Fairwell to the old and trusted weather symbols
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4550703.stm
Bob
I like the idea of having the new weather symbols now.
The software they are using was developed here in NZ for our TV3 channel. I think its in use with a number of TV stations now. Good old Kiwi know-how 8)
It took the BBC three years to use Celsius instead of Centigrade. Perhaps this new system will keep the graphic design/multimedia staff in work for a few more years.
Wait a few more years and we’ll have Kelvins (NOT degree Kelvins! ) then we’ll have apparent super heatwaves and it will always be hot in the Winter.
John
TV1 here in NZ has animated isobar (what it will do) and animated of the last series of sat image (sort of morphed a bit, so not realy all that suitable at times)
so that system should be available for the package as it comes from a similar background…i.e i note complaints on the new bbc one there is no isobar and sat images (although you can get those from the internet (you can get so much over the internet i dont watch the weather on the news bulletin myself anymore, LOL)
Final nail in the coffin of the empire :lol:
In other news “American Football” has taken on a whole new meaning over there http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=761599
[Rant on]
Sorry to say I have seen these new forecasts and I don’t think much of them. They are so busy you spend all your time trying to see what is happening on screen that at the end of the slot you realise you have not taken in one single word of what the presenter said the weather would be! They get a max of about 3 minutes for a few forecasts and considerably less for most of them and the graphics are so busy you simply get confused. The Scots are upset because the map is tilted with Scotland looking even smaller than normal, the colours are cp and sunshine shows up a light dirty brown, with clouds not symbols but a st colour brown over the ground.
In my view it is a total waste, what we need is the Met ofice (and the BBC) to spend time gettting the forecasts much more accurate, and not waste time telling you what has happened, I know I lived through it, or what is happening now, I can see that if I look out of the window. What I want to know, with some accuracy, is what will happen in the future!
[Rant off]
Stuart
the TV1 version here in NZ is generaly prefered to the much more busier and so called more detailed Tv3 version…yes as you say it all happens so fast you dont know wether its night or day time etc
I’m not a football fan (not at professional level) and not a Man Utd fan. However, something puzzles me about this whole affair. Malcolm Glazer is said to be a billionaire, yet he’s had to go into debt to by Manu Utd. Now in my (non-rich!) world, the words ‘billionaire’ and ‘in debt’ don’t seem to go together well. Would I be a billionaire if I borrowed
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I’m not a football fan (not at professional level) and not a Man Utd fan. However, something puzzles me about this whole affair. Malcolm Glazer is said to be a billionaire, yet he’s had to go into debt to by Manu Utd. Now in my (non-rich!) world, the words ‘billionaire’ and ‘in debt’ don’t seem to go together well. Would I be a billionaire if I borrowed
I’ve only half paid attention to the stories, but it appears that some people are saying that once he has control of the club he’ll give his personal debt to the club. So maybe I have misunderstood this…
I borrow
I would concur with all that has been said about the BBC new weather forecast. I frankly do not beleive the weather presenters can approve although there job is simplified by not having to commit to a wind direction, speed, isobars or position of weather fronts. The BBC has up to now given a fairly good general forecast that I prefered to any of the other UK TV options but I do think unless they change dramatically or revert back to the old style they will lose viewers. It is also up to Joe Public to give them feedback, if you feel strongly that it is a retrograde step, speak up and tell the BBC
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I’ve only half paid attention to the stories, but it appears that some people are saying that once he has control of the club he’ll give his personal debt to the club. So maybe I have misunderstood this…
I borrow
There is sufficiently strong feeling in Scotland about the new forecast presentation that an MP is tabling a motion to have the system restored to the original.
As the BBC have shrunk Scotland will we have to pay less Council Tax? 
The symbols etc. are not changing but Parliament has had words with the BBC about the apparent shrinking of Scotland, so they are going to tilt their weathermap to attempt to show Scotland at a better scale.
It will still be a dreadful forecast setup so I shall continue to watch it on another channel or the Met office/ WD users sites on the net.
I would think it would be very hard to come up with good forecasts, especially long term ones in that you have the ocean next to you. I know that forecasts in the US are also poor along the coasts and increase in accuracy as they move further away from the ocean to the east. Chicago for example has very good long term forecasts because they have so much land and reporting stations in front of the incoming weather.
Kevin I think the main problem with the BBC forecasts is not the accuracy, we have always been used to them getting it wrong, it is these new graphics and the general dumbing down of the forecasts. We have been used for years to see isobars and wind arrows which give the direction and average speed, all of this is gone because the powers trhat be think the great British public does not want it. The UK is now shown as a dark brown colour if cloudy and a light sandy brown if sunny, so what is wrong with sun symbols then? The wind arrows are now animated and just about manage to suggest direction. The other big problem is that the camrea now ‘flys’ under the clouds and over the UK to show each area in more detail, the problem is that a whole load of people are now getting motion sickness watching it, and if you are not looking for the exact moment the camrea is over your bit of the UK too bad you have missed your areas forecast - all 1 or 2 seconds of it. The only thing they are changing is the ‘tilt’ of the UK which currently shows Scotland much smaller and less clearly. This is somewhat less of a problem with local TV area forecasts since they dont have to fly over the map, and they also seem to have more autonomy and still sometimes show isobars, however they are stuck with totally crap graphics.
It has been announced recently that when ITV (the UK commercial TV companies) wanted new graphics the took a look at this load of rubbish and said no thanks we stick with what we have today.
I believe that if you are going to use graphics they should in general be self-explanatory, but this stuff needs constant explanation by the presenter so as not to lose the viewer. Not a good way to be…
Stuart
the colour choosen is that it shows up things well on it.
here is NZ they have used a nice green colour, and snow clad mountains.
they can put isobars and sat images into the system too
dont blame the software, blame the using of it.
the flexibility and power is there
i think the blame is being pointed in the wrong direction…its the people who have done what the have done from the software package who now need to sit back and use any constructive critiscms there may be (most of what i have seen is criticims for the sake of it (its human nature to not like change)), and improve things.
i am sure they will. they have said they are wanting to have it bed in first
Brian I grant you that a significant part of the problem is the BBC. However there is no excuse for foisting this on the public the way it is. Also I dont know if they can change the way the wind shows up but at present it is totally meaningless. The stupid way they fly over the map is ridiculous. They simply have not thought it through and in my view the system is vastly over engineered for what is needed. It is a good job my 95 year old partially sighted mother-in-law is no longer here to see it, it is people like that they have completely forgotten. The BBC is reputed to have spend over
maybe here is a good chance for MML to get a foot in the door
I know a radio station here in NZ are very interested in it