First bulletin of the day...mostly given over to public transport problems. Amazingly this information is conveyed without on the spot pictures and in less than a thousand words.
Now for road traffic new....first up that old favourite the Blackwell Tunnel with pictures BUT wait a minute it's not the traffic but a shot of roof tops with the horizon in the distance. :rolleyes:
Saw it, and knew you'd remark on it. The camera did show the queue and incident in the bottom right hand corner. Perhaps the CCTV operator wasn't accomplished at giving you the desired framing, but the traffic was there to be seen. And it was helpful as well, to see how bad the queue actually was ie. traffic was stationary and not free-moving.
Saw it, and knew you'd remark on it. The camera did show the queue and incident in the bottom right hand corner. Perhaps the CCTV operator wasn't accomplished at giving you the desired framing, but the traffic was there to be seen. And it was helpful as well, to see how bad the queue actually was ie. traffic was stationary and not free-moving.
The presenter herself said the shot wasn't looking at the scene, I can assure you I don't write what they say.
Re the stationary traffic was it any different to any other days, how do you know it wasn't merely traffic waiting for traffic lights to change?
Quite often they'll refer to hold ups at the Hogarth roundabout, and cut to a camera showing a tailback BUT it's the normal build up of vehicles waiting at the traffic lights.
Well if Murphster 86 is still reading this thread today was pretty much faultless. If you are still here can you comment on my theory (I'm as non techyas you can get) that changing camera every 10 seconds, rather than every 5, seems to cure the annoying blank screen problem. It almost feels that if you try to do too much (5 cameras in 30 seconds) it can't keep up, but leave each camera for 10 seconds, and no problem.
Well if Murphster 86 is still reading this thread today was pretty much faultless. If you are still here can you comment on my theory (I'm as non techyas you can get) that changing camera every 10 seconds, rather than every 5, seems to cure the annoying blank screen problem. It almost feels that if you try to do too much (5 cameras in 30 seconds) it can't keep up, but leave each camera for 10 seconds, and no problem.
I wish I could give a comment, but the fact is I don't really know much about the technical side of the cameras. I'm sorry that i can't be of any more help. I can only offer my comment from a front line stand point, as for the technical stuff its all greek to me.
Well, this really is significantly better than in the past. I don't know how they have done it, but the change from camera to camera is almost instantaneous this week. There was a slight glitch at 7am, when the first attempt to change cameras resulted in the same camera coming back again (least it proves they haven't gone down the pre-record the traffic 5 minutes earler route)
First item was a burst water main in Stanmore, best dealt with first as a real incident (as opposed to sheer weight of traffic) but no camera available at that location. Fine, deal with that first, and then 'moving to the cameras....'
Tomorrow will be interesting. Can Wendy keep it up (as I say presenters decide what they are going to talk about, and what cameras to use) My impression is it goes wrong far more often for her than Kate. I wouldn't normally pay that much attention, and I have no intention of posting every day for ever and ever, just for this week only.
....Can Wendy keep it up (as I say presenters decide what they are going to talk about, and what cameras to use) My impression is it goes wrong far more often for her than Kate. I wouldn't normally pay that much attention, and I have no intention of posting every day for ever and ever, just for this week only.
Are you female and brunette who's jealously trying to present Wendy as a dumb blonde?
The 9:00 am bulletin indicated the first camera is previewed as they mixed to it rather than cut.
Mixing, like cutting, can be done without previewing the source. Though it does prove they *could* have more than one input from the cameras. You can use either bus of a vision mixer to do a straight cut (though I just switch between sources on the output bus if cutting, never bothering with the preview bus except for mixing and CSO). Though, as I said, the switching between cameras is more likely to be done at LT, probably with one of those small vision mixers used by things like wedding production companies. The operator won't care how the vision changed so long as it is changed.
When the cameras are chosen for broadcast they are obviously working (Not much point in choosing a duff camera to show on the telly). When it comes to broadcasting the images, we won't know until they are on screen whether they are working or not. I think it really comes down to luck.
