***Official England v USA thread***

[Giraffe]

Given there is a small delay in the HD channel I can't help thinking the timing suggests one persons sabotage.

 

[dassie]

I have just sent an email to the complaining area of ITV: 'viewerservices@itv.com'
saying:

Dear ITV

Just a quick email to complain about your coverage this evening of the England vs USA football match on the ITV1 HD channel.

We were unable to see the only goal England scored in the game because some advert for Hyundai was shown instead, for about 20 seconds which, for us and for ITV, very unfortunately, coincided with England scoring their first World Cup goal of the campaign.

I know it was obviously a mistake, but when you’re broadcasting World Cup matches these mistakes really cannot be allowed to happen. Particularly on a channel (HD channel) that you’re putting a great deal of money into promoting – I understand that viewing was unaffected on the normal SD ITV1 channel - I wish I had been watching the game on that!

This mistake really ruined the whole game for myself and my family. I cannot tell you how disappointed I feel!

Disgusted of [add town].

Yours

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anyone feel free to email the same place showing your disgust, if you were watching on the ITV1 HD channel. Why can't all these games just be on the BBC where they know what they're doing?!!!

 

[Bry Nylon]

Thanks, but I know exactly how these things happen and who is responsible.

If I am watching ITV and the pictures suddenly stop, I blame ITV. I neither know nor do I care who they have sub-contracted the bit that gets the pictures from them to me to. That is their concern, not the viewers.

 

[clapham_gull]

Given there is a small delay in the HD channel I can't help thinking the timing suggests one persons sabotage.

I don't know the absolute detail of their transmission (not ITV's becuase they don't have one) but it will probably be an individuals error or basically a computer doing something it shouldn't have done.

When I say individuals error, not literally someone pressing the wrong button -but not spotting something in the playlist (as it's called) that shouldn't have been there.

It's a bit of an odd one, because unlike the error in the FA Cup it wouldn't have been a scheduled break.

If it is an individual I actually feel a but sorry for the person involved. It's a job right down the end of the food chain in TV industry and not given the status it used to have. Long hours for not the pay it deserves and as far from glamourous as it gets, stuck in a dark room watching loads of screens.

It's a hard job too. You are expected to concentrate for 12 hours monitoring something and waiting for something to go wrong. Unfortunately they take all the sh*t when something goes wrong, often the fault of someone else who knocked off at half past five many hours before.

If I am watching ITV and the pictures suddenly stop, I blame ITV. I neither know nor do I care who they have sub-contracted the bit that gets the pictures from them to me to. That is their concern, not the viewers.

And ITV expect you to do so. I'm trying to throw a bit of light on how these problems happen. It's exactly like a company sending you something, but the post office deciding to lose it. Of course the first point of contact is the supplier, but the reality is that if the post office have decided to lose it there is little they can do.

I'm not trying to defend ITV, personally (and from experience) you tend to get less problems if the whole thing is done by a single company. Unfortunately, like most things these days the reality is very very different.

 

[Gazwag]

Thanks, but I know exactly how these things happen and who is responsible. As I predicted earlier on, ITV would instantly apologise but throw little light on where the problem actually look place.

If you buy a bag of apples from Tesco's which, when you get home, are all rotten, who do you complain to Tesco's or the person who grew them

 

[dassie]

Completely agree Bry Nylon, and in addition - if a UK Hyundai ad comes on 3 minutes into the game, then obviously it's ITV's cock-up - the same game being shown in (for example) Italy at the same time would not have an advert coming on for Hyundai cars in English. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the international feed - the commercials are done on a country-by-country thing.

This all comes down to some person accidently pressing a button or something. A bit like Robert Green (although anyone can make a mistake and let's all give him the benefit of the doubt), sometimes it does come down to human error.

 

[clapham_gull]

If you buy a bag of apples from Tesco's which, when you get home, are all rotten, who do you complain to Tesco's or the person who grew them

Tesco obviously, but this is slightly different. It's a supply of a service in real time.

Again, not defending ITV - just commenting that the TV industry these days is as fractured as the railway industry for instance.

The fact that that most people aren't aware of and broadcasters choose to imply that it isn't doesn't get awat from the fact that it is.

Pissed me off too, because I was watching in HD, but dampened by the fact that I was listening to the commentry from the radio.

