Forum Topic

Sky not live

I am watching the cricket on Sky and listening to 5 live extra. Sky is over half a minute late, two balls behind with Monty on. This cannot be called live. Why are Sky delaying it?

Graham Weeks ● 6634d13 Comments

They aren't deliberately delaying it, it just takes time for the video to go through all the processes it needs to do to add graphics, mix, encode for HD transmission, send up to satellite and then back down again. All the digital channels take longer to receive than analogue ones do because of the extra processing.

David Fox ● 6633d

If you listen to 5live on two radios - one analogue and one digital - you would find they are not synchronous either.

Sara Nathan ● 6633d

Beat me to it you two. 23500 miles up, and 23500 miles back takes rather longer than from an Analogue Transmitter on Terra Firma Graham. Even a TV Transmission from Crystal Palace takes longer to reach Raleigh Essex than Ealing. I expect those little green men out beyond the Solar System have just started watching 'Heres Looking at You' from 1937 Alexandra Palace!!

Colin Vaughan ● 6633d

It's just not cricket!

James de Vivenot ● 6633d

'23500 miles up, and 23500 miles back takes rather longer than from an Analogue Transmitter on Terra Firma'I know that and have experienced a slight delay when before the smoking ban I watched in a pub while listening to LW commentary on my radio. That was only a second or so delay. but this was half a minute, not a mere transmission delay due to satellite. I think Sky are delaying it showing replays of play.

Graham Weeks ● 6633d

Some stations do build in a delay of 30 seconds or so - generally when they have phone-ins and other interaction with the public - who can go off message and into sanctionable/libellous language without warning.But I would be surprised if Sky Sports were doing that. Much more likely to be purely technical.

Sara Nathan ● 6633d

Every bit of the production chain can introduce a bit of delay. So much so that it is becoming routine on big outside broadcasts to use a clapperboard to make sure that everything is in sync. At Euro 2008 there was an added delay as the audio feed had to go to a central point in Vienna (from all of the stadia), to be mixed for surround sound, and then sent back to the OB truck again to be embedded in the video (they did this so that all the audio from all the stadia would sound the same and viewers wouldn't complain that highlights from Basle were so much louder than highlights from Salzburg).

David Fox ● 6633d

There is only one answer to all this, if one is really fazed by delay then buy a ticket and go to Lords , Old Trafford , or wherever. Me? I couldn't care less, I get just as much pleasure watching, one of our Australian friends opening the bowling from the 'Vulture Street End'at 1230am GMT,even if it goes up and down though two or three Geo-stationary Satellites to reach me.

Colin Vaughan ● 6633d

"Sky is over half a minute late"When I've listened to the web feed of Radio 5 Live on my computer, when it's been broadcasting commentary on a football match, while also reading the bbc.co.uk text highlights on the same match, the text appears 3 minutes before the Radio 5 stream catches up, despite the fact that the text has to be typed in first.  Weird!

Richard Jennings ● 6632d

Today Sky and 5 Live Extra are just about synchronous. The online radio, same commentary, is about 30 seconds behind both!

Graham Weeks ● 6629d

Shouldn't worry too much about 30secs Graham. Have a wee dram and enjoy. Actually as I have said previously, go to the Oval and enjoy there, then it will be truelly live.

Colin Vaughan ● 6629d

And you would have had a pretty good time there today wouldn't you?

Sara Nathan ● 6628d

I have a ticket for Saturday.

Graham Weeks ● 6628d