RTE Goes Widescreen from Sunday

spockety

RTÉ Television

RTÉ brings W I D E S C R E E N to The Sunday Game

GAA lovers can enjoy their matches in widescreen from
this Sunday, when RTÉ's Sunday Game Live and The Sunday
Game will be broadcast in the 16:9 format on RTÉ Two.

Part of a phased introduction of widescreen production
and transmission by RTÉ, the public service broadcaster
plans to have all RTÉ-originated and commissioned
material broadcast in widescreen by the year-end.

John Hunt, Director of Operations, RTÉ, who is heading
up the project, said: "Widescreen adds great value to
sports production and we are delighted to be able to
bring GAA coverage to the viewer in the this format
from Sunday. It will enhance the viewing experience for
sports fans. Broadcasters throughout Europe have been
moving towards widescreen production and transmission
over the past decade. Many of our competitors - the BBC
and UTV, for example - are already transmitting
widescreen and it is important that RTÉ maintains and
consolidates its competitive position."

Widescreen pictures are shown in a way that widens the
viewing angle so that it more closely matches the
natural human visual field. The vast majority of new
programmes purchased by RTÉ are made in widescreen, as
are all advertisements. The format is particularly
relevant to movies as they can be viewed more closely
to their full video resolution so improving the
experience for the viewer.

Initially, the true widescreen picture will only be
available to viewers on Sky Digital who have a
widescreen set. It is expected that other digital
platforms will follow suit shortly. Viewers using the
terrestrial analogue service provided by RTÉNL (RTÉ
Network Ltd) will receive their pictures in a
compromise format, which means that their picture will
be framed by a small amount of black at the top and
bottom of the screen. As the project evolves, and more
and more programmes are produced in the widescreen
format, the output will always be protected for non-
widescreen television viewers.

The traditional television picture in Ireland has been
displayed in a 4:3 ratio - which reflects the
horizontal and vertical characteristics of the picture.
True widescreen is in a 16:9 format, but the protected
format seen on non-Sky Digital receivers will be in
14:9. These formats allow all viewers, including those
with 4:3 sets, to continue to receive and enjoy all of
RTE’s television services.


Issued: Friday 13 May, 2005

Further information: XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, Communications
Manager, RTÉ TV,
t: XXXXXXXXX; m: XXXXXXXXX

icdg

Would be nice if RTE Public Affairs could put press releases up on the website - alas, the relevant section hasn't been updated in two months...

formatman

cool , now if they could sack their deaf live tv sound engineers you would have good picture and sound

beller b

Thats great ! now we can watch crap repeats in wide screen i'm going out to buy a plasma !!!!

Round Cable

The first 5 minutes were broadcast on analouge and NTL digital in anamorphic widescreen, until they coped it, it back to 14:9 :mad:

Mossy Monk

looking good

Skyuser

is RTE TWO widescreen now, the score on the top left looks a bit further out. It kinda looks widescreen but when I press the info button there is no 'W' on it.

Mossy Monk

it is definately widescreen

check it against analogue to see the difference

RTÉ havent been putting the W into the information bar at all

Stark

Round Cable wrote:

The first 5 minutes were broadcast on analouge and NTL digital in anamorphic widescreen, until they coped it, it back to 14:9 :mad:

For both analogue and digital? Balls.

DMC

One point of note, is the placement of the astons. They don't fit on the screen if you are watching on Sky Digital using 4:3 (like I was on the 14" in the kitchen.) You easily missed out on the first digit in the on screen scoreboard and clock.

Round Cable

It seems to be placed the same distance from the egde on 14:9 as it was on 4:3 previously. It looks fine in 14:9, but 4:3 must be bad, no doubt they'll fix it.

dlofnep

Maybe they letterboxed it? I dunno, I aint seen it yet.

It's about time they caught up with the rest of the world.

Telefís

Of course the real benefit of this project is that An Evening Prayer is now being made in glorious widescreen - eh, apparently....

Mossy Monk

wonderful

JohnC.

I don't watch very much on RTE, but now that I'm watching Lost on RTE2 (via NTL Digital), it is annoying that it is 14:9 instead of widescreen. Especially noticeable when credits are on screen.

