two - as most new CBBC shows are widescreen - with the exception of some imports and foreign co-productions - though CBBC on Choice is mainly 4:3 archive)

If you ever want to shut people up, just blind them with science - it worked here!! Nice one Noggin!

I noticed that on some BBC Sport coverage, instead of black lines they have that BBC Sport coloured lines thingy, which slightly animates.

Is there no way that instead of having black lines on WNT you could replace them with an animating news background?

Would look a lot more professional.