[Tech1] Coronation sound coverage

Sun May 7 03:21:57 CDT 2023

Hi Mike,
I am sure someone would have reported it, but once you know what's causing it what do you do?

At what point do you decide to abandon the 5.1 surround sound in favour of better stereo. (Assuming you have worked out that's the issue)

I reconised it because I have come across it before, but it's quite uncommon, so how many engineers could guess the source of the issue correctly?

I was working on Spanish football yesterday, so not involved in the Abbey)

Paul Thackray

PGT Media Consulting Ltd.

+44 7802 243979

Mail; paul at pgtmedia.co.uk

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  Original Message  

From: tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk
Sent: 7 May 2023 08:25
To: tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk
Reply to: mibridge at mac.com
Subject: Re: [Tech1] Coronation sound coverage

The IPS forum has a post from Dave Liquorice
that several newspaper sites have this quote about the drop outs:

A BBC Spokesperson said: “We apologise that some viewers experienced  intermittent sound drop-out during The Coronation broadcast on BBC One.  This was due to an audio conversion issue from 5:1 surround sound to stereo that affected certain distribution services for the channel.”

Still pretty shocking that it goes unnoticed by the broadcaster - there must be an AI solution to the problem of monitoring output compared to input.

Mike G

> On 7 May 2023, at 07:50, Graeme Wall via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
> I was watching HD off Crystal Palace and didn’t notice any break up. Did notice that Huw Edwards mentioned the Abbey bells ringing twice before we actully heard them when the king was leaving at the end.
>
>
>> On 6 May 2023, at 23:34, Geoffrey Hawkes via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>> Hi Paul,
>> Thanks for that information but being simple minded myself, most of the technical stuff goes over my head. I thought stereo was just two channels, left and right but with the more sophisticated surround sound that I suppose home cinema viewers will be using nowadays (if that’s what you mean by 5.1) it requires more than that.
>> We watch in HD on a modest 32inch screen in our fairly small living room with a Bose Sound Bar providing adequate picture and sound quality for our enjoyment. I thought of switching to SD when the break up of sound was proving annoying but didn’t think it would help if the sound feed was the same, not realising it wasn’t.
>> I am amazed that for a Grade 1 broadcast, assuming that category still exists, that no-one was monitoring with a receiver to check that all was well, rather than adopting the attitude that, “It’s alright leaving us.”
>> I don’t know if any of the international viewers were affected but if so, it wasn’t the best advert for us as a world leader in Television production and technical quality, or has our crown already been lost in that respect?
>> Geoff
>>> On 6 May 2023, at 21:01, Paul Thackray <paul at pgtmedia.co.uk> wrote:
>>> Hi Geoff,
>>> Unfortunately , these days there are times when no one is listening in TX ! (Its just a play-out director & live announcer (Peak times only) )
>>> Engineering is shared across a multitude of channels and different broadcasters.  Nothing like QC exists as far as I know.
>>> The other problem is quite a lot of different ‘versions’ of each feed. This is especially true if 5.1 surround sound is involved. On  a 5.1 sound show, the stereo on Sky, Freesat and VirginMedia is mixed down from the 5.1 in your Sky/Freeview/ Virgin home box. Freeview, SD Sky  and IPlayer is likely the stereo that leaves RedBee (TX) – as a result more people are listening to the mix down of 5.1 for stereo than the true stereo (Which is what TX listen to) – If the 5.1 is missing, but the show is flagged as 5.1, The SKY HD & VirginMedia viewers will hear silence on the Stereo , but RedBee (TX) will be listening to good stereo leaving them…. Its an absolute mine field (Bring back the days of simple!)
>>> Multiply this by a pile of different English regions and the Nations and soon becomes an issue of , when someone complains, you need to know what and how they are viewing and listening to try and track down where the issue might be.  Paul
>>> Paul Thackray
>>> PGT Media Consulting Ltd.
>>> 07802 243979
>>> Mail; paul at pgtmedia.co.uk
>>> Web; http://www.pgtmedia.co.uk
>>> Linkedin;   http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/paul-thackray/19/379/746
>>> IMDB; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1488554/
>>> From: Tech1 <tech1-bounces at tech-ops.co.uk> On Behalf Of Geoffrey Hawkes via Tech1
>>> Sent: 06 May 2023 18:27
>>> To: Hugh Snape <hughsnape at talktalk.net>
>>> Cc: tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk
>>> Subject: Re: [Tech1] Coronation sound coverage
>>> I wonder if anyone watching in Quality Check, if there is still such a thing at the BBC as there was on the fifth floor in the Pres area at TC in its halcyon days of John Palmer, Fred Smith, Trevor Betham, Algie Hales, Mick Puddick, Don Southgate, John Poslethwaite, and co?
>>> Geoff
>>> On 6 May 2023, at 18:13, Hugh Snape via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>> Yes, I watched SD via Freeview and heard no break up.
>>> Hugh
>>> On 6 May 2023, at 17:04, Mike Giles via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>> We were watching in Dorking from just before ten, on SD from the Mickleham transmitter, with no break-up that I was aware of, and it was on quite loud. But our daughter did say that she had tried HD before we arrived and gave up on it because of break-up, which she attributed to the weather which she says often makes their HD suffer.
>>> I think it was Clare Balding who said that all the bass drummers had earpieces with a countdown, so that they all moved off together, which was certainly the case.
>>> Mike G
>>> On 6 May 2023, at 14:31, Nick Rodger via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>> According to Clare Balding’s co~comm all the bass drummers were on some kind of talk~back.
>>> Did anyone notice some occasional minor sound break~up on BBC1, or was it my tv.
>>> Nick.
>>> Nick Rodger
>>> Cameraman (Retired)
>>> 07971 007578
>>> nickrodger at mac.com
>>> Don’t blame me!!
>>> I voted Remain 😥😥          On 6 May 2023, at 14:20, John Nottage via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>> I've just watched a lot of the Coronation. I haven't seen any of the pre Abbey stuff, but when they came out & the bands & marching all started together - gosh. Did I get it right: the band masters(?) & drummers for all the bands were all on the same cue track? That meant whoever was doing the sound could mix between bands without a change of rhythm; a big improvement on the usual overlapping drum beats. As for the stuff on the back lawn: excellent. The "3 cheers" was spectacular & moving. Terrific coverage. Very well done. Anyone know who did it?
>>> John Nottage
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>
> —
> Graeme Wall
>
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