BBC One HD losing D.O.G. over past few days

jzee · 16/04/12 - 23:16

Noticed on Silent Witness tonight, and a couple of nights ago, there was no D.O.G., hopefully a sign they are testing dropping for dramas and films etc. as used to be policy on the BBC HD channel, much easier to get into without the corporate branding in the corner. Eventually I hope they see logic & adopt the much sensibler policy that Sky are now adopting for most of their channels with the D.O.G. at the beginning and after ads with a fade out, there is no real reason to have these here, constantly, now everyone knows how to press the i button on their remote....

gomezz · 16/04/12 - 23:27

Thank goodness for that. Not just because going DOGless is an improvement of course but because I just today installed a new Freeview HD PVR and thought it was throwing a wobbler by recording BBC1 instead of BBC1 HD but still reporting it as BBC1 HD. Now just got to work out why it did not record QoS tonight.

popeye13 · 17/04/12 - 00:47

They are hardly noticeable though.. If you go looking for the DOG on the BBC HD channels, you'll see them, but if you just watch the show, you don't..

In the UK, the channels are fairly good, go into the European-continent and other countries, you will be more than happy with how ITV2 or E4 appear's on-screen...

mwardy · 17/04/12 - 10:25

popeye13 wrote: »

They are hardly noticeable though.. If you go looking for the DOG on the BBC HD channels, you'll see them, but if you just watch the show, you don't..

I do. Not all the time, but all it takes is a uniform and especially a dark background and hello doggie. Argh!

But perhaps there is progress to be made rather than just a stating of opinions, leading to the usual and seemingly dead-end conclusion that DOGs bother some people more than others.

My normal setup is watching a 42" plasma from about 11 feet, and I find even light DOGs can be really annoying. I did see BBC 1 HD recently on a 32" SD CRT at about 15 feet, and I agree the DOG was virtually invisible and they were all less annoying. (Except Watch, which I've never seen before. Good God! But that's a different story.)

So I wonder how much viewing conditions affect people's reactions to DOGs.

jaffboy151 · 17/04/12 - 11:38

Have to say sky seem to have got it right on sky Atlantic, the dog is there after they return from a break then it vanishes, doesnt spoil my enjoyment of Mad men, wish they would sort out skyf1hd though, it's way to bright and also has the small red button on too.. National Geographic channels like to litter there pictures with loads of rubbish to, so at least the BBC dog I'd not as bad as this.. My main gripe is BBC one HD, it's always on, and very lazy never gets removed even when programs are only SD like itv, 4 & 5 do..

[Deleted User] · 17/04/12 - 11:43

Everyone should have EPGs now so lets get rid of them compleatly.

jzee · 17/04/12 - 12:59

popeye13 wrote: »

They are hardly noticeable though.. If you go looking for the DOG on the BBC HD channels, you'll see them, but if you just watch the show, you don't..

Disagree really, especially on something that is mainly dark scenes, you can't really get away from noticing it, and it does take away the ability to be fully pulled into the world the drama/film is attempting to make for you. Obviously on something like Graham Norton it's not really an issue, but Art/History/Nature docs can also be spoiled by them as there is often a sense of drama in the story these tell, as well as showing beautiful scenery/art/architecture etc. that can be obscured by the graphics.

gomezz · 17/04/12 - 13:08

StargateNerd_24 wrote: »

Everyone should have EPGs now so lets get rid of them compleatly.

And if watching through a PVR /STB their front panel usually shows (apart from cheap boxes with only a light?) the channel you are on anyway.

[Deleted User] · 17/04/12 - 13:11

gomezz wrote: »

And if watching through a PVR /STB their front panel often shows (apart from cheap boxes with only a light?) the channel you are on anyway.

Not on my TiVo box

.

gomezz · 17/04/12 - 13:13

Well I did make an exception for cheapo designs?

[Deleted User] · 17/04/12 - 13:18

gomezz wrote: »

Well I did make an exception for cheapo designs?

At least it is better looking than the old V+ box from 80s by the look of it,

gomezz · 17/04/12 - 13:41

TBH I tend to enjoy what is on the TV screen rather than admire the aesthetics of this box or that box. As long as it is black and does not have too many distracting bright lights: My Pio Blu-ray player is best for this as it has four levels for display brightness from Off through Dim to Bright to Eyeball-searing and goes even dimmer when you stop pressing buttons to see what is says.

Glomper · 17/04/12 - 14:18

I use Blu-Tack over bright LEDs, fashioned like small half teacups, so that straight on you see nothing, but from above (stood up) you can see the LEDs to check if PVR etc is on or off.

big_hard_lad · 17/04/12 - 14:31

My box lives in a closed cupboard under my TV with the TV mounted on the wall above. So even if I did have the channel on the front of my box (which would just be the number anyway, and I'm pretty sure 99% of people don't know channels by number these days) then I'd not be able to see it.

Izak · 17/04/12 - 15:16

jaffboy151 wrote: »

Have to say sky seem to have got it right on sky Atlantic, the dog is there after they return from a break then it vanishes, doesnt spoil my enjoyment of Mad men, wish they would sort out skyf1hd though, it's way to bright and also has the small red button on too.. National Geographic channels like to litter there pictures with loads of rubbish to, so at least the BBC dog I'd not as bad as this.. My main gripe is BBC one HD, it's always on, and very lazy never gets removed even when programs are only SD like itv, 4 & 5 do..

