Who let the DOGS out???

You've probably done this before, but I really, really, hate DOGS!!!!!

I'm guessing the diea came from America, but the last time I was there, they seem to have gotten round the obtrusive bit.

Whereas ours are full colour, and take up half the screen (or 3/4 if you're Bloomberg!), what I saw in the states was clear DOGS (if that makes sense) - you could see the picture behind it, kinda like it was cut into the screen, and it wasn't on the screen permanently, just came up now and again. Why can't we do that here.

The worst offender is VH1 Classic, that's really irritating!!!!

Oh no, no no no, MTV Extra is FAR worse! it spins like mad and doesn't stay still long enough for you to be able to read what it's saying!

Music channels are by far the worst DOG offenders

Yeah, you guys probably got it from the States. Bugs (as North Americans call it) are all over the channels on the Continent, from local free-to-air broadcast stations to the cable networks. The good thing about the North American bugs are that most of the time they are translucent, and sitting quietly on either one of the lower corners. They come in 'useful' in news too, when the bugs are being brought into colour when the astons are displayed.

Like the Canadian above me said - DOGS/BUGS are everywhere in N America! There isn't one channel (and I get 500) that doesn't have a DOG on it (oh, except the movie channels). I really don't mind them at all - they can be very creative. On the networks, they are all faded and transparent, so they don't get in the way. They are all usually in the lower left or right had corner of the screen. All of the networks have them in the lower right. Most cable nets have them in the left.

Translucent. Thanks. That was the word!

MTV Extra - sorry, haven't watched that for any length of time, but on VH1 Classic, it spins round, till it nearly does a full circle, then shines brightly like it's got the sun's reflection in it. Then stops. Then starts again.....very distracting.

CNN was the first place I saw it, and that was in a TV shop, I was just amazed that it always had an american channel on it - this was the 80's, I was a kid, I hadn't heard of satellite TV, OK??.....

Anyway, surely it doesn't matter how many channels you've got, a few seconds is all it takes to decide wether or not you want to watch a programme??? I say this because one channel here (stand up, *Living) has decided to plaster programmes with 'New Episode' underneath the DOG - ffs.

Oh and some have taken to a logo, and a website address. It's like, hello, I know what your flipping channel is called, I can find your website..........

They are ugly, they distract your eyes and they really, really aren't necessary.

I like the BBC DOGS simply coz they are so small and simple.

Espeically on news 24 where the smaller dog in widescreen does not make the screen look crowded. that's the job of the other 63 of them

I don't mind DOG's that much, unless, as someone said earlier, they are clear enough to merge in, so to speak.

Adding the programme name under a DOG should be a definate NO. The web address is ok within reason, if it's discreet enough.

Comparing some examples; E4 is fine, for a couple of reasons in that it is places just at the right place of the screen, (well, bottom would be good, but most UK broadcasters seem to prefer them at the top) and isn't distracting. Same with a lot of others, but Bravo, and Trouble, Living, MTV group channels are terrible.

I'm sure there are other terrible offenders, but can't think of any others at the moment.

DOGs used to really irritate me but I've got a bit more used to them now.

Some of the worst offenders IMO are BBC News 24 (3? Who needs 3 DOGs?!); Nick with that huge L8R thing, and Liberty TV's when it spun (although it seems to have stopped that now).

The most discreet include Sky One and E4. I also find I don't notice Sky News' DOG because it's in the bottom corner and more happens on TV in the top half of the screen.

Aaron - I must disagree about the web addresses. The only channels I can think of from the top of my head that do this are N24 and Trouble.

Trouble I can understand because it's a little-known site that they might want to predict. However, it is far too large.

News 24 should be banned from it. There is no need whatsoever to put it there... who in the UK who is on the web hasn't visited bbc.co.uk? They only put it up because Sky did it (and no, I don't prefer Sky) and now Sky have taken it away but N24 have left theirs.

Oh, just remembered, ITN have one up too but it's in such small print and I watch the channel so rarely I never notice it

I guess Sky News will still have a coloured DOG after the relaunch.
I would rather have the Sky News DOG's though, all grouped together in one area than the News 24 ones, which are spread out everywhere.q

Yeah, very good point there about the BBC channels not needing a web address as most people know it.....

I stick by the point about them being discreet though, I can see it getting out of hand though in the near future, with allsorts of channels having the addy's up on the screen.

I think the website address isn't needed for any channel!

It should be promoted in adverts and on idents but not on screen permanently! Also, if you watch the channel regularly then you take one look at the website address and remember it. (If you haven't already guessed it!)

BBC World has the right idea, they only promote the website on trailers. I think BBC News 24 should take some advice from them!

DOGS are generally OK, but we don't need them to spin, change colour or tell us that is an exclusie or a new episode! Translucent in white will do fine thank you. E4 has the best DOG, you know its there but it doesn't put you off.

Sky News is OK because their DOG is all in one corner and has a purpose, as of course a news channel needs a clock. Although the Sky News DOG has been smaller in past years!

Well there is a BBC TWO dog on CBBC, when did this happen?:angry: