Search found 1316 matches

by hexhome
10 Mar 2016, 7:54am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Should the BBC be privatised?
Replies: 114
Views: 4347

Re: Should the BBC be privatised?

bovlomov wrote:
Psamathe wrote:I would think there are many ways to achieve it.

My question was prompted by some of the (not unreasonable) comments, that the state should have no role in providing news or entertainment.

There seem to be two separate arguments:
1. The state shouldn't be involved in broadcasting
2. The state has no right to charge people for simply owning a television - effectively forcing them to pay for services they may not want.

Your suggestions deal with the second point but not the first.

Just a couple of inputs to these points. The State and the BBC are separated by a Charter. This causes much annoyance to the Government of the day. Charging people for ownership of a TV. Well no, you can have as many as you like. You are charged for the receipt of a data stream. You have a choice, you could just buy a monitor without a receiver of that data stream and not pay a penny. I guess the same argument is used about cars and VED, should the charge be on the fuel?
by hexhome
7 Mar 2016, 8:05am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Should the BBC be privatised?
Replies: 114
Views: 4347

Re: Should the BBC be privatised?

I haven't read every post so forgive me if I am repeating. I am a TV Broadcast Engineer. The issue I have not seen raised is the terrestrial distribution network. It would be possible to finance this entirely privately but the money would come out of our pockets eventually.
Funding of TV by advertising is reducing, there is now increased competition for that money. All TV production has suffered funding reduction.
None of this is necessarily bad, but the landscape would be changed dramatically without the cost of competing with the BBC for viewers.
I believe that without an publicly funded BBC, the style and quality of program would change to a commercially led product.
Incidentally, I work in the independent sector.
by hexhome
27 Dec 2015, 11:01am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Where can I get a decent jacket?
Replies: 19
Views: 3093

Re: Where can I get a decent jacket?

JohnW wrote:If it's not brightly coloured you'll be more difficult for motorists to see in daylight, and particularly on dull days.

You really think it makes a difference?
by hexhome
10 Nov 2015, 6:39am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Ignoring the banksman
Replies: 34
Views: 2949

Re: Ignoring the banksman

When reversing HGVs in congested areas, company rules insist on a banksman. It would be impractical to have a uniformed officer available for each occasion so it is often a colleague or occasionally a security operative. The universal experience is that both the banksman and reversing horn are ignored. Nobody will wait 30 seconds today.
by hexhome
1 Jul 2015, 10:19am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Folding bike
Replies: 16
Views: 3490

Re: Folding bike

Whilst large wheels may offer lower rolling resistance (guessing), the lack off certainly does not prevent long commutes. There will certainly be a time penalty, but it is not significant.
I would side with previous comments regarding Bromptons. They may seem expensive initially but their longevity, usefulness and resale value would appear to overcome that objection. Certainly mine gets used in ways I hadn't envisaged and has become my most valued bike.
by hexhome
8 Jun 2015, 8:48pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Folding bike
Replies: 16
Views: 3490

Re: Folding bike

A Brompton may well work out the most cost effective. It's resale value will remain high as will it's longevity.
by hexhome
27 May 2015, 10:09am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition
Replies: 26
Views: 2134

Re: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition

hamster wrote:All pretty silly numbers marketing. 4K at 30fps is essentially SD for any moving content. If it moves by 4 pixels per frame then the motion blur will make the edges just as fuzzy. HD with 60Hz would look sharper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAlm1uazfQY

But the drone's camera angles are really fun and some amazing new shots to be had!


I can't have my life's work dismissed so casually :shock:

'4k at 30fps is essentially SD for any moving content' Mmm, well there is a lot going on here which needs to be looked at in order to explore this one. First of all, the constants are pixels and resolution, ie. how many. In other words resolution is the number of 'dots' can be squeezed in to a space. An A4 picture at x resolution will look sharper than an A3 picture at x resolution, so screen size plays a part too. SD, HD, 4k etc are not safely defined but generally accepted in the UK for television broadcasting as 576 interlaced for SD, 1080 interlaced for HD. So, a UK HD TV will have 2.07MP per frame, this is 5 times the resolution than SD. This is the definition.

