Some attempts to make the 2012 Digital switchover captions as will be seen on five terrestrial stations.
BBC1 and BBC2. The loss of 'TWO' in the box is because of the boxless idents.
ITV1/Ofcom.
Channel 4. Apologies for old font, but changes can happen.
And finally, Five. I don't know anything about this menus/captions, but this is a-sort-of-what-if...
not only have you designed something that would be pointless as to broadcast these would require keeping analogue on and therefore preventing those on relay stations from receiving anything purely to broadcast these captions.
you've then designed them in 16:9 which of course is only available in digital.
I presumed I'd be seeing on screen banners for the last month of analogue being shown over TV, like were used in Border. No, instead I see something that really wasn't very well thought out at all.
Urrm they wont, when Analogue is shut off there'll be nothing the channels are removed when Analogue ceases, so these captions are sort of superfluous, there'll be nothing to show them on.
but the issue is the relay stations. if these were being broadcast then those on relay transmitters wouldn't have any TV at all as they can't get digital until analogue is turned off.
The wording is quite unfriendly and doesn't really provide the viewer with enough information. For example, using words like "unfortunately" doesn't really make sense as the switchover is generally considered to be a positive and beneficial thing. There's also no point telling the viewer to "find us" without providing them with enough details to let them know how to do it, and phrases like "there is now no need" don't flow very well.
If they were to do this, it would probably read something like this...
'BBC Television. As of [date], the BBC is no longer broadcasting on the analogue airwaves. You can now watch the full range of BBC channels on [list of services, channels and channel numbers]. For more information, please call [number] or visit www.bbc.co.uk/digital.'
Perhaps accompanied by a recorded voiceover announcement every two or three minutes, for the benefit of visually impaired viewers.
I find the wording of these captions very pedantic and, at worst, patronising. It seems to imply "go and spend shedloads of money on a new TV that you don't need".
You'd be better to say something like, "Freeview (*other services are available) is the new way of watching TV, the equipment comes free in tomorrow morning's packet of cornflakes or you can buy a box from *insert name of big retail outlet that's still in business in 2012* for a small amount but you don't need to replace your TV," etc.
Why is there a big white line across the BBC mock?
I very much doubt the average viewer would understand the word "terrestrial" with regard to television viewing. You'd have done better to put "normal telly" in its place, on the basis that most people considered getting Channel 4 a luxury, and getting Channel 5 a miracle.