 

[clapham_gull]

This all comes down to some person accidently pressing a button or something.

Possibly, but unlikely.

 

[Giraffe]

It's always bloody ITV though. Government should insist all England games are on the BBC. No ads, no problems.

 

[clapham_gull]

It's always bloody ITV though. Government should insist all England games are on the BBC. No ads, no problems.

.. but they don't do their transmission either. It isn't the case at the moment, but it could very well be the case in the future that the same company are handling it.

If you were to make a request, make the request that it's all done in house.

 

[dassie]

OK Clapham Gull, unlikely perhaps, but it certainly is ITVs fault and no-one else's

In what way at all could it be a supplier's / cameraman's / anyone else's fault? As I have said before, the ad that interrupted the game is only shown in the UK. In other countries they may well show the same advert, but not in English.

ITV is the only channel in the UK to show World Cup games with adverts (which usually appear at the right time). So who else is to blame?

 

[clapham_gull]

OK Clapham Gull, unlikely perhaps, but it certainly is ITVs fault and no-one else's

In what way at all could it be a supplier's / cameraman's / anyone else's fault? As I have said before, the ad that interrupted the game is only shown in the UK. In other countries they may well show the same advert, but not in English.

ITV is the only channel in the UK to show World Cup games with adverts (which usually appear at the right time). So who else is to blame?

The live feed is fed to a company that handle ITV transmission, not ITV themselves. The company also have to handle adverts which are often regionally specific.

Sorry to bang home the point, but it's done by another company as are most channels these days.

That's the way it works these days.

The broadcaster wil supply a bunch or pre-recorded video and live feeds together with a playlist that dictates the order of stuff to another company. It's up to them to ensure it goes out correctly.

Of course ITV is there to take the blame and to ensure that things run smoothly, but at the end of the day the actual supply to your home is done by others.

It's like you deciding what records you want to play at your wedding, but hiring a DJ to play them out.

 

[dassie]

Quote:
Originally Posted by clapham_gull
Thanks, but I know exactly how these things happen and who is responsible.

If I am watching ITV and the pictures suddenly stop, I blame ITV. I neither know nor do I care who they have sub-contracted the bit that gets the pictures from them to me to. That is their concern, not the viewers.

OK, that's cool and understood, but if ITV choose to farm out their coverage for whatever reason then its their fault.

 

[clapham_gull]

Quote:
Originally Posted by clapham_gull
Thanks, but I know exactly how these things happen and who is responsible.

If I am watching ITV and the pictures suddenly stop, I blame ITV. I neither know nor do I care who they have sub-contracted the bit that gets the pictures from them to me to. That is their concern, not the viewers.

OK, that's cool and understood, but if ITV choose to farm out their coverage for whatever reason then its their fault.

You are right, it's entirely up to you who to blame. I'm telling throwing a bit of light on where it may have happened and where the actual problem took place and who made the mistake.

 

[Spider]

You are right, it's entirely up to you who to blame. I'm telling throwing a bit of light on where it may have happened and where the actual problem took place and who made the mistake.

And you've successfully failed to convince anyone that it's not ITVs fault!

 

[clapham_gull]

And you've successfully failed to convince anyone that it's not ITVs fault!

Not bothered to be honest, like most media industries the reality and the perception are miles apart.That's how they make their money.

 

[jazzy]

If I might add another question...

Who is responsible for showing multiple replays of tackles/saves/whatever when the match is back in play? Is this the South African producer/tv feed?
I lost count of the times we were still watching slow-motion replays and missing live action.

 

[dassie]

Registered User




Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 278 If I might add another question...

Who is responsible for showing multiple replays of tackles/saves/whatever when the match is back in play? Is this the South African producer/tv feed?
I lost count of the times we were still watching slow-motion replays and missing live action.
__________________
MVC FALMER(8),=C'BRIGHTON'

Yeah, that is a worldwide thing - all broadcasters get the same images from just one supplier, and then put their own commentary over the top.

 

[El Presidente]

It's a shame David Coleman is dead, because he would have had a FIELD DAY on 'What Happens Next' with this photo

 

[timbha]

It's a shame David Coleman is dead, because he would have had a FIELD DAY on 'What Happens Next' with this photo

ok the camera might lie, but that picture highlights so many gk errors, particularly the positioning of his hands (i wouldn't want him fielding on the boundary if i was bowling)