As I commented earlier, cameras are always taken off the public feed when there is an "incident". One reason with accidents is that someone could recognise a close relative's car.
Sounds like some kind of primitive lock-out system used by LT, probably detects an "output" when that locked camera is put to air and then puts on the caption as it detects it's going to an open circuit. If so, the vision mixer wouldn't know until it's on the output.
The presenter or director (it's probable that they'll be on the same shift patterns) for some editions might contact LT beforehand to ask which ones are not available and then take note, prepare slides and autocues and not use those/ask LT not to put those to air. Others might just choose not to bother, maybe using the "they're old/bad quality cameras so the public will expect this" line.
Are you female and brunette who's jealously trying to present Wendy as a dumb blonde?
No, I'm Kate Kinsella's mum (not really!!!)
They seem to have done 'something' but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. The picture qualty on the travel cameras seems slightly different- I wouldn't say the pictues are better or worse, but it feels like they are doing something different, and it seems to have reduced the problems.
Well, this really is significantly better than in the past. I don't know how they have done it, but the change from camera to camera is almost instantaneous this week. There was a slight glitch at 7am, when the first attempt to change cameras resulted in the same camera coming back again (least it proves they haven't gone down the pre-record the traffic 5 minutes earler route)
First item was a burst water main in Stanmore, best dealt with first as a real incident (as opposed to sheer weight of traffic) but no camera available at that location. Fine, deal with that first, and then 'moving to the cameras....'
Tomorrow will be interesting. Can Wendy keep it up (as I say presenters decide what they are going to talk about, and what cameras to use) My impression is it goes wrong far more often for her than Kate. I wouldn't normally pay that much attention, and I have no intention of posting every day for ever and ever, just for this week only.
Don't knock our Wendy, or we will have to steal her back to Anglia !
Well, because of fog at Gatwick Airport, today was not a typical day, with no travel cameras for the runway, Therefore a little less traffic news although as predicted. There was 3 seconds of blank screen on the 7.30 bulletin. Only 2 cameras were used but as I say, it seems to be worse on Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully no fog at Gatwick tomorrow, so I can make a better judgement on my Wednesday/Thursdays are worse theory. Only 2 (rather than the normal 4 or 5 cameras) make it diificult to judge, as not a typical day.
I think the length of the blackholes is down to the technology.
The 7:58 bulletin had a road camera shot from Crawley followed by a road shot near City Airport. The Crawley shot was juddery and the black hole seemed no longer than Monday's & Tuesday's.
In addition they used my brilliant idea of cutting back to the presenter before smoothly switching, with no blackhole to a third traffic camera.
Bearing in mind, of course, that the operators of camera and tv studio have different priorities and work to their own schedules. Case in point ITV local news bulletin at 7.30 AM when Helen Austin, diverting from her planned script, to comment on a travel story already raised in the main local news, realised she wouldn't have time for the usual camera round-up and had to 'cut' hurriedly to the weather. In the circumstances, given that a 2-minute burst of TV is probably not the first thing in mind when those who control the camera are covering a major incident, the fact that ITV and the BBC staff, connected to the system with only a little 'clicker' similar to that used by weather presenters manage to provide the service is something we shouldn't quibble about too much.
Missed the 6.30 & 7.00 this morning, but the three I did see weren't too bad. They've definately done 'something' to make it less bad. It will never be perfect, but I think last week was so bad with practically every bulletin looking embrassingly amateurish, which is obviously what prompted i4u to start this thread, so they had to do something to improve matters.. Unless something spectacularly goes wrong tomorrow, I won't post on this thread again!
As ever BBC London only concentrates on what happens inside and on the M25 and seems unaware of the millions of people served by CP who are outside the motorway.In deepest Berkshire there are plenty of traffic cameras but we never see them or hear of travel problems west of Heathrow.
8:30 Presenter introduces first traffic cam by saying it's not very helpful, but they insist on cutting to a camera looking at a railway bridge rather than the traffic.
Cut to next camera...lengthy blackhole, just as presenter is about to give up, the camera shot appears for a fleeting moment only to fall back down into a black hole.
