CiTV & Ministry of Mayhem thread

It would be nice to have christmas images in the window things. Fake snow would look great!

I feel that we're going to go back to a pre 2000 times where they just put christmas trees up; and they wont be able to use the raditional CiTV logos as the logo's been modified, but maybe they could get away with it!

The old set was basically a simple shell, and the big screen was lovely, as they could wrap it up as a present, last year they had the star cloth instead of the usual, and they used the side platforms for two snowmen. In 2000 they turned the monitors into windows which was quite clever and added curtains to the side. Im surprised that they didnt add it to the current set. It could sit either where the white sheet is or the safe door.

It will be interesting! Especially to see how they adapt the new short jingle to christmas!

Yes, you can see more of the bottom of the logo bottom left on the trailers now it's showing in 16:9. Think they just zoomed it as it were.



Central News before it, as has been established before, comes from the same studio and this, AFAIK, was still in 4:3. I sense cropping somewhere along the line unless the new technology is specifically for The CiTV output, unless they've moved studios.

The previous system had no widescreen facilities I believe, hence why it was still a 4:3 CiTV service up until yesterday. But most of the programmes now are widescreen (albeit having been shown in 14:9 letterbox) so I suppose it's the next natural progression. But then we're into cropping.



I don't see why not although I'm no expert on this but I'm pretty sure its possible. Anybody want to confirm?

As I've already pointed out, have a good look at T4 or Shake/Milkshake. They seem to manage OK with 16:9 pres and links and 4:3 programmes.

Though if anyone is against the cropping or has any ideas of how they could show 4:3 material better/properly, then email it to dutyoffice@itv.com . We can't sit hear talking about how we dislike it, or say how they could do it better and expect something to get done without telling them. I think the ITV duty office listen more than the BBC, after all they sorted out the Emmerdale filmic effect after only a week.

Put it back on today and I can say it's definatly even worse. The cropping ratio has definatly increased the the black bars ont he sides have shrunk and are thinner than those that CBBC were using at the same time. Also, I gave a go watching for a few minutes as the millions of digital 4:3 viewers would and it's impossible to say anything but it would be very hard for them not to notice something is wrong. The picture has a very distinct blur and when I watched looked rediculously zoomed in at times, coupled with the credit captions appearing on screen that were cut off on the bottom & sides. It's hardly any better no matter how you watch. The most viable option is to watch on analogue 14:9, at least then you see the picture in the correct size and without the overscan exocising addiitonal picture from the top. I just hope they ditch this CBBC incompetance soon and switch to T4s fine example ASAP.

I think if anything, they should simply put 4:3 programmes in a 16:9 frame with black bars at the side, so that the whole output can be shown in the 16:9 ratio, but 4:3 programmes would have thick black bars at the side, so that the whole programme could be viewed in a 4:3 frame. This is what they did with Live & Kicking in 2000, when they relaunched in widescreen to save them from having two different sized sets of graphics. Its only programmes that are not citv like what about mimi, spongebob squarepants and teh flinstones that are 4:3.

They did it with FBi as well. Sadly it didn't last long with L&K and they quickly went down the cropporama route, If CITV had a FAQ on the website expalaining why the black bars were there, I'm sure people would understnad very quickly.

Could it be that people complain more about black bars at the side of the picture yet nobody complains about the black bars at the top/bottom of the picture? Didn't some people complain about this at one time, I think it was last year's World Cup.

Thus in going a load of cropping, since nobody complains about the top/bottom bars on terrestrial TV (having been there all along since we started this 14:9 business), nobody complains about it yet they do if you hit black to the sides? Is it any wonder then why they crop?

The complaints are only there becuase people don't understand them. There were plenty of complaints about letterboxing when it first started, even on 14:9, but when people got used to them and understood why they were there the complaints stopped and they were accepted- even to the point where the BBC and Channel 4 can show 16:9 films and some drama (and even Malcolm in the Middle) deep letterboxed on analogue. If the TV companies were prepared to use pilalrboxes more and explain about them they could become accepted just as quickly. If they continue to use them rarely without really explaining why they are there, like they do now they will get complaints. The sooner they use them regularly (on more than just sport) and give proper explanations as to why they are there, the sooner all this cropping nonsense can stop.

And anyway, there is still no excuse as to why CITV can't ratio switch. They can't use the credits excuse as they nearly always either show the credits full screen or cutt hem off before they start and they can't use a DOG excuse, as T4 and Milkshake ratio switch fine and both use a DOG. It's just laziness and (foolishly) follwing the BBC. The fact is also the cropping does adversly affect the vast majority of digital viewers- the 4:3 centre cut-out ones who get a blurred and horribly zoomed in picture (try watching CITV like this today- you'll see what I mean). It equates to a loss of around a quarter of the original picture, around 6% off each side.

I noticed today the black bars had widened again (slightly) so they match the BBC again.

A new start ident at the top of CiTV at 3:15, instead of the itv1 board zipping up the screen like a roller blind, a ball and chain flew towards it and shattered it. It involved different clips of presenters and characters like before except different clips, and different music along with it!

Yeah, I noticed that. I prefer the ball and chane smashing into the itv1 logo. Who is that man that was sitting on the CiTV logo? never seen him before! Much improved CiTV!!
Bye LoveTV!!

Also today they started trailing the new series of MPAA as well!.

Oh and Swag (or Sack as Leah often calls him) was on as well .... go on give a ring ... 0901 0707 123!

Isn't Thursday the day without presenters?