rant #703

[2old4this]

and what the bleedin buggery is this announcement every five minutes on Sky News all about: "satellite viewers in the UK can press the red button on their handset for Sky News Active"...???

Have Sky found a way of updating all those Nokia, Manhattan, Echostar, Strong, & Humax boxes in use across the UK to run the Sky API? How on earth have they managed that? In fact, how have they even managed to ensure that all those different handsets have a red button at all?

And why does the red button trick only apparently work for viewers in the UK? How can the software possibly know where I'm situated when I press the red button? Is it perhaps interpreting the quantum-scale changes to the infrared beam brought about by minute local variations in the earth's magnetic field?

2old

 

[BarMoo]

Your doing this on purpose now. Stop it. Forget the pint (re: rant #657) - you need a whiskey m8e.

This rant should be stopped in its tracks !! Shame I can't delete them like Zansi can ;-)

Any more, and I'll be required to put a nail directly through Gouda on my pin-cussion.

It just needs addressing - and then perhaps it will go away.

The answer is: cleanfeed's to other parties; i.e., zonder 'red button' icon. Albeit, I hear they are trialing some new software that eliminates the need for the interactive button.

Sky Newz's R+D whizz, Justin Junk, says "We are now in final development trials of the 'virtual lips'. When its been approved by actor's union Ekwity, we will have the possibility to localise Kate Burley in over 120 territories and Department Stores; thus maximising revenue streams from a more personalised multi-feed News Service."

"So, whether you are at Malaga airport or in a Debenham's 'Wishing' cafe - you'll get a personalised, local greeting like "Your watching SKY News (at the Debenham's 'Wishing' Cafe). Its 6'O'clock and here are the headlines."

"The technology will also allow us to insert the virtual lips, or VirtualRealtimeLipInsertionPromptS, for short - in at 15,30 and 45 mins past the hour too."

He continues, "In order for the tracking software to work, SKY News presenter's wear a special neck harness, which is fixed to their chair. Eight Red 'Plodglets' in the harness are tracked by computer software (developed by NDS) in the camera head. Initial set-backs meant that the 'plodglets' had to be visible in-camera."

"It would have also meant millions of viewer's reaching for their interactive buttons," he says jokingly.

Concluding, Justin, adds "so, were now fine-tuning ways to make them less visible and, to a lesser degree, more paletable for Ekwity (as the actor's union has aired doubts about their member's looking like aliens)." [ends]

Mark.

 

[w hole]

Sorry to add a serious note to this thread, but did you know that on Non Sky Digital Boxes you can pick up the bit you get when you press the Red Button.

Settings are: 12207 27.5 V 2/3 then you can set the Audio PIDs as follows UL = 2318 / UR = 2319 / LL = 2316 and LR = 2320.

Kind regards

W Hole.

PS can someone close down this chat section it is taking me too long to read all the entries.

 

[BarMoo]

Sorry.

Is that short enough :-)

Have Fun,

Mark.