OV
I'm not sure what happened on Sunday morning but I know back in January before the tests were postponed there was talk of testing the new digital backup in DSO areas at the same time. I believe the new digital backup involves retransmitting a backup broadcast from satellite.
This system only applies to analogue though. Although I'm sure it would be possible the new digital network has a more modern back up
I'm not sure what happened on Sunday morning but I know back in January before the tests were postponed there was talk of testing the new digital backup in DSO areas at the same time. I believe the new digital backup involves retransmitting a backup broadcast from satellite.
RE
Hmm definitely seems like it was tested on Digital last night, any reasons why the Satellite feed was made 4:3?
You can see a jump in video when pause symbol goes away.
This was on BBC One Wales Terrestrial from Wenvoe Relay
[media:a0eedce579]http://up.metropol247.co.uk/remlap/BBC%20One_001.flv[/media:a0eedce579]
Satellite sorry for the grey bars I don't know how to make them pure black.
[media:a0eedce579]http://up.metropol247.co.uk/remlap/DVB-S.flv[/media:a0eedce579]
You can see a jump in video when pause symbol goes away.
This was on BBC One Wales Terrestrial from Wenvoe Relay
[media:a0eedce579]http://up.metropol247.co.uk/remlap/BBC%20One_001.flv[/media:a0eedce579]
Satellite sorry for the grey bars I don't know how to make them pure black.
[media:a0eedce579]http://up.metropol247.co.uk/remlap/DVB-S.flv[/media:a0eedce579]
Last edited by remlap on 19 July 2010 2:53pm - 2 times in total
IS
I suspect then that the 'pause symbol' type cue dots are part of the test. The thought being that they ident the backup with the cue dot so they can tell which is the main and which is the backup without having to interrupt programmes
I'm not sure what happened on Sunday morning but I know back in January before the tests were postponed there was talk of testing the new digital backup in DSO areas at the same time. I believe the new digital backup involves retransmitting a backup broadcast from satellite.
I suspect then that the 'pause symbol' type cue dots are part of the test. The thought being that they ident the backup with the cue dot so they can tell which is the main and which is the backup without having to interrupt programmes
JV
James Vertigan
Founding member
Could these cue dots be similar to the old "BM" in a magenta box that used to appear occasionally when Pebble Mill were testing their Network Control system - anyone remember this?
Last edited by James Vertigan on 19 July 2010 10:32pm
IS
Don't remember that but I do remember hearing that Central used a similar way of identifying it's 3 sub-regions when doing engineering work. Cue dot on the right for east, on the right for west and bottom for south.
Could these cue dots be similar to the old "BM" in a magenta box that used to appear occasionally when Pebble Mill were testing their Network Control system - anyone remember this?
Don't remember that but I do remember hearing that Central used a similar way of identifying it's 3 sub-regions when doing engineering work. Cue dot on the right for east, on the right for west and bottom for south.
MW
ISTR hearing that Pebble Mill's network control were 2 re-plugged edit suites and a continuity studio, nothing that technical.
Could these cue dots be similar to the old "BM" in a magenta box that used to appear occasionally when Pebble Mill were testing their Network Control system - anyone remember this?
ISTR hearing that Pebble Mill's network control were 2 re-plugged edit suites and a continuity studio, nothing that technical.
MA
Don't remember that but I do remember hearing that Central used a similar way of identifying it's 3 sub-regions when doing engineering work. Cue dot on the right for east, on the right for west and bottom for south.
They were also used by marketing types to determine which version a punter was watching in an overlap area.
TVS had one on Hannington in the months leading up to the transmitter being split off to form a sub region.
I lived in Winchester at the time, and a woman knocked on my door asking if she could see what ITV looked like on my screen. I already had Rowridge and Hannington aerials, so I flicked between the two asking which one did she want to see ?
Could these cue dots be similar to the old "BM" in a magenta box that used to appear occasionally when Pebble Mill were testing their Network Control system - anyone remember this?
Don't remember that but I do remember hearing that Central used a similar way of identifying it's 3 sub-regions when doing engineering work. Cue dot on the right for east, on the right for west and bottom for south.
They were also used by marketing types to determine which version a punter was watching in an overlap area.
TVS had one on Hannington in the months leading up to the transmitter being split off to form a sub region.
I lived in Winchester at the time, and a woman knocked on my door asking if she could see what ITV looked like on my screen. I already had Rowridge and Hannington aerials, so I flicked between the two asking which one did she want to see ?
DE
ISTR hearing that Pebble Mill's network control were 2 re-plugged edit suites and a continuity studio, nothing that technical.
Yes, the arangements at the Mill were not as sophisticated as some people imagine and were downgraded towards the end of the Mill anyway. There was never a full set of standby presentation galleries at Pebble Mill as I've sometimes seen on these forums. Originally a full scale evacuation of Television Centre involved not only Presentation bombing up the M40, but also News and Weather production. The full plan involved news setting up in Studio-A, weather using the Birmingham Pres Studio, and Presentation going into Galleries A and C (I think). The details are a trifle vague now, but I'll see if I can dig around to find out who exactly went where. Once Studio-A closed and Galleries-A and -C were dismanted, the plans were revised somewhat so that BBC One, Two and World presentation all used replugged edit suites. I think Weather still used the pres suite, but News started using Millbank as a back up location.