At least two more traffic cameras are used, both precceeded by black holes which must put doubt into the presenter's mind and cause undue worry.
The images may come down one 'data stream' but I don't accept there wouldn't be a preview monitor in the gallery. I don't think there's ever been a cut between traffic cameras without a blackhole, surely it makes sense to cut out these black holes and stuttering by cutting back to the presenter between cameras.
As I've stated before I don't see what the cameras add to the story, for example the shots of the Blackwell Tunnel when a fire apparently casued significant additional jams were no different to yesterday's shot of Blackwall Tunnel's regular traffic jam.
:As the presenter this morning remarked ''There are always queues at the Blackwall Tunnel'' one wonders about the value of showing what is effectively the same picture every morning:eek:
There is no preview monitor in the gallery. Like I said previously, the gallery/presenter won't know the camera isn't working/flickering until it is on the screen.
Of course its not ideal, but the hardware supplied by TFL doesn't allow for the addition of fancy transitions and effects. Cutting back to the presenter for all of a second would be pointless and make the whole thing look rather busy (in my opinion).
The cameras could be pre-recorded, but that wouldn't be an accurate representation of the current situation. With the BBC always under close scrutiny, i'm sure as you are complaining now that the camera's are faulty, someone else would complain that they are pre-recorded. So it seems like the BBC can't win.
Also, addressing the lack of County-cameras on the bulletins. You single out Berkshire, but there are also plenty of accessible cameras in Kent, Essex, Surrey & Buckinghamshire. I'm sure if the situation warranted (i.e a major London-bound motorway closure during breakfast) then the camera would be used if available. It's not possible to serve every county that borders London in the short time available every bulletin. The stories and cameras are chosen based on the busiest routes and the biggest story at the time, whether that is public transport, Blackwall tunnel, A4, M25 etc.
who would have ever thought that a 30 second slot on a regional opt out would provoke such debate and discussion.
I just do radio travel, the choice of news stories isn't upto me.
I'm all for covering stories outside of the M25 if they are worth covering. But as a viewer in London, I wan't to hear about whats happening in the capital. Viewers often aren't bothered with whats happening outside the M25 (as sad as it is)
By all means feed back your opinions to the editors and those who make the decisions, its only through that kind of feedback that changes are made.
My recollection is that the London region was originally called South East but there is now a separate south east region so BBC London seems to think it only serves inside the M25. There are many,many people who live outside the M25 and are not interested in events within it. The programme should provide a balanced view rather than just ignore huge numbers of licence payers.
Comments
Saw it, and knew you'd remark on it. The camera did show the queue and incident in the bottom right hand corner. Perhaps the CCTV operator wasn't accomplished at giving you the desired framing, but the traffic was there to be seen. And it was helpful as well, to see how bad the queue actually was ie. traffic was stationary and not free-moving.
The presenter herself said the shot wasn't looking at the scene, I can assure you I don't write what they say.
Re the stationary traffic was it any different to any other days, how do you know it wasn't merely traffic waiting for traffic lights to change?
Quite often they'll refer to hold ups at the Hogarth roundabout, and cut to a camera showing a tailback BUT it's the normal build up of vehicles waiting at the traffic lights.
Er,yes they have.......that would be murphster86 who posted earlier!
There are things which can only be conveyed in words that pictures cannot convey.
And vice versa.
I wish I could give a comment, but the fact is I don't really know much about the technical side of the cameras. I'm sorry that i can't be of any more help. I can only offer my comment from a front line stand point, as for the technical stuff its all greek to me.
First item was a burst water main in Stanmore, best dealt with first as a real incident (as opposed to sheer weight of traffic) but no camera available at that location. Fine, deal with that first, and then 'moving to the cameras....'
Tomorrow will be interesting. Can Wendy keep it up (as I say presenters decide what they are going to talk about, and what cameras to use) My impression is it goes wrong far more often for her than Kate. I wouldn't normally pay that much attention, and I have no intention of posting every day for ever and ever, just for this week only.
The 9:00 am bulletin indicated the first camera is previewed as they mixed to it rather than cut.