Round Cable

All ads and promos have gone widescreen, notice the tiny DOG they use, if they used that one buried it in the corner, made it less bright, RTÉ would have one more viewer back, although I still think they should be dropped altogether.

Mossy Monk

any screen shots of this tiny DOG? is it being used during programming

celticfc

Mossy Monk wrote:

any screen shots of this tiny DOG? is it being used during programming

No, purely for the promos, although I have read something about The Den & RTÉ TWO DOG's beeing shifted about a little today (more towards the corners), not sure on that though...

I don't like the new widescreen "versions" of the RTÉ ONE idents. All they are is zoomed in version of the old ones FFS!, makes them look horrible.

Also, RTÉ Weather is now in widescreen, although they haven't made much use of a 4:3 safe area for the writing on the bottom right, you would miss at least a couple of the charactors in 4:3 crop mode.

Mossy Monk

of all the things to make widescreen

the blasted weather forecast. surely there are other things like the news etc. which could be done first

celticfc

Interesting e-mail posted up on the DS forums here.

Re: News & Current Affairs

Programmes being commissioned are now being specified for widescreen production. When the Autumn schedule commences in September most home produced programmes will be in widescreen and it is expected that News and Current affairs will convert to widescreen during the Autumn also.

Mossy Monk

so possibly next March then

Round Cable

Mossy Monk wrote:

any screen shots of this tiny DOG? is it being used during programming

No, just on ads, here's a screenshot.

celticfc

celticfc wrote:

Also, RTÉ Weather is now in widescreen, although they haven't made much use of a 4:3 safe area for the writing on the bottom right, you would miss at least a couple of the charactors in 4:3 crop mode.

This appears to be fixed today.....

Telefís

Thanks for those celticfc, but unfortunately it wasn't fixed!
Even in that 14:9 mode as above and on all analogue transmissions some of the terms such as 'Tomorrow Afternoon' barely scrape it into the frame.

Also what has to be resolved is the RTÉ weather DOG at the top which looks ridiculous stretching out so far into the frame.
And a final irritating point that can't really be resolved is the fact that now it's in 14:9, the text bar at the bottom is very high up in shot because it's accounting for the 16:9 safe area for the bottom of the screen, but with the black bar there plus the excess of the text bar, it looks misplaced

Mossy Monk

i am confused, there was 2 programmes the other night shown in 16:9 letterbox on Sky. why didnt they use widescreen on them?

sprinkles

Round Cable wrote:

No, just on ads, here's a screenshot.

7th Heaven............ :eek:

Telefís

Gulp - yes it's making its long-awaited return, what would Sunday evening be without it...

Better.

There's another nasty problem with the weather at the minute: there's a strange shimmering bar at the very top of the 'Summary Charsh' :rolleyes: in between the top of the graphic and the black bar. It's been there since the launch on Tuesday and has yet to be resolved.

Also for whatever reason the weather forcaster has taken to standing further left than usual to account for the extra bit of room available in shot - only they've moved too far over. Both yesterday and today Evelyn Cusack has half disappeared out of shot on numerous occasions.

BHG

when colour came in B&W set owners paid less as they got less, should 4:3 set owners get a discount licence as they see less now ? :-)

Im missing captions, like a persons name cropped when displayed to the left of screen. Whats the WS set ownership like v non WS. Im seeing SKy Digital on a 4:3 screen and terrestrial on another 4:3, the letter box option does not fix the cropping.

Why cant RTE leave terrestrial (analog) 4:3 and make digital 16:9 and not feck with 14:9

I also found this
http://www.irelandinformationguide.com/Television#TV_aspect_ratio

Round Cable

BHG wrote:

Why cant RTE leave terrestrial (analog) 4:3 and make digital 16:9 and not feck with 14:9

You're 100% correct 14:9 annoys both 4:3 and 16:9 owners, it should be either 4:3 or 16:9, 14:9 is a bad comprimise.

Telefís

But when you're making expensive drama, you've no choice but to shoot in 16:9 for future proofing. Is it possible to frame for 4:3 when using 16:9? If shooting in 16:9, there's little point in using the format if you can't take shots such as two-shots of people if you have to frame for 4:3.
But agreed that news, current affairs and general studio-based material should stay in 4:3 - but 14:9 for drama, film, documentary and 'lifestyle' or 'factual' programming I think is an acceptable solution. Which is why I think RTÉ News & Current Affairs should remain in 4:3 right up till the minute analogue is switched off, or at least until digital reaches a decent penetration level whenever it comes in.

