TV Proms

[VodkaDilc]

Perhaps it was a last-minute thing. Wonder if the Pappano - Lisiecki prom was available too.

I'd far rather have had tonight's Santa Cecilia offering in HD, than sweaty Val tomorrow night

There was plenty of sweat in that Prom. It didn't take HD to give a clear picture of one drip making its way down poor Jan L's nose and onto the keyboard. The second half was unbearable in the hall.

[Nick Armstrong]

There was plenty of sweat in that Prom. It didn't take HD to give a clear picture of one drip making its way down poor Jan L's nose and onto the keyboard. The second half was unbearable in the hall.

True!

He and the orchestra made a super noise though

[VodkaDilc]

True!

He and the orchestra made a super noise though

It was great to relive the Prom on television, after it being so memorable in the flesh.

[LHC]

The BBC have now published a list of the BBC4 proms that will also be available in HD on the red button (12 in all apparently):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/posts/Proms-in-HD-on-BBC-Red-Button

So the 1st Santa Cecilia prom was not on HD, but the next one will be.

[Nick Armstrong]

The BBC have now published a list of the BBC4 proms that will also be available in HD on the red button (12 in all apparently):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/posts/Proms-in-HD-on-BBC-Red-Button

So the 1st Santa Cecilia prom was not on HD, but the next one will be.

V helpful, LHC, thank you. I'm relieved in a way that I didn't miss taking an HD recording of the first Pappano prom.

Poor old Joshua Bell - I've never seen anyone quite so drenched on a concert platform as he was at the end of the concerto in all his HD glory last night (Made Gergiev look relatively cool ! Quite an a achievement!)



PS I can't 'series record' the Redbutton Proms for some reason - each has to be programmed separately for some reason. Would be interested if anyone else has the same thing. (This is Freeview HD).

[Anna]

I watched the Pappano Prom and greatly enjoyed the Rachmaninov, although I see many others didn't - (in fact I thought I didn't have a copy of the No. 2 until I remembered a Mariss Jansons boxed set languishing on the shelf!) Joshua Bell's sweatiness was quite offputting last night ....

However, what I was going to say is that I don't have HD or Freeview + red button - being one of the few here with some pretty old fashioned kit - I'm just eternally grateful to the BBC that any of the Proms are broadcast (even if they muck around with the running order as in Le Sacre) and I don't see why, as the cameras are in place, why they can't all be recorded for transmission at later dates

[Mary Chambers]

Poor old Joshua Bell - I've never seen anyone quite so drenched on a concert platform as he was at the end of the concerto in all his HD glory last night (Made Gergiev look relatively cool ! Quite an a achievement!)

Indeed. I enjoyed the concert very much, apart from the extremely distracting outfits of the orchestra - quite horrible, I thought!

I may have said that before. I've been thinking it since last night.

[Nick Armstrong]

Indeed. I enjoyed the concert very much, apart from the extremely distracting outfits of the orchestra - quite horrible, I thought!

I agree - the formal tops and red jeans + starry blue sneakers was a tacky idea. A distinct and distant second to the Venezuelan youngsters' costume high-jinks, with their national-colours jackets donned for the encores and then donated to the audience!

I may have said that before. I've been thinking it since last night.

Blurring one's inner monologue with dialogue on the Forum...? A worrying sign, Mary! (I know the feeling!)

I watched the Pappano Prom and greatly enjoyed the Rachmaninov, although I see many others didn't

I thought it was terrific! and quite a few others did too!

I'm just eternally grateful to the BBC that any of the Proms are broadcast (even if they muck around with the running order as in Le Sacre) and I don't see why, as the cameras are in place, why they can't all be recorded for transmission at later dates

Agreed re televising... but the reason they don't record them all is that the cameras don't stay in place. There's no sign of them for non-televised Proms. They aren't BBC cameras, I seem to recall - I assume they contract out the equipment supply (or at least some of it) so it's all installed on the day and taken down and driven away after for use somewhere else.

[PhilipT]

Agreed re televising... but the reason they don't record them all is that the cameras don't stay in place.

Well, no, it's the other way around. The cameras are in place if the concert is going to be televised.

The Last Night is always televised, partly because of its popularity and partly because the BBC make a lot of money from the syndication rights overseas. Other concerts are televised to meet the BBC's Charter requirements for public service broadcasting, but I can't imagine they would ever want to televise every Prom. Televising a concert does push up the cost a good deal. Rights issues play a part: the Glyndebourne Proms are never televised, and "My Fair Lady" last year wasn't televised, for this reason. There's also the point that there would be an open revolt from regular Prommers. The RAH wasn't built with TV cameras in mind, and they can be a d*mn nuisance, especially if you've queued a ridiculous amount of time for the best place in the house only to have your view blocked by a camera that's there to give Granny Smith the best place in the house. And then there's the heat from the TV lights, although as someone said earlier modern camera technology means this isn't quite as bad as it used to be.

Can anyone say if the cameras have been an issue at the Monday Chamber Proms this year?

[french frank]

Televising a concert does push up the cost a good deal.

But would that cost not fall to the service broadcasting it, rather than to 'the Proms' (and ultimately Radio 3)?

[Nick Armstrong]

the reason they don't record them all is that the cameras don't stay in place.

Well, no, it's the other way around. The cameras are in place if the concert is going to be televised

Huh? We're saying the same thing, aren't we?

I was responding to Anna saying

I don't see why, as the cameras are in place, they can't all be recorded for transmission at later dates

by explaining that they don't install the cameras at the start of the season and just leave them there...

[Mr Pee]

Hmm, did anyone catch the fanfare regarding the BBC FOUR Proms being available in HD on Freeview Channel 303 (Red Button HD)?

I certainly didn't, but having forgotten to set the recorder for tonight's offering, I sought to set the timer for tomorrow night's and that for Sunday. Guess what, I was given the choice of standard definition on BBC FOUR or HD on the Red Button HD (Freeview Channel 303). Of course, I opted for Red Button HD. However, I might just try for BBC FOUR as well, just to be sure.

I started watching a Prom on BBC4 t'other night, and the on-screen TV guide said it was "also available in HD", so I pressed my red button but there was no sign of it. How does one access the HD transimission if not like that?

[LHC]

I started watching a Prom on BBC4 t'other night, and the on-screen TV guide said it was "also available in HD", so I pressed my red button but there was no sign of it. How does one access the HD transimission if not like that?

The HD red button option is only available on Freeview, Freesat or Virgin. Not on Sky I'm afraid.

[Nick Armstrong]

The HD red button option is only available on Freeview, Freesat or Virgin. Not on Sky I'm afraid.

I have the "red button" HD channel (303) set as one of my 'favourites' - the programme guide then shows up like any other channel, and I can set it to record via the timer. The only difference seems to be that I can't programme a 'series record' - I have to set each concert manually. The quality is just as good as BBC1HD and BBC2HD

[Sir Velo]

I started watching a Prom on BBC4 t'other night, and the on-screen TV guide said it was "also available in HD", so I pressed my red button but there was no sign of it. How does one access the HD transimission if not like that?

You have to be on a channel that is set up to transmit HD, which BBC4 isn't. Try the red button on BBC1HD or BBC2HD. Otherwise, the BBC Red Button HD channel should be used.