Why don't they cut back to the presenter between cameras and thus avoid the black holes and missing cameras?
Are you female and brunette who's jealously trying to present Wendy as a dumb blonde?
Mixing, like cutting, can be done without previewing the source. Though it does prove they *could* have more than one input from the cameras. You can use either bus of a vision mixer to do a straight cut (though I just switch between sources on the output bus if cutting, never bothering with the preview bus except for mixing and CSO). Though, as I said, the switching between cameras is more likely to be done at LT, probably with one of those small vision mixers used by things like wedding production companies. The operator won't care how the vision changed so long as it is changed.
Because it's still unlikely that they'll see them on any monitor until called up?
And as Lundavra has already said:
Sounds like some kind of primitive lock-out system used by LT, probably detects an "output" when that locked camera is put to air and then puts on the caption as it detects it's going to an open circuit. If so, the vision mixer wouldn't know until it's on the output.
The presenter or director (it's probable that they'll be on the same shift patterns) for some editions might contact LT beforehand to ask which ones are not available and then take note, prepare slides and autocues and not use those/ask LT not to put those to air. Others might just choose not to bother, maybe using the "they're old/bad quality cameras so the public will expect this" line.
No, I'm Kate Kinsella's mum (not really!!!)
They seem to have done 'something' but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. The picture qualty on the travel cameras seems slightly different- I wouldn't say the pictues are better or worse, but it feels like they are doing something different, and it seems to have reduced the problems.
Don't knock our Wendy, or we will have to steal her back to Anglia !
The 7:58 bulletin had a road camera shot from Crawley followed by a road shot near City Airport. The Crawley shot was juddery and the black hole seemed no longer than Monday's & Tuesday's.
In addition they used my brilliant idea of cutting back to the presenter before smoothly switching, with no blackhole to a third traffic camera.
Cut to next camera...lengthy blackhole, just as presenter is about to give up, the camera shot appears for a fleeting moment only to fall back down into a black hole.
At least two more traffic cameras are used, both precceeded by black holes which must put doubt into the presenter's mind and cause undue worry.
The images may come down one 'data stream' but I don't accept there wouldn't be a preview monitor in the gallery. I don't think there's ever been a cut between traffic cameras without a blackhole, surely it makes sense to cut out these black holes and stuttering by cutting back to the presenter between cameras.
As I've stated before I don't see what the cameras add to the story, for example the shots of the Blackwell Tunnel when a fire apparently casued significant additional jams were no different to yesterday's shot of Blackwall Tunnel's regular traffic jam.
.
Of course its not ideal, but the hardware supplied by TFL doesn't allow for the addition of fancy transitions and effects. Cutting back to the presenter for all of a second would be pointless and make the whole thing look rather busy (in my opinion).
The cameras could be pre-recorded, but that wouldn't be an accurate representation of the current situation. With the BBC always under close scrutiny, i'm sure as you are complaining now that the camera's are faulty, someone else would complain that they are pre-recorded. So it seems like the BBC can't win.
Also, addressing the lack of County-cameras on the bulletins. You single out Berkshire, but there are also plenty of accessible cameras in Kent, Essex, Surrey & Buckinghamshire. I'm sure if the situation warranted (i.e a major London-bound motorway closure during breakfast) then the camera would be used if available. It's not possible to serve every county that borders London in the short time available every bulletin. The stories and cameras are chosen based on the busiest routes and the biggest story at the time, whether that is public transport, Blackwall tunnel, A4, M25 etc.
who would have ever thought that a 30 second slot on a regional opt out would provoke such debate and discussion.
Do you think the BBC London regional bulletin should be reporting the A9 closure today?
I'm all for covering stories outside of the M25 if they are worth covering. But as a viewer in London, I wan't to hear about whats happening in the capital. Viewers often aren't bothered with whats happening outside the M25 (as sad as it is)
By all means feed back your opinions to the editors and those who make the decisions, its only through that kind of feedback that changes are made.
Believe me, it certainly isn't that uncommon. Too many feeds for a mixer with not enough monitor outputs - it's a no brainer really.