Value to the BBC Value to the BBC’s audiences Value to the UK Global value Our goal is to innovate in technology in support of the BBC’s public service purpose – delivering both immediate value to current projects, and helping the long-term strategic objectives of the BBC and the nation. BBC R&D ANNUAL REVIEW 1 CONTENTS Value to the BBC Value to the BBC’s audiences Value to the UK Global value FOREWORD 4 VALUE TO THE BBC 6 VALUE TO THE BBC’S AUDIENCES 22 New broadcasting centres . 8 Access services . 24 Technical architecture . 9 Online . 26 Wireless production . 10 Interactive services . 28 Production automation . 13 Electronic programme guides . 30 Virtual production . 14 Audio improvements . 31 Networks and storage . 16 High definition television . 32 User centred design . 18 Coverage improvements . 35 Desktop production . 20 Dirac . 36 Assistance to operational services . 21 2 APRIL 2004 – MARCH 2005 VALUE TO THE UK 38 GLOBAL VALUE 50 Planning for television digital switchover . 40 Pro-MPEG . 52 The DTT technical trial . 41 TV-Anytime . 53 Issues for television digital switchover . 42 DRM™ – Digital Radio Mondiale . 54 International co-ordination of spectrum use . 44 Rights management . 57 Preparing for digital radio switchover . 45 Standards for the future of television . 58 Protection of broadcasters’ use of spectrum . 46 Publications . 59 Audience measurement of interactive services . 48 BBC R&D in the community . 49 BBC R&D ANNUAL REVIEW 3 Foreword by Ian Childs, Chief Scientist R&D were delighted and honoured to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Philip when he visited us on 19 March 2004. During the visit, which was hosted by Ashley Highfield, Director of New Media and Technology, the Prince was shown a number of the projects being carried out in the Department.These included our work on Digital Radio Mondiale, automated camera coverage and access services for the disabled.This latter work was also recognised by the Royal National Institute for the Blind during the year, when they awarded BBC R&D their ‘Simply the Best’ prize for Accessible TV, Film, Books and Leisure. This year has also seen the launch in view a much wider range of material than Government’s ‘Digital Action Plan’ earnest of the debate on the future of would normally be on offer, while initiative.The lessons learnt will be used the BBC. In June the BBC set out its own ensuring that we continue to honour our to inform plans for the migration of the vision of the contribution it might make programme rights commitments with the remainder of the UK and the freeing up to the UK broadcasting landscape during talent and content community. Public of the analogue spectrum by 2012. a new Charter period, in a document value is evident again in our support of Television switchover will bring the wider entitled Building Public Value. And, to a the important ITU Regional Radio range of BBC and other programming large extent, public value is also a Conference in June 2004, where our available on the digital multiplexes to all fundamental tenet of BBC R&D leading role in support of the UK of the audience. Department – in short it is why we do administration helped to ensure that the our work, and why we have remained first stage of the production of a new But perhaps its audiences see the BBC’s part of the public-service sector of the digital broadcasting plan for Europe was public value most in the radio and BBC rather than moving to one of its completed on track. television programmes that it produces. commercial subsidiaries. And here the biggest challenge is to Also this year we have made a major expand the range and amount of Such value can be seen in the work we input to the planning and launch of a programming, to fill the ever-increasing have done this year to pilot multicast technical trial of the process that might number of digital channels, while streaming video services on the BBC be used to convert the UK’s analogue maintaining the quality at a level that the website.This pilot, launched during the television broadcasts to digital.This trial is licence-fee payer has come to expect. Olympic Games in the summer, enables currently being carried out in Ferryside in As in previous years, BBC R&D has our internet audiences on broadband to South Wales, and forms part of the worked on technologies that promise 4 APRIL 2004 – MARCH 2005 Value to the BBC Value to the BBC’s audiences Value to the UK Global value to enhance the efficiency with which the international standardisation groups in and develops the MXF standard for BBC’s limited resources can be deployed. which we participate. interchange of digital television For example, the automated camera programme files was recognised during coverage project (AMICOS) could be For example, our work in support of the year by the Royal Television Society, used to allow non-manned cameras