Silly sound error on Channel 4 HD, silly picture error on BBC

Yesterday evening I watched the film 'The Lovely Bones', recorded from
Ch 4HD a few nights earlier. High definition, with a Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack.

Part way through, the indicator on my Yamaha home cinema amp dropped
from 5.1 to 2 channels - what we were getting was the left and right
channels only, no centre channel - and hence no dialogue. Sometimes you
could just hear a little acoustic on the dialogue, but it wasn't
intelligible: the voicoever narration alone was clear because it was
evidently on both L and R for dramatic effect. Fortunately I was able to
turn subtitles on.

This state of affairs went on for around 20 minutes until the next
commercial break and was rectified after that.

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

On 29/07/2011 11:38, Roger Wilmut wrote:
(snip)
Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Only voicemail...

--

Jeff

On 29/07/2011 11:38, Roger Wilmut wrote:
Yesterday evening I watched the film 'The Lovely Bones', recorded from
Ch 4HD a few nights earlier. High definition, with a Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack.

Part way through, the indicator on my Yamaha home cinema amp dropped
from 5.1 to 2 channels - what we were getting was the left and right
channels only, no centre channel - and hence no dialogue. Sometimes you
could just hear a little acoustic on the dialogue, but it wasn't
intelligible: the voicoever narration alone was clear because it was
evidently on both L and R for dramatic effect. Fortunately I was able to
turn subtitles on.

This state of affairs went on for around 20 minutes until the next
commercial break and was rectified after that.

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Sadly, the C4HD thing is not new. It's happened to me several times,
always on films and always fixed at an ad. break boundary.

Is does make you wonder why C4 goes to the trouble of sorting-out 5.1
audio then f*ck it up.

Sigh.


Clem

No, they are all down the pub. Like I said the other day with weird echos
on some content in news, and out of sync AD to just daft repeats of
episodes only on the day before billed as new ones. I don't think anyone
checks anything at all.

Brian

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Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Roger Wilmut" wrote in message
...
Yesterday evening I watched the film 'The Lovely Bones', recorded from
Ch 4HD a few nights earlier. High definition, with a Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack.

Part way through, the indicator on my Yamaha home cinema amp dropped
from 5.1 to 2 channels - what we were getting was the left and right
channels only, no centre channel - and hence no dialogue. Sometimes you
could just hear a little acoustic on the dialogue, but it wasn't
intelligible: the voicoever narration alone was clear because it was
evidently on both L and R for dramatic effect. Fortunately I was able to
turn subtitles on.

This state of affairs went on for around 20 minutes until the next
commercial break and was rectified after that.

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

On 29 Jul., 12:49, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 29/07/2011 11:38, Roger Wilmut wrote:
(snip)

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Only voicemail...

--

Jeff

test

On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:38:44 +0100, Roger Wilmut
wrote:

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

A similar thing happened this afternoon - got a postage stamp with black
borders all round. It switched half way through.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Are you deranged? Of course they don't.

In message , Paul Ratcliffe
writes
On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:38:44 +0100, Roger Wilmut
wrote:

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

A similar thing happened this afternoon - got a postage stamp with black
borders all round. It switched half way through.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Are you deranged? Of course they don't.

There was quite an amusing cock-up tonight.

About 15 mins into New Tricks, we were suddenly presented with the first
ten seconds or so of the opening titles from Eastenders.
--
Ian

"Ian" wrote in message ...

In message , Paul Ratcliffe
writes
On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:38:44 +0100, Roger Wilmut

wrote:

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

A similar thing happened this afternoon - got a postage stamp with black
borders all round. It switched half way through.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Are you deranged? Of course they don't.

There was quite an amusing cock-up tonight.

About 15 mins into New Tricks, we were suddenly presented with the first
ten seconds or so of the opening titles from Eastenders.
--
Ian


Just out of curiosity I have checked on a recording I made yesterday evening
of "New Tricks" on BBC 1 Scotland. There was no interruption around the time
you mention.

Alaric

On Tue, 2 Aug 2011 08:58:33 +0100, "Alaric"
wrote:

Just out of curiosity I have checked on a recording I made yesterday evening
of "New Tricks" on BBC 1 Scotland. There was no interruption around the time
you mention.

It appeared on BBC1 HD.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
By Loch Long, twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

On Tue, 2 Aug 2011 08:58:33 +0100, "Alaric"
wrote:



"Ian" wrote in message ...

In message , Paul Ratcliffe
writes
On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:38:44 +0100, Roger Wilmut

wrote:

It's not the only recent stupidity: a friend was trying to watch 'Only
Fools and Horses' on BBC, on a 4x3 analogue set. What he got was a
squashed almost square picture with black bars each side - the '4x3 in
16x9' version which would be on the hi-def channel if applicable (not
sure which channel this was on). This apparently went on for the entire
transmission.

A similar thing happened this afternoon - got a postage stamp with black
borders all round. It switched half way through.

Doesn't anybody monitor _anything_ these days?

Are you deranged? Of course they don't.

There was quite an amusing cock-up tonight.

About 15 mins into New Tricks, we were suddenly presented with the first
ten seconds or so of the opening titles from Eastenders.

I watched new tricks "live" and did not see this problem. (BBC
Midlands).

And I wouldn't have described this cock-up amusing either.
But I'm sure I recall the opening titles of Eastenders being injected
into a programme a few months back.
--
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