New on-air navigation system for UKTV

From ds: "UKTV is to launch a new on-air navigation system to improve its cross-network marketing.

The "Navigation Compass", launching Monday (Apr 10), will place navigational 'tools' and messages via menus, continuity and clip-based In Programme Pointers.

The broadcaster estimates that it delivers around 170,000 marketing messages a month across its ten channel brands.

The new software, designed in conjunction with Red Bee Media, has been in development for six months. "With so many channels to choose from, maximising audience navigation and retention across our portfolio is going to play a greater role than ever before," said Tim Patterson, UKTV's head of scheduling and on-air planning. "We've invested a great deal in developing [this] navigational system to communicate better with our viewers."

More useless on screen junk then

What the hell does that mean? The current ones are annoying enough, this sounds like something to rival the awful graphics which are plaguing the European & American channels.

From the image on DS it will look something like this

http://www.mromega.co.uk/images/uktv_compass1.jpg

although if that image is zoomed, it may end up a bit smaller, i.e.

http://www.mromega.co.uk/images/uktv_compass2.jpg

Yuk, that looks awful. Can't they just let us watch the programmes and assume we're all smart anough to use the EPG to find out what's next? My mum does that instinctivly when a programme ends. I just don't see what they're trying to achieve with these things, something like that is very likely to annoy even your average viewer who doesn't usually care about such things. Me? It looks like I'll be avoiding the UKTV Channels even more. It's such a shame this shíte is spreading accross channels like wildfire. Seems like everyone's ignoring the overhwelmingly negative response to the the BBC's in programme pointers.

Coming up next My Family so you may want to check and see what's on elsewhere otherwise you'll be forced to endure TV's worst sitcom.

Also why the hell do they still call the stations UKTV?! Haven't they realised it was a branding exercise gone wrong? Everyone I know still calls UKTV Gold UK Gold!!!!!!!!

I've already seen one of those video IPPs used- maybe it was a pre launch test.

The video stream though was tucked right into the corner of the 16:9 shot, so I'm not sure how much (if any) would be visible for 4:3 viewers.

But, er, the UKTV channels are not in 16:9... they're 4:3.

No. TV's worst sitcom is The Office.

Actually I'm sure the worst sitcom is anything ITV churn out like Hardware. My Family is funny with a wry sense of humour which most 30+ people can relate to.

I wondered how long it would take for something as intrusive as this would finally pop up. Do these people honestly know just how distracting these things are? They seem determined to make viewing as unpleasant experience as possible. And with PVRs like SKY+ becoming more and more popular, you have to wonder exactally what the point in these things are. If someone is watching the show back 3 or 4 hours later, then this thing becomes useless. I hate these "up next" graphics. The worst thing is, this will open up the floodgates, and this shít will be popping up on more and more channels- they're going to try and get away with as much as they can. It's no wonder I'm turning to DVD ti wach what I want, when the channels are plastering **** over my programmes. And has it even been proved that flashing what's up next at a cruicial point in a programme actually makes any difference at all to viewing figures? I doubt it does.

Good point

I must have been watching whatever it was (can't remember exactly) in stretchy-vision on my widescreen TV.

Amiss of me not to notice.

Totally agree!