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Ulster Region DSO

10/24 October (October 2012)

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WP
WillPS
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
I sort of hoped on analogue after the 2 animated out somebody would have lit a candle (so as to bookend BBC 2's launch on 625). It was really nice though, and I appreciate NI don't have the same ability to opt between digital/analogue as Wales did.


Northern Ireland does (or rather until a few days ago, did) have the ability to opt separately on satellite, DTT, and analogue. It was done regularly for several years with different versions of BBC Two Northern Ireland being transmitted on analogue and digital on weekday evenings (and even some weekend daytimes due to sports rights). In fact if memory serves me I think there was at least one occasion of a few hours (again due to sports rights and complicated scheduling) where there were three different BBC Two services available at the same time to viewers in NI.

If you were wondering why the Digital Switchover announcement wasn't just made to analogue viewers, there were several reasons. The announcement included a DTT retune message, so needed to go out on DTT as well as analogue.... and I believe that one of the analogue transmitters was receiving its feed from satellite.


Surely that alone means in practice it isn't possible?

Thanks for the info though - how was continuity dealt with for 3 different services?
MA
Markymark
jamie1992 posted:
thegeek posted:
Col posted:
watch what happens to the Ceefax feed!
That's what's generated at the transmitter when it loses its incoming data feed. I have seen it once before from CP - although that one was in a slightly more modern (ha!) style.

I've also seen it only once before, when Emley Moor BBC2 transmitter carried ITV1 for two weeks post-DSO1. There were occasional drop outs of the ITV1 feed at the beginning, and this Ceefax fault caption replaced ITV's teletext. Caption was the same style as the one seen here, but Emley's version had the full Ceefax header with clock.


Here's a video shot in BBC Belfast's CCA, where the main and standby U-Links are pulled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0isW3ySOKI

How long did it take for the actual carrier to drop from Divis ?
IS
Inspector Sands
I assume the removal of the u-links at the BBC was purely for on air timing reasons? Once the transmitters were shut off they would be obsolete anyway
DE
denton
WillPS posted:
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
I sort of hoped on analogue after the 2 animated out somebody would have lit a candle (so as to bookend BBC 2's launch on 625). It was really nice though, and I appreciate NI don't have the same ability to opt between digital/analogue as Wales did.


Northern Ireland does (or rather until a few days ago, did) have the ability to opt separately on satellite, DTT, and analogue. It was done regularly for several years with different versions of BBC Two Northern Ireland being transmitted on analogue and digital on weekday evenings (and even some weekend daytimes due to sports rights). In fact if memory serves me I think there was at least one occasion of a few hours (again due to sports rights and complicated scheduling) where there were three different BBC Two services available at the same time to viewers in NI.

If you were wondering why the Digital Switchover announcement wasn't just made to analogue viewers, there were several reasons. The announcement included a DTT retune message, so needed to go out on DTT as well as analogue.... and I believe that one of the analogue transmitters was receiving its feed from satellite.


Surely that alone means in practice it isn't possible?

Thanks for the info though - how was continuity dealt with for 3 different services?


Indeed. A bit (really a bit more than a bit) of fiddling about would have been a possibility, but not worth the hassle given all the other reasons against doing it.

To answer the other question; three different schedules in three different pres suites, operated by three directors/announcers.
DE
denton
Inspector Sands posted:
I assume the removal of the u-links at the BBC was purely for on air timing reasons? Once the transmitters were shut off they would be obsolete anyway


Yes.
WP
WillPS
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
I sort of hoped on analogue after the 2 animated out somebody would have lit a candle (so as to bookend BBC 2's launch on 625). It was really nice though, and I appreciate NI don't have the same ability to opt between digital/analogue as Wales did.


Northern Ireland does (or rather until a few days ago, did) have the ability to opt separately on satellite, DTT, and analogue. It was done regularly for several years with different versions of BBC Two Northern Ireland being transmitted on analogue and digital on weekday evenings (and even some weekend daytimes due to sports rights). In fact if memory serves me I think there was at least one occasion of a few hours (again due to sports rights and complicated scheduling) where there were three different BBC Two services available at the same time to viewers in NI.