to the TV-Anytime group, which is producing who awarded it the prestigious Judges’ cover additional sports events – such as specifications for the new generation of Award at their annual Schoenberg the minor courts at Wimbledon, for personal video recorders (PVRs), has Lecture in November 2004. example – thus allowing our internet and achieved an important milestone this interactive TV audiences to gain access to year.The DVB project – in which we also At the time of writing R&D department, games where we have insufficient participate – has agreed mechanisms for in common with many other areas of the personnel to cover from the main broadcasting the necessary information BBC, finds itself under review as part of outside broadcast. over air.The way is now open for a new the lead up to the new Charter.While generation of open-standards PVRs to the outcome of this review is not yet If the above list illustrates what work we be launched, enabling our DTT audience finalised, the BBC has confirmed that it have carried out during the past year, to enjoy the freedom to watch TV remains fully committed to ensuring that and Building Public Value represents the programmes when they want to – a it has at its disposal a strong technological reason why we have done this work, our freedom that is only available today on research and innovation capability, and partnership with other organisations is a subscription satellite services such as Sky+. R&D for its part remains intent on major element in how we achieve meeting these commitments in whatever successful results. Such collaboration Our leading role in another partnership, form the review might require. frequently occurs in the various the Pro-MPEG Forum, which sponsors BBC R&D ANNUAL REVIEW 5 VALUE TO THE BBC Of course, all of our work has value to the BBC! However, some of it is visible only inside the BBC – work on infrastructure, programme making tools and techniques, and the BBC’s transmission and distribution networks.This work contributes to the Building Public Value objective of improving value for money and helps to give our programme-making colleagues the tools they need to create imaginative new programmes. 6 APRIL 2004 – MARCH 2005 VALUE TO THE BBC New broadcasting centres . 8 Technical architecture . 9 Wireless production . 10 Production automation . 13 Virtual production . 14 Networks and storage . 16 User centred design . 18 Desktop production . 20 Assistance to operational services . 21 BBC R&D ANNUAL REVIEW 7 New broadcasting centres At the end of the 1990’s the BBC realised that many of the buildings it occupied needed serious attention or were becoming increasingly unsuitable.A series of refurbishments and relocations was started, including a new headquarters for BBC Scotland at Pacific Quay in Glasgow and a major redevelopment of Broadcasting House in Central London. R&D has been providing advice to these projects. In the last few years, there have been big with possibly a shorter operational changes in technology and working lifetime, against the newer cutting-edge practices in broadcasting, with a general technologies now emerging from move to IT-based equipment for development. Our role is to pilot and capturing, storing, retrieving, and evaluate the new technologies, many of processing programme material.Wireless them resulting from work being and portable devices mean that many undertaken across BBC R&D. people no longer work at a fixed desk, or have to be in a specific place to do a We have been advising colleagues specific job. throughout these projects, and queries come through to us on almost every These changes profoundly affect the aspect of our work, past and present – design of the BBC’s buildings.The from the colorimetry of flat-panel picture distinction between technical areas and monitors to acoustic design, radio offices becomes blurred, access to ‘the frequency interference to cascading of network’ becomes all-important for video compression formats. Our work equipment as well as staff, and everything reported in this Review on IP ringmains from infrastructure cabling to power and and wireless LANs has been triggered by air-conditioning has to be rethought.This working closely with the Pacific Quay is before the technology itself is deployed. team.We have also recently taken part in tests of high-speed media file transfers, as With a long lead time from the start of part of improving the playout planning to deployment, it is challenging arrangements of our programmes from to find a balance between recommending the Nations. tried and tested existing technologies 8 APRIL 2004 – MARCH 2005 Value to the BBC Value to the BBC’s audiences Value to the UK Technical architecture Global value ‘Technical architecture’ refers to the conceptual design of the equipment and networks that the BBC uses to produce and distribute its programmes and services.