BBC1 Sign Zone - Why?

Pages from Ceefax is a complete closedown!

Then so is ITV Nightscreen.

There's more value to viewers in showing signed programmes during the night than having a "closedown" for goodness sake - I can't believe someone has actually questioned it with that reasoning. I've spotted shows that I'd missed first time around and set the video timer for them.

I have completed a Stage 1 BSL course and have met many deaf people at various deaf clubs. BSL is preferable to many in the deaf community over subtitles, and this service is valuable - and amazingly deaf people do have video recorders so they can set the timer and watch the Sign Zone at their leisure! Ideally, and maybe in the future, to press the "red button" and get signing with every programme would be fantastic - then perhaps you can have 30 seconds of closedown for you to get excited over

Er, yes. And the point is..?

I'm surprised they haven't incorporated the ONE of BBC One into SignzONE.

Plus it's useful if you have missed a programme - I remember taping all the political parties' leaders' Question Times in 2001.

If Ceefax isn't a closedown,then what is?

I can see the logic in that - but unfortunately it isn't possible to set videos or use Sky+ for most Press Red interactive services, so I guess they'd have to put the unsigned version on the interactive channel?

Longer term I think the aim is to allow signing to be carried like subtitles, as an overlay, and in a format that can be permanently switched on or off, allowing it to be recorded.

It's a stupid thing to say. Granted I do enjoy a Pages From Ceefax Closedown as you get a good ident and you can do relatively boring tasks whilst listening to the music and getting a bit of information(like polishing shoes for example). However to get rid of programmes for those hard of hearing just so one can stay up and watch a lengthy ident and then listen to some music over pages of a text service is a ludicrous idea.

I still find it astonishing that this technology wasn't built in to the current implementation of digital TV, whether it be DTT, cable or sat.

I fully comprehend the benefits of signing over subtitles and every programme should have the option of it, but it's bloody annoying when they sign programmes that aren't shown in the dead of night, for example the Hollyoaks repeat (not that I watch it anymore!). It's MOST distracting to somebody who it means nothing to.

This was certainly contained in the original aspiration set for the functionallity of DTT. Various forms of additional mechanisms for enhancing programmes included discription and language support, and a signed inlay for some programming.

The way that this was sold, at least to legislators was that these functions would be standard, rather than the clumsy bolt-ons we have now.

In the late '90s a lot of work was done on inlay signing, but the universal conclusion was that there was no practicable level of service that could be accomodated within the capabilities of a standard DTT (or D-SAT) reciever. The same was true of one of theoriginal aspirations, that of having a video output of 14L12.

Following on from that there wer discussions, certainly the ITC were involved, on the feasability of developing a device specifically for producing signed output. The device would have been a hybrid, consistion essebtially of two complete DTT recivers down to RGB output stage, and combination using an overlay switch. These boxes were not deemed to be consumer items as such, and would have required subsidy.

I don't know what then happened to these aspirations, but assume the broadcasters cut a compromise with the regulators over the current state of overnight signed programmes, and specific D-SAT channels for audio description. Its possible that the political goal of making Freeview work came above inlay signing in terms of divvying out the bandwidth to support shopping channels. To me, this presents the most disapointing aspect of the entire UK DVB project.