BBC Red button - Winter Olympics

Manxman_in_exile

DoaM wrote: »

So? It's obvious the Beeb feel that the cost of adding a +1 channel (which channel do they choose for +1? Or do they +1 all 4 channels? Then what about Cbeebies and CBBC?) is not worth it given they already have Red Button channels* and Iplayer.

* I'm not getting drawn into the main argument of this thread. I agree with the main thrust of it.

PS - one of the GB curling men comes from my town.

Thank you.


Just to emphasise I'm not complaining about the commentators - it's the stupid editorial decisions about what to broadcast when and where that really P me off.

Manxman_in_exile

DoaM wrote: »

So? It's obvious the Beeb feel that the cost of adding a +1 channel (which channel do they choose for +1? Or do they +1 all 4 channels? Then what about Cbeebies and CBBC?) is not worth it given they already have Red Button channels* and Iplayer.

* I'm not getting drawn into the main argument of this thread. I agree with the main thrust of it.

PS - one of the GB curling men comes from my town.

Brilliant! I enjoy the curling but would prefer to see the bob.


Does sitting next to Mark Cavendish's dad at school beat a curler from your home town?

lammy82

The answer to the question is that the BBC actually only has one stream available on the red button, so nothing is being wasted. They have set it up so you can switch between the 'additional' stream and the output on the main BBC channel via the red button menu.

Manxman_in_exile

lammy82 wrote: »

The answer to the question is that the BBC actually only has one stream available on the red button, so nothing is being wasted. They have set it up so you can switch between the 'additional' stream and the output on the main BBC channel via the red button menu.

I'm probably being thick but I don't understand your post. How does this explain why the BBC show the same output on the red button as they do on BBC1 (or BBC2 depending on which they are using at the time)?


Surely the whole point of the red button is to enable the BBC to show something different from what is on BBC1 and BBC2 - not the same thing?


If I am being thick, please explain in words of one syllable so that even I can understand your point...

lammy82

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

I'm probably being thick but I don't understand your post. How does this explain why the BBC show the same output on the red button as they do on BBC1 (or BBC2 depending on which they are using at the time)?


Surely the whole point of the red button is to enable the BBC to show something different from what is on BBC1 and BBC2 - not the same thing?


If I am being thick, please explain in words of one syllable so that even I can understand your point...

Sorry! They DO sometimes show something different, but when the extra bandwidth is not available the system just replicates the main BBC channel output.

Manxman_in_exile

lammy82 wrote: »

Sorry! They DO sometimes show something different, but when the extra bandwidth is not available the system just replicates the main BBC channel output.

I don't think that addresses my original question - which I now realise was badly expressed. My real complaint is not that the red button shows the same as the main channel, but that the main channel shows the same as the red button. (To me these are subtly different).


For example, yesterday and today we had curling coverage on the red button. On the main channel we were told to expect bobsleigh coverage at such and such a time. Then we suddenly have curling coverage on the main channel simultaneously with the red button and running into the bobsleigh event time. And then, as I predicted in an earlier post, we suddenly get sufficient "bandwidth" available just before the British competitor goes in the bob! What a miraculous coincidence that the bandwidth should suddenly be there rather than it be a stupid editorial decision!


This only seems to happen with major sporting competitions where GB competitors are on the red button and the BBC then decides (it seems to me) to share it on the main channel too. It drives me mad!


Also from my observations the red button doesn't "sometimes" show something different from the main channel - it always does except for the sort of examples I'm complaining about. I'm stupid enough to watch a lot of TV and I always check to see what's on the red button - it's always different from the main channel. (EDIT: and it's usually some awful festival or concert that they show over and over and over in a loop that goes on for millennia).


I don't think the problem here is to do with bandwidth - it's poor BBC decision making.


EDIT: And at Wimbledon I don't recall them duplicating coverage on the red button and either main channel (unless it involves a GB competitor!). I can't believe it's a bandwidth issue as I can't believe the BBC are clever enough to juggle all the events depending on what's available. I can imagine the discussions: "Oh no - we're losing bandwidth - we'll have to duplicate the red button coverage on the main channel. Oh thank God - we've miraculously just found some more bandwidth to show the GB competitors! Switch everything back!"

Manxman_in_exile

lammy82 wrote: »

Sorry! They DO sometimes show something different, but when the extra bandwidth is not available the system just replicates the main BBC channel output.

Just to continue my rant! (And sorry lammy - I'm not having a go at you personally).


Today I was switching between the main channel and red button every minute or so trying to find the bobsleigh. Both channels were covering the curling but I don't think the broadcasts were identical. So far as I recall the red button stayed in the curling rink but the main channel occasionally cut back to Clare Balding in the studio. So I think both channels were covering the same event, but one channel was not replicating the other.


Anyway - have given up on the beeb for tonight and have enjoyed watching The Winslow Boy and now Odd Man Out on TalkingPictures.

missile

My gripe is the number of commentators BBC sent to cover the games. Do we really need all those. The money would be better spent providing support for our lady bob sleigh team.

PLYSU

missile wrote: »

My gripe is the number of commentators BBC sent to cover the games. Do we really need all those. The money would be better spent providing support for our lady bob sleigh team.

No I disagree. The commentators do a great job. There will be a considerable number of them jetting off to Portugal shortly for a song contest.

Manxman_in_exile

missile wrote: »

My gripe is the number of commentators BBC sent to cover the games. Do we really need all those. The money would be better spent providing support for our lady bob sleigh team.

I agree that the BBC usually send far too many commentators away. In the cricket for instance, they've got a Test Match Special team there, but they still need an additional reporter for Radio 5!


To be fair to them though, for this years Winter Olympics the studio seems to be based in Salford. For Soichi in 2014 I seem to recall they flew over Clare Balding and a whole studio team.


Also, I'm not always a great fan of BBC commentary teams, but I think they've done really well this year. The commentary has been great - it's the editorial decisions as to what to cover that I disagree with.


I don't expect good coverage of the women's bob event! (Unless the beeb assume they'll be cheaper than the men!)


ETA: And thanks for the link to the women's team. I remember seeing the pair having a horrible crash a few weeks ago in Germany.