Whenever I've watched Sky1 HD recently, the DOG disappears after a few seconds.

You can get rid of the little red dot icon by pressing 'back up' on Sky or even better, there is an option to timeout it after so many seconds in the options screen.

The worst DOGs have to be on UKTV channels, especially Watch. I am currently watching 'Grimm' and 'Alcatraz' on it and the 'Watch' DOG is very bright and big it does spoil the picture. It also has the text 'new and exclusive' on display all the time. Very annoying.

Glomper · 17/04/12 - 15:55

Some channels also have extra "DOG's" type graphics, on RHS when promoting another upcoming programme.

These are really annoying too.

jzee · 17/04/12 - 15:58

Izak wrote: »

the 'Watch' DOG is very bright and big it does spoil the picture. It also has the text 'new and exclusive' on display all the time. Very annoying.

I'd really like them to give their reasoning why these things have to be on screen 24/7 during programmes, and why they cannot change to Sky's method of fading them out after a minute or so at the beginning and after ad breaks. Do they think we would forget that it was on Watch, or that it was 'new and exclusive' if they used that method

?

[Deleted User] · 17/04/12 - 16:10

I thought the DOG dissappeared when the content wasn't HD, so I wouldn't get too excited...

mersey70 · 17/04/12 - 16:15

theonlyweeman wrote: »

I thought the DOG dissappeared when the content wasn't HD, so I wouldn't get too excited...

The BBC One HD DOG was on all programming. The show on now is native HD but there's no DOG.

It has gone walkies before though only to return!

StevenNT · 17/04/12 - 16:15

theonlyweeman wrote: »

I thought the DOG dissappeared when the content wasn't HD, so I wouldn't get too excited...

That's ITV1 and Channel4 's policy but the BBC tend to leave the DOG on regardless. It's still not there now and the programme is in HD.

Maybe it's the sign of things to come? Who knows.

mersey70 · 17/04/12 - 16:49

Maybe HD is now being considered more mainstream, I note that ITV1 don't tend to mention 'HD' in programme trails very often now and likewise BBC One don't seem to always make such a point of it either although it is still mentioned more than on ITV.

I don't think C4 and C5 have ever mentioned HD in their trails.

derek500 · 17/04/12 - 16:58

mersey70 wrote: »

Maybe HD is now being considered more mainstream, I note that ITV1 don't tend to mention 'HD' in programme trails very often now and likewise BBC One don't seem to always make such a point of it either although it is still mentioned more than on ITV.

Perhaps they should. With over 30% of the country having access to BBC HD and ITV1 HD, the reach figures (according to BARB) are still disproportionately low.

Q4 2011

BBC HD 18.7%, (BBC Two where most of BBCHD's content comes from got 95.7%).

ITV1 HD, 22.9% (ITV1 97.7%)

Reach is the percentage of viewers who watched the channel for at least three consecutive minutes.

So we have literally millions of homes who've invested in HD and are not tuning in to it.

Schnable · 17/04/12 - 17:19

"the much sensibler policy that Sky are now adopting for most of their channels with the D.O.G. at the beginning and after ads with a fade out"

You mean exactly what the Americans do? (All be it the Americans also have other logos at any time they feel like it popping up and dancing around advertising other shows)

mersey70 · 17/04/12 - 17:25

Schnable wrote: »

"the much sensibler policy that Sky are now adopting for most of their channels with the D.O.G. at the beginning and after ads with a fade out"

You mean exactly what the Americans do? (All be it the Americans also have other logos at any time they feel like it popping up and dancing around advertising other shows)

The US networks always seem to have an on screen dog from what I have seen, even on SD channels.

Schnable · 17/04/12 - 17:25

mersey70 wrote: »

Maybe HD is now being considered more mainstream, I note that ITV1 don't tend to mention 'HD' in programme trails very often now and likewise BBC One don't seem to always make such a point of it either although it is still mentioned more than on ITV.

I don't think C4 and C5 have ever mentioned HD in their trails.

Well with the digital switchover happening this year with most having only a few months left it they haven't switched already, the free HD channels will be on Freeviewer for the first time for many more people.

So if it wasn't mainstream before, it will be very soon.

Just a shame that BBC1HD still isn't regional and so having to watch a Red testcard during those programmes is off putting and VERY unprofessional.

mersey70 · 17/04/12 - 17:28

Schnable wrote: »

Well with the digital switchover happening this year with most having only a few months left it they haven't switched already, the free HD channels will be on Freeviewer for the first time for many more people.

So if it wasn't mainstream before, it will be very soon.

Just a shame that BBC1HD still isn't regional and so having to watch a Red testcard during those programmes is off putting and VERY unprofessional.

Very prudent to my mind particularly when most regional newsrooms are not HD equipped anyway. Imagine how much 18 or so HD versions of BBC One would cost to broadcast on Freesat/Sky? The only reason ITV have 4 HD versions of ITV1 is for targetted advertising, none of the local news programmes are broadcast in native HD.

I believe there are plans for the nations to have their own HD versions of BBC One which seems a reasonable compromise to me.

Hey there!

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BBC One HD losing D.O.G. over past few days

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