I must admit, it is very bizarre indeed.
I'm surprised they're allowed to do it.
i liiiiike it, kinda makes my head go all wuzzy!
What's more, I didn't think this was *allowed*. I can see C4 getting kicked for this...
That's what I just said.
They no longer get a freeze frame of the product or whatever...very odd.
Something for the itc, methinks
I thinks they should go back to including the ATV whoosh symbol - twas cool.
C4 are probably just after more dosh. They are saying to the advertisers: "You want a nice pause for the customers to reflect upon your product? well make your ad shorter or pay for more airtime!"
actors will have to start freezing "police squad" style at the end of the ad :)
And while we're on the subject of adverts let me bring up that age old ,infuriated,cry of "Why do they always put the ads on louder than the programmes?".
I realise its usually a trick of the ears caused by a quiet moment in the film contrasted by a loud and annoying salesman, but just recently C5 have been taking the piss! - I can still hear that jingle echoing round my head now!! its not an advert as such its their 'film sponsored by' stella...or toyota... or something
I'm not sure which because I'm usually too busy scrabbling for the remote control, swearing at the telly and wondering if I woke up the old lady next door!
has anyone else noticed this?
I don't get Channel 5, but I do know the adverts are always louder.
Hmmm. Everything on C5 is louder. Programmes, suits, graphics, sets, everything. Maybe they think the signal will get further if they all shout REALLY LOUD!!
I've noticed that the ads on C4 are spliced together with much haste. When Ad 1 ends, Ad2 begins with no hesitation. I would guess one or two FRAMES rather than seconds......
That's what we're talking about.
It's confusing.
It's very confusing.
... and very lazy. The reason, presumably, why C4 are doing this is that, ironically, the new computerised equipment has to be told to fade out, put a blank space in etc, whereas before these spaces were there to avoid having to cue the tapes exactly. Now they will just tell the machine which files to play. Like I said, lazy. Watch YTV copying within the next few months. Anything to give Continuity less work to do so they can sack a few more people...
Sounds ideal.
maybe killer finches did eat the gaps like? they did a pretty good job on our scalps!
<screams>
F-f-finches!!!
visit this: the anti c4 site...
www.ch4.homepage.com
Finches and peacocks and bats......OH MY!
<screams>
Make them stop!
mummymummymummy!
*weeps*
we're doomed Starkers!
Doomed for all eternity...to be mauled to death by little birds.
As far as I'm aware, this form of advertising originated with Sky and all that that means. When I started watching Sky this was the biggest irritant of the lot because it seemed so pointless, no one gains from the missing gap i.e. extra ad. (confirmed to me by the ITC). As yet, no advertising group has ever explained any benefit in streaming and given that there is a movement against it, which detracts from the purpose of advertising, you wonder why do it?
yes..i wonder.
F I N C H E S!
They were so strong and powerful!
and *snigger* flappy!
I have nightmares.
<shudder>
it haunts my every waking hour
*looks haunted*
So put us together and you get the ultimate in freaked out people!
How stupid are you if you can't tell when one ad finishes and another one starts???
Get the ads over as quickly as possible I say.
hurraaaaaah, some sense at last!! congratshaloooshuns young Anon!
And yeah Starkers, us two combined? *shudders* doesn't bear thinking about, we'd be permanently scared!
Anonymous, what is this. i'm not a Gestapo oficer. can't you e-mail me direct if you want to give your stupid views.?
isnt this the place to give your stupid views?
I obviously haven't been watching Channel 4 much of late because I hadn't noticed streaming ads.
But I have noticed the "4" logo itself is getting smaller and smaller. One day, the logo will have shrunk out of existence, and we'll be watching nothing more than a load of multi-coloured wipe effects.....
The size of the logo is to match the size of the brains of Channel 4's management. You're right, it will soon disappear; it's already lost it's colour...