Having all station idents, graphics and promos in 14:9 looks particularly bad, as does the weather which is more visually dependent than most. I also find it unfair that those who are paying a private company to watch RTÉ are those who are calling the shots for the rest of us on analogue.
The station should at least have the decency to stay 4:3 until they launch their own service.

A couple of shots here. An Evening Prayer graphic is exceptionally tight, not to mention off-centre:



Also announcement graphics like that above, or for the likes of the number to ring for tickets for Q&A etc are being horribly stretched for some reason on analogue, despite being in 14:9. Also a nasty shimmering line at the top there, just like the weather chart below, similar to what celticfc posted:

DMC

RTE wrote:

Is it possible to frame for 4:3 when using 16:9?

Yes, BBC's sport output is 4:3 on analogue, 16:9 if desired on digital.

RTE wrote:

Also announcement graphics like that above,

Pray, tell... what was the transmitter info? They have given up updating p530 on RTÉ 2 Aertel. :mad:

Mossy Monk

they stopped updating that ages ago :mad: it was handy when updated regularly

Telefís

Yes that was handy. It seems Aertel are gradually phasing out what they percieve to be 'niche services'

As for what the transmitter info was, I can't remember - was too mad at the skewed image and safe area transgression :mad:

Digger

Round Cable wrote:

You're 100% correct 14:9 annoys both 4:3 and 16:9 owners, it should be either 4:3 or 16:9, 14:9 is a bad comprimise.

14:9 is the accepted transmission standard on analogue networks throughout Europe. It is an excellent compromise. 4:3 from a 16:9 original just does not work.

JohnC.

Digger wrote:

14:9 is the accepted transmission standard on analogue networks throughout Europe. It is an excellent compromise. 4:3 from a 16:9 original just does not work.

I'd much prefer the black bars of a 16:9 picture on a 4:3 screen than the crap compromise of 14:9. All it does is draw my attention to the fact that it should be 16:9, but isn't.

Digger

Kahless wrote:

I'd much prefer the black bars of a 16:9 picture on a 4:3 screen than the crap compromise of 14:9. All it does is draw my attention to the fact that it should be 16:9, but isn't.

I actually agree with you. I was really talking about the average 4:3 punter out there on analogue. There are lots of them and they must be catered for. In time, I'm sure 14:9 will cease to exist.

JohnC.

Digger wrote:

I actually agree with you. I was really talking about the average 4:3 punter out there on analogue. There are lots of them and they must be catered for. In time, I'm sure 14:9 will cease to exist.

I am a 4:3 punter. But I agree that there are a lot who may complain about 16:9, but that is mainly because they don't understand what the story is.

I know someone who complained about DVDs because "they cut half the picture off." I had to explain that the opposite was the case.

I think people could do with some educating about widescreen Vs P&S/cropping. Then there would probably be even more demand for widescreen service.

Telefís

I personally don't see what all the fuss is about with widescreen - sure it's great as a format for drama and sport, put for the other half of day-to-day television production, particularly studio production I have always found 4:3 far superior.

For composing standard mid-shots, MCUs etc, the proportions of 4:3 are far better.
I hate the attitude - not necessarily here but in general - that all that is 16:9 is good, and all that is 4:3 is the work of the devil.
4:3 is especially attractive when viewed on a flat screen rather than a conventional tube which makes the picture look square.
The lightly rectangular shape is a very attractive format I think.

Feck 'human's natural viewing angle' - 4:3 can be just as good!

is_that_so

I've found this thread interesting but I am somewhat ignorant of the terminology and I am pretty sure that I am missing out on some of the more salient points. Is there a thread or a URL that sums up the usage of various ratios and what they mean?

CrowdedHouse

Can anyone tell me why my picture gets narrower when RTE is in widescreen.

It's a widescreen TV(Panasonic) I normally have aspect set to 16:9,but when RTE transmits in widescreen WIDE in large teltext type letters comes up for a second and then the pic narrows (something like 14:9)