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UKTV goes widescreen (I think!)

(January 2006)

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DA
Dave Founding member
Woke up this morning really early so was sat there flicking through Freeview channels and noticed that UK History and Bright Ideas are now in the correct ratio

Have all the channels converted?
DE
deejay
I've just had a quick flick through the UKTV channels on Sky and none of them are transmitting in 16:9 - they're either 4:3 originations or widescreen programmes being transmitted as usual in 14:9 letterbox.

UKTV is transmitteed by Red Bee Media from the Broadcast Centre (the same place as the BBC channels amongst others) and although the transmission areas are perfectly capable of swicthing aspect ratios, the entire UKTV back catalogue is 14:9 Letterbox or 4:3. An enormous amount of work will have to happen to reversion the widescreen programmes to full 16:9. They could transmit the ads in 16:9 (all ads are recorded onto the servers in widescreen so they can be shared between the Broadcast Centre's clients) and I suppose they could transmit 14:9 programmes as 14:9 pillarbox within 16:9 screen...
SP
Spencer
deejay posted:
UKTV is transmitteed by Red Bee Media from the Broadcast Centre (the same place as the BBC channels amongst others) and although the transmission areas are perfectly capable of swicthing aspect ratios, the entire UKTV back catalogue is 14:9 Letterbox or 4:3. An enormous amount of work will have to happen to reversion the widescreen programmes to full 16:9.


Oh well, the sooner they get started... Rolling Eyes
GE
thegeek Founding member
I'm told that UKTV transmits everything in 14:9 because it's what the client pays Red Bee for.

If any of the Flextech channels transmit anything in widescreen, then you might find something sensible happening with UKTV once they move in to the Broadcast Centre. The commercials are only going to be ingested once across UKTV and Flextech channels, so I'd imagine they'd bring in some form of widescreen switching above having commercials on server twice, with one copy ARC'ed.
AN
andyrew Founding member
All commercials in the Broadcast Centre are on server in widescreen FHA only. In the case of UKTV they are ARC'd live on the output chain.
LO
lovin_it
thegeek posted:
If any of the Flextech channels transmit anything in widescreen, then you might find something sensible happening with UKTV once they move in to the Broadcast Centre.


UKTV channels already come from the Broadcast Centre.

As do BBC channels (licence fee and Worldwide), Discovery, ESPN and Community Channel and Five (backup).
DA
Dan Founding member
lovin_it posted:
Discovery


Really?
IS
Inspector Sands
lovin_it posted:
thegeek posted:
If any of the Flextech channels transmit anything in widescreen, then you might find something sensible happening with UKTV once they move in to the Broadcast Centre.


UKTV channels already come from the Broadcast Centre.
.


I think thegeek was refering to when the Flextech channels move there
HA
harshy Founding member
lovin_it posted:
thegeek posted:
If any of the Flextech channels transmit anything in widescreen, then you might find something sensible happening with UKTV once they move in to the Broadcast Centre.


UKTV channels already come from the Broadcast Centre.

As do BBC channels (licence fee and Worldwide), Discovery, ESPN and Community Channel and Five (backup).


ESPN the sports channel Shocked

edit it's just the boring classic sports channel shown overseas!
GE
thegeek Founding member
andyrew posted:
All commercials in the Broadcast Centre are on server in widescreen FHA only. In the case of UKTV they are ARC'd live on the output chain.
Ah, never realised that - for some reason I'd assumed they were arc'ed on ingest. I really must pay more attention.

harshy: you're not wrong about ESPNCS being less than gripping to watch.
DE
deejay
Dan posted:
lovin_it posted:
Discovery


Really?

(typo edited...)
No. Discovery doesn't have Playout at the Broadcast centre. Red Bee Media have done some design and promotions work for them (and made some of their current idents) though which is why they appear as a 'client' on their website

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