Rugby World Cup 2015

The games have been clocking in at around 2 hours so far thanks to more than usual use of the TMO, so with just 15 minutes between the end of one game and kick-off of the next it's understandable. They should have scheduled the early evening games at 5pm really.

Personally I don't think it's a problem at all to miss the anthems for games not involving the home nations - it's talking over them which is frowned upon.

P.S. Just checked on Clic and S4C are using the international titles, have their own version of the official graphics for their parts and placed a small graphic over the scorebar (in not quite the right blue) to translate ENG to LLO

Unsure why the regional news had to go. A few dropped promos would have made that time up.

I have both, but in this case yes TV3 - part of the reason that those of us in Ireland that have the choice (a lot less than up to now thanks to UTV Ireland) are starting to choose ITV.

Good to see TV3 have given France v Italy priority over The X Factor tonight. Have they got their own commentators at all games or are they taking a world feed for some of them?

Correct decision. I don't know if it's technically possible to do, but could ITV HD have run the match and normal programming continue in SD?

There's quite a few games relegated to ITV4 and idiosyncrasies like afternoon games where there is no evening one, which I don't get.

The soaps could either take a short break with high-profile cliffhangers, or again they could move to 2.

I think it was changed a few months back so ITV (SD) is now a downscale of ITV HD, rather than the two channels having seperate broadcast chains, meaning that is not really possible any more.


If they really wanted to do it, they could re-route the input to the encoders for ITV HD from the main playout output to the direct feed, splitting SD and HD, but it would be rather messy.

Given how confusing it would be to a lot of viewers however, it's not really an option regardless of technical ability.

Would ITV HD and ITV SD running a different schedule to each other be allowed under their Ofcom licensing? They are separate channels ISTR - so it might be. Wasn't sure.

As others have said - far too confusing for the viewers. It's not as if ITV HD is like BBC HD was, it isn't a best of ITV and ITV2-4HD, it is a simulcast of ITV SD.

It may also be complicated by the fact that ITV2-4 HD are pay-TV channels on Sky and Virgin. It's in ITV's commercial interests NOT to help non-subscribers view in HD...

They're taking a world feed of all games except for Ireland (and the opener) games it seems. Commentary team is Conor McNamara, Stuart Barnes, and Liam Toland.

C4 did it for the Paralympics when coverage switched to More4, but really doubt the ratings for most ITV4 matches justify it. If ITV really felt it necessary they'd be better off leasing a HD stream off the pretty vacant COM8 mux for a red button option.

Only seen the break bumpers so far, but it seems ITV Wales are using the non-Paloma Faith version of the theme. Which pleases me.

Gutted I can't watch the ITV Wales coverage - that's what happens when you're not at home when you're getting your aerial fixed! Also wish that the organisers had left an extra 15 minutes between the 2.30pm and 4.45pm kick-offs - broadcasters have little choice but to skip straight from one to the other with no time even for the interviews.

Will be interesting to see what happens if the game runs long tonight - the news is scheduled in exactly the same slots tonight, so surely they wouldn't axe the regional news two nights in a row. It's also the same on Wednesday which interestingly has meant ITV have posponed their airing of the Lib Dems Party Conference Broadcast (I'm surprised they still qualify for one!) by 24 hours.

They used their own team for NZ v Argentina this evening, so I may have jumped the gun with the above. Still seems they have just the one team though.