If you were wondering why the Digital Switchover announcement wasn't just made to analogue viewers, there were several reasons. The announcement included a DTT retune message, so needed to go out on DTT as well as analogue.... and I believe that one of the analogue transmitters was receiving its feed from satellite.


Surely that alone means in practice it isn't possible?

Thanks for the info though - how was continuity dealt with for 3 different services?


Indeed. A bit (really a bit more than a bit) of fiddling about would have been a possibility, but not worth the hassle given all the other reasons against doing it.

To answer the other question; three different schedules in three different pres suites, operated by three directors/announcers.


How many are there?

In the good ole' days of nobody knowing what to do with BBC Choice, I expect they would have needed three - was there also a backup or something?
JO
Joe
I think, aside from any technical reasons, it's nice to have that last announcement going out on all platforms.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Weren't the national versions of BBC Choice pulled to launch BBC2 regions on digital platforms?

Was the transmitter that's fed from satellite turned off at the same time as the others or did it continue for a while?
RI
Richard
Steve in Pudsey posted:
Weren't the national versions of BBC Choice pulled to launch BBC2 regions on digital platforms?

Was the transmitter that's fed from satellite turned off at the same time as the others or did it continue for a while?


Not sure on that, but BBC Choice on DTT in NI remained optable for some time, even after BBC TWO NI started. The only difference, however, was that it didn't have the DOG that DSat and DTT in England had.
DE
denton
WillPS posted:
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
denton posted:
WillPS posted:
I sort of hoped on analogue after the 2 animated out somebody would have lit a candle (so as to bookend BBC 2's launch on 625). It was really nice though, and I appreciate NI don't have the same ability to opt between digital/analogue as Wales did.


Northern Ireland does (or rather until a few days ago, did) have the ability to opt separately on satellite, DTT, and analogue. It was done regularly for several years with different versions of BBC Two Northern Ireland being transmitted on analogue and digital on weekday evenings (and even some weekend daytimes due to sports rights). In fact if memory serves me I think there was at least one occasion of a few hours (again due to sports rights and complicated scheduling) where there were three different BBC Two services available at the same time to viewers in NI.

If you were wondering why the Digital Switchover announcement wasn't just made to analogue viewers, there were several reasons. The announcement included a DTT retune message, so needed to go out on DTT as well as analogue.... and I believe that one of the analogue transmitters was receiving its feed from satellite.


Surely that alone means in practice it isn't possible?

Thanks for the info though - how was continuity dealt with for 3 different services?


Indeed. A bit (really a bit more than a bit) of fiddling about would have been a possibility, but not worth the hassle given all the other reasons against doing it.

To answer the other question; three different schedules in three different pres suites, operated by three directors/announcers.


How many are there?

In the good ole' days of nobody knowing what to do with BBC Choice, I expect they would have needed three - was there also a backup or something?


In the BBC Choice days there were four suites serving BBC Choice NI, BBC 1 NI analogue, BBC 1 NI digital, and BBC 2 NI analogue. Then when BBC Choice NI closed and BBC 2 NI digital opened, there were still four services.
WP
WillPS
I see - so when BBC 1 digital and analogue merged (I assume at the same time digital and analogue merged on network, when UK Today died?) there was a spare (that was utilised on this occasion)?
NW
nwtv2003
WillPS posted:
I see - so when BBC 1 digital and analogue merged (I assume at the same time digital and analogue merged on network, when UK Today died?) there was a spare (that was utilised on this occasion)?


You're not far off, I'm sure Digital and Analogue merged by the end of 2001, as it was more common to see the balloon in 14:9 at this time which never happened before. UK Today however ended at the end of January 2002, with LDN sorry London becoming default.

It used to remember on Digital they would often say you're watching BBC One/Two in Widescreen, it was a nice touch.

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