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DOGs

Is there a new policy (at last) for widescreen? (July 2006)

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DB
dbl
jason posted:
What exactly would be wrong with implementing the DOG in MHEG? That way viewers could get rid of it if they so wished.

Well we already have a EPG...

--

I personally think DOGs are not there for viewers, it's more of a broadcasters' ego.
AL
aland1999
jason posted:
What exactly would be wrong with implementing the DOG in MHEG? That way viewers could get rid of it if they so wished.


Takes a while to load and they want it instantly on-screen I think was the given argument -- and that it may not be present on recordings.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Spencer For Hire posted:
I really wish E4+1 would sort out their DOG. It's permanently in its 4:3 state, even when in 16:9 programming. Consequently when in widescreen it looks stretched, and generally a bit rubbish.


E4+1's DOG has always looked a bit of a botch-up job, as its generally too fat on widescreen broadcasts and too tall and thin on 4:3 broadcasts when you compare it to the main channel DOG.

Still, compared to the main channel 4:3 DOG, E4+1's DOG on a 4:3 broadcast is actually a lot smaller. It's just a lot bigger on the widescreen broadcast compared to the main channel DOG in 16:9.
AU
Austin316uk
Good God - you're all complaining about the DOGs on E4 and Sky One - has anybody seen the monsters on the new 'Movies4Men' and 'Movies 24' channels?
DB
dbl
Austin316uk posted:
Good God - you're all complaining about the DOGs on E4 and Sky One - has anybody seen the monsters on the new 'Movies4Men' and 'Movies 24' channels?

I'm not really complaining, to be honest E4 have improved their DOG, it's faily transparent, can barely see it in some points of the programme.
NG
noggin Founding member
All New Johnnyboy posted:
All HD channels now place their DOGs outside the safe area.

It's still an intrusion but much less so than before.


I think this is because HD channels assume they will always be watched in 16:9 and not in 4:3 centre cut - given that HD is based around 16:9 video signals only.
SP
Spencer
dbl posted:
Austin316uk posted:
Good God - you're all complaining about the DOGs on E4 and Sky One - has anybody seen the monsters on the new 'Movies4Men' and 'Movies 24' channels?

I'm not really complaining, to be honest E4 have improved their DOG, it's faily transparent, can barely see it in some points of the programme.


It's just a shame that so often there's extra clutter around it like 'First Look', 'Brand New', etc. - and this text is always opaque as well.
JA
james2001 Founding member
dbl posted:
Well we already have a EPG...


Try telling that to the channels who flash "Up next" and various other pop-up messagesduring programmes. UKTVs video window was enough to stop me watching their channels full stop.

47 days later

NG
noggin Founding member
jason posted:
What exactly would be wrong with implementing the DOG in MHEG? That way viewers could get rid of it if they so wished.


One of the points of DOGs burned in is that they remain when you PVR a show, and so when watching the recording you remain aware of the channel it was broadcast on. If the DOG were MHEGed or OpenTV derived it probably wouldn't survive a recording.

(A similar reason is why the BBC burn in a BBC logo into their opening titles, so that when the shows are repeated on UKTV channels etc. people still associate them with the BBC )
RD
Rob Del Monte
I assumed (rightly, or wrongly) that E4+1's DOG took the aspect ratio of what was currently being shown on E4. So if a 4:3 programme is being shown on e4, then a 4:3 DOG is put on E4+1, even if it is a 16:9 programme.

I don't know if there is any truth to this.7

Also I found that I do 'use' dogs, because when I was watching the re-union 'B.BLB', I realised that I looked into the corner to see if it was live, but to my 'horror', there wasn't a Dog to tell me!
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Rob Del Monte posted:
I assumed (rightly, or wrongly) that E4+1's DOG took the aspect ratio of what was currently being shown on E4. So if a 4:3 programme is being shown on e4, then a 4:3 DOG is put on E4+1, even if it is a 16:9 programme.


E4+1's DOG is independent of E4's DOG, otherwise it would change its appearance on the whim of the main channel. It's been stuck in the wrong aspect ratio for literally months now.

Until last night of course, when the E4+1 DOG was actually in the right ratio for once, but the DOG on the main channel was as fat as the E4+1 DOG has been. And both DOGS were stuck permanently on throughout the commercials as well.
BR
Brekkie
Talking of E4, don't know if it was a mistake or a new policy but last night the E4 DOG stayed on screen continuously, even throughout the ads.

I know other channels do this, but E4 so far hadn't - and IMO it was all the better for it!

Agree the "sub DOGs" should be banned - and especially "promo" DOGs. For a couple of weeks Sky Three had promotions on screen all week for things on Sky One! (i.e. the Kylie interview)

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