NICAM / Stereo programmes on the Beeb
Richard Jennings
they invented it), except "as an experiment". TP is stereo (actually,
the 2nd season has Dolby Surround information encoded in it as well -
the fly that buzzed around Lucy's head was fantastic). I'd say 50-75%
of *new* material is in stereo. If you listen closely (e.g. audience
noise), you'll find that even Wogan is...
Oddly, even though ST:TNG was in stereo in the US from day 1, it has
never been broadcast in stereo here. Ditto TP season 1 (except for the
pilot).
NB: "In stereo" here means there is a difference between L&R - the
NICAM carrier is broadcast all the time.
Hope This Helps,
richi. (Just 7 miles away in Wokingham, but this article will go all the
way over to the States and back...)
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Tim Steele
In article <19...@shlump.nac.dec.com> les...@leslie.dec.com (Andy o^o Leslie) writes:
> having just yesterday acquired my NICAM card for the Panasonic TV and fitted
> it, I turn to CEEFAX to discover that the BBC coyly don't say what's going to
> be in NICAM stereo or indeed NICAM mono. (From Crystal Palace that is,
> hannington is still boring old mono)
>
> Thus, although the stereo beacon is lit all the time, only infrequently are
> programmes in stereo. The M*A*S*H replacement on BBC2 at 9 was stereo for
> instance, as were parts of DEF II.
>
> So does anyone know where/if Auntie tells us about stereo programmes? At least
> ITV tell us!
>
> BTW: is Twin Peaks broadcast in stereo?
BBC NICAM is on Engineering Test at the moment; officially, the
service has not begun and there is no start date available.
ITV/C4 NICAM now reaches most of the country. Details are available
on ORACLE Engineering Pages for your local transmitter (ITV p297 I
think).
I have a fairly basic Ferguson 51G3 TV and FV37H video. The video
does teletext (with adapter fitted) and NICAM (piped through my HiFi)
so I don't have to upgrade the TV. One day I hope to get a larger TV
with no teletext, sound circuitry or tuner - in other words, just a
monitor with a SCART socket.
I remember when ITV/C4 were starting up NICAM from Sandy Heath last
year. Some days they would broadcast very poor quality sound on NICAM
and I had to switch over to standard sound; other times, they tried
out the MONO A/B modes (although the sound was normal stereo).
The aforementioned teletext page kept me up to date with the progress
of the engineering test period and announced when the service was
officially introduced.
Today's embarrassing question: why is it that although NICAM was
developed by the BBC and Ferguson, the BBC are the last to implement
it and Ferguson have to use Japanese technology to decode it?
Tim
Chris Dalton
The BBC's NICAM Stereo Sound service
will start in the autumn of 1991.
Ten main transmitters and their relays
will carry the service from that date.
They are:
BELMONT BLACK HILL
CRYSTAL PALACE EMLEY MOOR
MENDIP PONTOP PIKE
SANDY HEATH SUTTON COLDFIELD
WENVOE WINTER HILL
The other main transmitters will be
converted in due course.
I think the plans are for all transmitters to be converted by
late 1993.
Chris
Vidiot
<
<BTW: is Twin Peaks broadcast in stereo?
Twin Peaks is mastered in Stereo Surround sound.
--
harvard\ att!nicmad\ spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
rutgers/ decvax!nicmad/ INET:<@spool.cs.wisc.edu,@astroatc:brown@vidiot>
Chris Cooke
> Today's embarrassing question: why is it that although NICAM was
> developed by the BBC and Ferguson, the BBC are the last to implement
> it and Ferguson have to use Japanese technology to decode it?
>
> Tim
When a new BBC director-general was appointed a year or two ago,
he made big financial cuts and changes. One of these was to
postpone the introduction of NICAM for several years - it was
originally planned to be operational long before now.
The TV manufacturers and TV shops were furious - they'd invested
millions in stereo TVs and in the publicity for the just-about-to-be-
launched service. ITV was very pleased that it was suddenly able to
be first with NICAM - up until that point they'd been a bit
embarrassed by their later starting date.
--
-- Chris. c...@cs.ed.ac.uk (on Janet, c...@uk.ac.ed.cs)
"He's not the sort of chap you'd want to invite to dinner. Or even lunch."
Edward Heath on Saddam Hussein
Richard Jennings
speaking to the BBC's engineers, and they tell me that the tape has a
mono soundtrack. Even though the Beeb's service is "experimental",
everything sourced from Television Centre is wired for Stereo. In other
words, if the tape had stereo, we'd get stereo off air.
Rats. I hate Paramount.
richi.
Vidiot
<Further to my article about NICAM & ST:TNG being in mono, I've just been
<speaking to the BBC's engineers, and they tell me that the tape has a
<mono soundtrack. Even though the Beeb's service is "experimental",
<everything sourced from Television Centre is wired for Stereo. In other
<words, if the tape had stereo, we'd get stereo off air.
<
<Rats. I hate Paramount.
God, how stupid can the NTSC to PAL conversion house be, taking a stereo tape
and making a mono PAL tape. All of the Paramount sub-master 1"C tapes
should be in stereo. Hell, the PAL VHS tapes that have been released are
in stereo, so a PAL stereo dup master was made.
The Beeb is getting screwed, therefore, so are the viewers.