When the Magenta BM appeared a few years ago as part of these tests, it was merely to show that the replugging of the network distribution had worked - in other words that Birmingham could provide the network feed instead of TVC (or anywehere else in London). Replugging the network distriubution feeds could be done at any of the major BBC Switching centres: Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and so-on. It allowed multi-region opts to be originated from one centre without staff having to be drafted in to opt-out at other centres. Bristol for example, originated several BBC Two opts for the Restoration series in 2004, which tansmitted across South, South West and West regions. Because Bristol could easily re-engineer the distribution to go via the Bristol Pres gallery, one operator could opt all three regions at once.
The whole of the BBC Distribution and internal circuit structure no longer operates in this way and in fact it's made joint opting like this a whole lot more difficult. The Late Kick Off series which goes out across multiple regions, requires lots of circuits being booked and staff to be on duty in all the regions to opt together. Progress... hmm
Could these cue dots be similar to the old "BM" in a magenta box that used to appear occasionally when Pebble Mill were testing their Network Control system - anyone remember this?
ISTR hearing that Pebble Mill's network control were 2 re-plugged edit suites and a continuity studio, nothing that technical.
Yes, the arangements at the Mill were not as sophisticated as some people imagine and were downgraded towards the end of the Mill anyway. There was never a full set of standby presentation galleries at Pebble Mill as I've sometimes seen on these forums. Originally a full scale evacuation of Television Centre involved not only Presentation bombing up the M40, but also News and Weather production. The full plan involved news setting up in Studio-A, weather using the Birmingham Pres Studio, and Presentation going into Galleries A and C (I think). The details are a trifle vague now, but I'll see if I can dig around to find out who exactly went where. Once Studio-A closed and Galleries-A and -C were dismanted, the plans were revised somewhat so that BBC One, Two and World presentation all used replugged edit suites. I think Weather still used the pres suite, but News started using Millbank as a back up location.
When the Magenta BM appeared a few years ago as part of these tests, it was merely to show that the replugging of the network distribution had worked - in other words that Birmingham could provide the network feed instead of TVC (or anywehere else in London). Replugging the network distriubution feeds could be done at any of the major BBC Switching centres: Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and so-on. It allowed multi-region opts to be originated from one centre without staff having to be drafted in to opt-out at other centres. Bristol for example, originated several BBC Two opts for the Restoration series in 2004, which tansmitted across South, South West and West regions. Because Bristol could easily re-engineer the distribution to go via the Bristol Pres gallery, one operator could opt all three regions at once.
The whole of the BBC Distribution and internal circuit structure no longer operates in this way and in fact it's made joint opting like this a whole lot more difficult. The Late Kick Off series which goes out across multiple regions, requires lots of circuits being booked and staff to be on duty in all the regions to opt together. Progress... hmm
DE
Right - have found the stuff I was searching my memory for regarding what was at Pebble Mill. Before Studio-A, Gallery-A and Gallery-C closed, the plan was as follows:
BBC One pres to come from Gallery-C and VT-B
BBC Two pres to come from Pres and VT-F
BBC World pres to come from an Edit C and VT-D
Domestic News was to set up in Studio-B (the Midlands Today studio)
BBC World News was to set up in Studio-A and VT-A
News 24 was to collapse into BBC World.
Weather used Birmingham's regional weather facilities in Studio-B.
When the plan was revised following the closure of Studio-A, things got slimmed down so that pres directors and operators sat together in the edit suites (so the VT suites associated with network production facilities at Pebble Mill could also be closed).
BBC One pres to come from Gallery-C and VT-B
BBC Two pres to come from Pres and VT-F
BBC World pres to come from an Edit C and VT-D
Domestic News was to set up in Studio-B (the Midlands Today studio)
BBC World News was to set up in Studio-A and VT-A
News 24 was to collapse into BBC World.
Weather used Birmingham's regional weather facilities in Studio-B.
When the plan was revised following the closure of Studio-A, things got slimmed down so that pres directors and operators sat together in the edit suites (so the VT suites associated with network production facilities at Pebble Mill could also be closed).
IS
Presumably this was before News had Westminster to go to?
I assume things changed once presentation in London went automated in the 90's. After then (assuming they were powered), the suites in London could keep going for as long as the VT machines were loaded with programmes, even longer once servers came in. Theoretically they could be up the M40 and set up in Pebble Mill ready to pick up once the last programme ran out in London. Of course in real life it would never actually work out like that!
Yes, the arangements at the Mill were not as sophisticated as some people imagine and were downgraded towards the end of the Mill anyway. There was never a full set of standby presentation galleries at Pebble Mill as I've sometimes seen on these forums. Originally a full scale evacuation of Television Centre involved not only Presentation bombing up the M40, but also News and Weather production.
Presumably this was before News had Westminster to go to?
I assume things changed once presentation in London went automated in the 90's. After then (assuming they were powered), the suites in London could keep going for as long as the VT machines were loaded with programmes, even longer once servers came in. Theoretically they could be up the M40 and set up in Pebble Mill ready to pick up once the last programme ran out in London. Of course in real life it would never actually work out like that!
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 20 July 2010 12:26pm
SP
Would it be the case now that anyone with the right passwords would be able to dial in remotely from any location to be able to control the playout system in the case of an evacuation? I know from experience, this is very common in radio these days where programme controllers can control what goes out on air from their bedroom at home.
I assume things changed once presentation in London went automated in the 90's. After then (assuming they were powered), the suites in London could keep going for as long as the VT machines were loaded with programmes, even longer once servers came in. Theoretically they could be up the M40 and set up in Pebble Mill ready to pick up once the last programme ran out in London. Of course in real life it would never actually work out like that!
Would it be the case now that anyone with the right passwords would be able to dial in remotely from any location to be able to control the playout system in the case of an evacuation? I know from experience, this is very common in radio these days where programme controllers can control what goes out on air from their bedroom at home.