NG
Highlights how poor the screens are in the main studio compared to this much more effective CSO effort.
CSO? If it's in B they are real screens.
Indeed - it highlights the quality of the screens in studio B - which is somewhat to be expected from what I guess is a more flagship studio.
Though you'd think in that case they'd have a better solution for the main studio where the three screen option just looks nasty TBH.
There are three options for large screens:
1) LED - as used for the background screens in B/C, but not usable for close ups due to the size of pixels
2) Large TVs - as they used, but have a couple of gaps
3) Projection cubes or borderless TVs - as used in N6 / TC7, but have lots of lines and colour issues
For what they use the catwalks in B/C/E for, the big TVs were and are still the best option.
And indeed the BBC have been rather indecisive and used all three in Studio B.
Less a case of indecision, more a case of using the right technology for the job and having multiple jobs to do.
Plasma (and to a lesser degree LCD - both LED backlit and CCFL backlit) screens are a good technology for 'screen presentation' where you want a presenter stood next to a relatively human-scale screen, and want to shoot it cleanly and clearly in HD. It also allows talent to stand quite close to the screen, which makes interaction work well.
LED matrix solutions are a good technology when you want a big 'wall' of video for a big wide shot, but don't want to shoot the information in the wall in close-up (when it will go pixelly). You need enough distance (and a shallow enough depth of field) to diffuse the LED matrix if it appears in closer shots to avoid moire/pixels being too annoying.
Projection cubes are, to a degree, a compromise of the two - you get higher resolution than LED, but less continuous area than a large plasma. They do give you more lighting issues, as you need to ensure you keep as much light as possible off the projection screen to avoid them washing out. This is far less of an issue with LED matrix and plasma solutions. (If you remember the old news Barco sets, the weather presenter was a long way forward of the screen for this reason)
There is also the option of stitched projection (as used by BBC Sport in their last TVC studio, and also used by Tagesschau in their studio I believe, and also use at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö to avoid pixels that the usual LED matrix tech has issues with on close-ups) This avoids the obvious 'joins' that you get with projection cubes, and can look stunning. Again, though, you need to keep light off the screens to avoid them washing out. Front projection (as used by the old BBC Sport set) can work really well if you don't need presentation positions in front of the screens, as it can be brighter and sharper than rear projection.
noggin
Founding member
Highlights how poor the screens are in the main studio compared to this much more effective CSO effort.
CSO? If it's in B they are real screens.
Indeed - it highlights the quality of the screens in studio B - which is somewhat to be expected from what I guess is a more flagship studio.
Though you'd think in that case they'd have a better solution for the main studio where the three screen option just looks nasty TBH.
There are three options for large screens:
1) LED - as used for the background screens in B/C, but not usable for close ups due to the size of pixels
2) Large TVs - as they used, but have a couple of gaps
3) Projection cubes or borderless TVs - as used in N6 / TC7, but have lots of lines and colour issues
For what they use the catwalks in B/C/E for, the big TVs were and are still the best option.
And indeed the BBC have been rather indecisive and used all three in Studio B.
Less a case of indecision, more a case of using the right technology for the job and having multiple jobs to do.
Plasma (and to a lesser degree LCD - both LED backlit and CCFL backlit) screens are a good technology for 'screen presentation' where you want a presenter stood next to a relatively human-scale screen, and want to shoot it cleanly and clearly in HD. It also allows talent to stand quite close to the screen, which makes interaction work well.
LED matrix solutions are a good technology when you want a big 'wall' of video for a big wide shot, but don't want to shoot the information in the wall in close-up (when it will go pixelly). You need enough distance (and a shallow enough depth of field) to diffuse the LED matrix if it appears in closer shots to avoid moire/pixels being too annoying.
Projection cubes are, to a degree, a compromise of the two - you get higher resolution than LED, but less continuous area than a large plasma. They do give you more lighting issues, as you need to ensure you keep as much light as possible off the projection screen to avoid them washing out. This is far less of an issue with LED matrix and plasma solutions. (If you remember the old news Barco sets, the weather presenter was a long way forward of the screen for this reason)
There is also the option of stitched projection (as used by BBC Sport in their last TVC studio, and also used by Tagesschau in their studio I believe, and also use at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö to avoid pixels that the usual LED matrix tech has issues with on close-ups) This avoids the obvious 'joins' that you get with projection cubes, and can look stunning. Again, though, you need to keep light off the screens to avoid them washing out. Front projection (as used by the old BBC Sport set) can work really well if you don't need presentation positions in front of the screens, as it can be brighter and sharper than rear projection.