If it's any help, Sianel Pedwar Cymru don't appear to have the same streaming problem
Have you noticed Carlton's interactive ad game? They put up a question about the ads you were just watching and get you to phone a number with the answer. You can win a holiday! Only £5.99 a minute!
Taaaaaaackeeeeeyy!!!
Channel 5 would be better if the longer breaks between ads -the 'programmes' - were eliminated as well.
No gaps between the adverts....Who cares!???
And just because they start leaving the gaps out doesn't mean that they have just started using a computer. Computer based advert playout machines have been used for about 15 years!!
Incidently there also isn't a machine or special set ups for inserting adverts, TV companies usually just trim 8 frames off the in timecode of the advert so to catch the small bit of black.
>No gaps between the adverts....Who cares!???
The majority of people of NotBBC chat
>And just because they start leaving the gaps out doesn't mean that they have just started using a computer. Computer based advert playout machines have been used for about 15 years!!
i never said that they've only started using them, but they are starting to misuse them.
J/P www.ch4.homepage.com
How old (or not) is everyone here...? Up until about 11 or 12 years ago there were no gaps between ads at all... I believe part of the reason for the little logos was the introduction of showing different ads in different regions... so that if one ad overan by half a second, the logo could be dropped/extended, and the break finished in time to rejoin the programme... with current technology ads can be varispeeded at the same pitch, so there's no need.
Ads appear louder because of compression/limiting (usually something like Optimod) squeezing the sound so that there's more going on in a narrower audio spectrum.... so it's not louder, there's just more in there making a noise.
>And just because they start leaving the gaps out doesn't mean that they have just started using a computer. Computer based advert playout machines have been used for about 15 years!!
First of all, the earlier systems still used banks of VTRs. Now they are using hard disk-based systems. These tape-based machines could not play out multiple ads with frame-accuracy, just like the old manual methods used previously. It is true that HDD-based systems have been in use for about 4-5 years, but in the past they have just emulated the old ways so people don't notice.
In any case, the 15 years assertion is not entirely true. Tyne Tees were still using manual methods until 1993. I would bet other smaller companies were doing the same (Border until 1996, for example).
>Incidently there also isn't a machine or special set ups for inserting adverts, TV companies usually just trim 8 frames off the in timecode of the advert so to catch the small bit of black.
Not true, some systems used a null input as the black intro on the tape is often not perfect.
> How old (or not) is everyone here...? Up until about 11 or 12 years ago there were no gaps between ads at all...
Utter bollocks. In the days when ads were compiled manually, all stations had gaps. I'm 26, BTW.
> I believe part of the reason for the little logos was the introduction of showing different ads in different regions... so that if one ad overan by half a second, the logo could be dropped/extended, and the break finished in time to rejoin the programme...
What? The break was simply 5 seconds too long, and still is. And in any case, until 1993, each individual ITV company supplied ads to Channel 4. ITV took back money in return which was a rather unfair system so it was changed.
> with current technology ads can be varispeeded at the same pitch, so there's no need.
C4 send out all adverts centrally these days. They do not varispeed.
> Ads appear louder because of compression/limiting (usually something like Optimod) squeezing the sound so that there's more going on in a narrower audio spectrum.... so it's not louder, there's just more in there making a noise.
No, the volume is louder. They do employ compression as well but they do also "run into the red".
Jase - your chosen specilased subject is the world of TV...
your 2 minutes start...now.....
ROTFL ;)
It's bloody disorientating if you happen to be watching with the sound down. Thing is, though, I've found it actually encourages me to do something else while the ads are on. Pick up a paper, get a drink, anything where I'm not being bombarded with a solid stream of unsolicited information. It might finally stop me watching adverts altogether. Any reasons why that might be a bad thing?
Umm, no
>C4 send out all adverts centrally these days. They do not varispeed.
How many channel 4 advertising regions are there, anyway? I know Ch 5 has 4.
Well certainly there used to be 15... one for each ITV region. It might still be the same -- Tyne Tees is certainly still different to Yorkshire, for example -- but it is likely that they have rationalised a bit...