BBC One HD still can't broadcast regional news in England.

Camrbridge have Thomsons too - so that bit isn't HD-ready...

AIUI there are plans to use an alternative CG platform to Viz to replace the well-past-their-sell-by-date Astons.

As for HD opt-outs - it will either require a main-and-reserve BBC One HD opt-out chain (*) to be installed in every region (plus network distribution and backhaul) plus additional BBC One HD H264 encoders (though as PSB3 is stat muxed, there is likely to be a BBC One HD encoder chain for each separate ITV and/or C4 region on Freeview HD already - as they need that for statmuxing to work.

For DSat of course there will need to be a whole new set of transponders and encoders if every region is on Freesat/Sky.

(*) Or the BBC will need to adopt ITV-style salvo-opting, with the opt-out chains in the coding and mux or playout areas, and then the English regions would just need HD feeds to these areas and not FROM them. (But it would mean the end of soft opting)

What is the advantage that soft opting provides?

That reminds me of going into the Mailbox and you can actually look into the gallery, though when I went it was mid-afternoon, so there was nobody in there (though there were monitors on showing the network output).

If soft opting is only required for the facility to stick captions and tickers on network, then that could still be achieved by having keyer/inserters at the CCMs, remotely populated and triggered from the regions ?

Funny you should say that, The WIN Network in Australia is able to do 15+ regions in HD.

It's funny because if you go down a couple of floors below the Mids Today gallery and apps room you'll see English Regions MIC, which has a lot more modern kit in being repaired and whatnot, as well as some decent monitors monitoring all English Regions output (and a big smiley indicating the network's health)

Okay, what is Big Ted ? Is it just a way of controlling the Aston or VIz engines for lower thirds?

BIgTed is a BBC in-house developed system that controls CGs (historically Astons, but there are versions to control VizRT, Dekos, RTX Inscribers and other CG platforms) with a producer/director-friendly user interface. It integrates with newsroom systems to extract CG requests (timings, template styles, content etc.) from scripts, and also will allow for insert timing, automatic CG changes triggered by DSK tallies etc. It has a voice output for vocal timing generation (historically a BBC newsreader has provided this)

I think it stood for Basys Initiated Graphic Text EDitor - it dates back to at least the 90s when the BBC used ENPS"]BASYS as their newsroom system. The acronym may me wrong - but I think it was slightly tongue-in-cheek. There is a BigViz, a LittleTed, and there used to be a BigBox to control Quantel Picture Box still-stores.

Bigted historically had (or could have) a useful look-up table of all the UK MPs and their constituencies and party affiliations, and could also generate full-screen graphics (Inflation rate, $/£ exchange rate graphics, simple phono comps etc). very quickly

In engineering terms - yes. Though I'm not sure operationally or editorially that is such a brilliant idea.

In reality the only real reason to stick stuff over network is the emergency missing child alert system I think, and I suspect that could be handled in the manner you suggest.

It allows you leave and join network on mixes, fades-to-black etc. rather than a cut - and also allows you to key graphics over the network feed.

Also - if the salvo is controlled centrally, and not remotely by the region, it stops regions being able to decide unilaterally to opt-out independently. (Which some have on occasions - or stolen extra air time by not optiing back for the first network junction...)

Examples of regions sticking stuff over network I can think of are 1) over Children in Need / Comic Relief providing regional fundraising updates, and 2) over the top of late running Wimbledon coverage to say their regional news programme follows.

It wouldn't be impossible to control the opt locally, it's only at the end of the day a control signal, there is the complication of latency and timing, but it's all a predicable and constant parameter. It does seem increasingly wasteful now that things are centrally coded, to have to send network all the way to each region, and all the way back.

Secondly I've only ever seen BBC South do a straight cut in and out of their opts, maybe once have I seen anything more advanced. Do other regions make use of the feature?