Lets explore the frame rate now. 30 frames per second is the default US ATSC frame rate adopted due to the use of 30hz mains electricity. In the UK it is generally 25fps and in cinema 24fps. You mix up fps and hz but assuming you mean frame rate, does a faster frame rate give a sharper picture? Well, the human eye can detect frame rates higher than current TVs display, but not much more. Lets go back to our 35mm film cameras, if we want a really sharp image, we would try and get as fast a shutter speed as possible. This would lead to the iris opening wider which would reduce the depth of field. We would freeze the action whilst blurring everything else. It was a compromise which we utilised to get the image we wanted. The same with moving image cameras, the faster they record a frame, the sharper the image. So in this respect, you are correct, a faster camera gives a sharper image. But there are limitations, such as, light levels, lens performance, sensor (film) sensitivity.

So how has the film industry coped with these limitations over the last 120 years? They have maximised and controlled light, developed fast lenses and probably the single most important development, perfected mounts and tracking systems which move with the action, thus 'freezing' it within the frame.

The real issue is that the rest of us just want to film an activity with our GoPros but have no control over lighting and may not have access to tracking and panning equipment. They might be mounted on our helmets or handlebars. Of course the result is going to be less sharp, and to be honest, a frame rate of 300fps is only going to make the footage less watchable!

Are they silly numbers then, no. The numbers indicate to us what we can expect to achieve. For most broadcasters and film makers, that is an excellent watchable product.
by hexhome
22 May 2015, 10:25pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition
Replies: 26
Views: 2134

Re: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition

Sense and avoid is not far off now.
by hexhome
22 May 2015, 7:01pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition
Replies: 26
Views: 2134

Re: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition

pwa wrote:I have heard that there are legal restrictions on where you can and cannot use drones.


To answer this question more fully. There are many laws relating to model aircraft flying and the commercial use of Remotely Piloted Airborne Systems. These are covered mainly by CAP 722 and articles 166 and 167 of CAP 393, the Air Navigation Order.

The main rules are;
Max height 400 ft AGL
Within 500m of pilot but always within line of sight.
At least 50m from any person or property unless under the control of the pilot.
At least 150m from any congested area

It is possible to get permission to exceed these limits but a full safety case must be made to the CAA.
by hexhome
22 May 2015, 1:30pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition
Replies: 26
Views: 2134

Re: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition

Don't worry, the vast majority will not survive the first week!
by hexhome
21 May 2015, 8:58am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition
Replies: 26
Views: 2134

Re: Roadcycling fimed whit pro drone in 4k definition

As a professional 'drone' pilot, I have one or two things to say about this.
1st, an Inspire 1 is an excellent machine, but it falls a little short of the 'pro' label. The main issue is that it has it's own inbuilt camera with a very wide angle lens. This is perfect for these types of shots but not everyone wants to get up close and personal with 4 spinning props!
2nd, using 1 operator is poor practice. To frame the camera, the pilot is flying by looking in the monitor rather than watching the drone. This practice inevitably kills drones but more worryingly could cause a collision with a 3rd party.
All that said, some nice footage there.
by hexhome
9 May 2015, 3:17pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Any point in reporting a v v close pass?
Replies: 15
Views: 2567

Re: Any point in reporting a v v close pass?

Cycling on Nottingham roads at anytime invokes an aggressive response from many indigenous motorists. The Police attitude is to criticise cyclists who attack innocent cars by striking them with their rear wheels and rolling about in front of them.
If only I was exaggerating!
by hexhome
9 May 2015, 2:33pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Driving while usiong mobile phone
Replies: 84
Views: 4495

Re: Driving while usiong mobile phone

Problem is.... Oh sorry, lights have changed....