BBC News not in widescreen

Just watching the BBC News at midday and it is not being broadcast in widescreen. It does look quite strange - the astons don't fit in right and the picture behind George Alagiah look wrong! Still not put into widescreen two minutes in...

It was not fixed at all!! I wonder what'll happen this evening?

What form is BBC News usually shown in? Oh, and what is News 24 shown in?

Cheers,
Mike

PS: Yes, I'm thick!

Oh, and speaking of widescreen, has anyone noticed that on 4:3 Letterbox, that the BBC DOG's are usually about 1/3 of the way into the screen?

No, it wasn't fixed and did look strange - you get used to seeing it in a letterbox. Not sure about the ratios Mike, sure someone else will know.

N24 is always in 16:9 which doesn't work very well with many of the reports which aren't. This means anyone with a W/S TV sees black bars down both sides.

BBC News bulletins on analogue are (normally) shown in 14:9 letterbox. On digital it's full 16:9. You can see the same effect if you turn off letterbox on a Sky box connected to a 4:3 TV. It looks awful.

Scotland don't even make an effort for 4:3 viewers - I get a programme called 'Eporting Cotland' according to their side-bar.

I have a feeling there was no widescreen on the evening bulletin (5:15) yesterday, also with George Alagiah. Could anyone confirm this?

I'm pretty sure last night's was in widescreen. I was watching it and am sure I would have noticed if it wasn't in widescreen... I may be wrong of course (I often am!!)!

I may have been wrong - I was watching it on a laptop on the way round the M25!

Sometimes you can see it switch rapidly (on analogue) from 4:3 to 14:9 just after the ident introducing the news bulletin. I think this happened at 5.15 yesterday.

Yes it was in widescreen!!

I think they should use the clock at weekends, i.e. showing 1715 and saying 'This is BBC ONE. Now the news with George Alagiah. Its five fifteen'

That would be really boss.

Speaking of sidebars, I really think it's about time the Beeb did something about their national news sidebar. Ever since October last year, when the news went widescreen, it has floated at the left-hand side of the screen looking bl**dy awful! There is a harsh white line down the right hand side, and a large 16:9 pillar-box sized gap complementing it! Come on, Media Arc, do something about this!! Please!

I think the sidebar is quite nice.

Anyway, since you mention it, what is BBC MediaArc? Are they anything to do with BBC Resources? Aren't they a joint venture with some French company or something?

Do you mean it is not going out in 14:9 letterbox on analogue and going out 4:3 centre cut out?

Or that it is going out 4:3 centre cut out on digital instead of 16:9?

Both of these mistakes could be made in presentation, I believe.

It is very unlikely that the studio will have been switched back to 4:3 working, especially as all news VT editing at TV Centre is in 16:9.