Some really old familiar things that no longer exist

[Jaded]

Turkey Twizzlers

[andygates]

I'm a Fwowewwa Benjamin Playschool baby. 

She's President of the Ramblers Association.  Took over from Janet Street-Porter, implausibly enough.

Turns out she's actually Chancellor of Exeter Uni!   

[Polar Bear]

Brings back happy memories of learning to program using cobol in 1983...

Bah! A mere boy! I learned COBOL in 1982.

Can still remember most of it . . . .

Twenty years after learning, whilst managing a project, I ended up doing some debugging to the amazement of the then present cohort of AP's.   They'd been stuck on a problem for days which I found and identified the eventual fix for in less than 30 minutes.       They'd never been trained in IBM dump analysis, only Abendaid.     

[Regulator]

Brings back happy memories of learning to program using cobol in 1983...

Bah! A mere boy! I learned COBOL in 1982.

Can still remember most of it . . . .

Twenty years after learning, whilst managing a project, I ended up doing some debugging to the amazement of the then present cohort of AP's.   They'd been stuck on a problem for days which I found and identified the eventual fix for in less than 30 minutes.       They'd never been trained in IBM dump analysis, only Abendaid.     

Eh?!?! 


*I never got further than Basic.... 

[Really Ancien]

Tits pecking their way through the milk bottle tops and drinking the cream on cold winter mornings.

Damon.

[peliroja]

My work/life balance...

[rogerzilla]

Twenty years after learning, whilst managing a project, I ended up doing some debugging to the amazement of the then present cohort of AP's.   They'd been stuck on a problem for days which I found and identified the eventual fix for in less than 30 minutes.       They'd never been trained in IBM dump analysis, only Abendaid.     

I think "not Dr" Gillian McKeith does that.  Oh no, that would be IBS dump analysis.

[clifftaylor]

Leather footballs that weigh about 10lbs and have laces.
*ouch*

[Yorkshireman]

Leather footballs that weigh about 10lbs and have laces.
*ouch*

Proper boots to kick em with ( like miners pit-boots - with leather studs nailed on) 

[Wowbagger]

Leather footballs that weigh about 10lbs and have laces.
*ouch*

Proper boots to kick em with ( like miners pit-boots - with leather studs nailed on) 

The decline in English football coincided with a change in boot styles, after which the w*gs no longer knew what it felt like to be on the wrong end of an English toecap.

[redshift]

The BBC test card.

I use one all the time, although these days it's this one.

It's very useful for setting up the big LED screen on LE shows, as you can set the geometry and colorimetry with it.  I've also worked with the sister of the young lady in the picture, who operates lighting consoles.

TV weather with stick-on clouds.

And I know the chap who invented those BBC weather symbols.  There are at least a couple of people out there who use them as fridge magnets.   

[Basil]

Woodbine

[rogerzilla]

The decline in English football coincided with a change in boot styles, after which the w*gs no longer knew what it felt like to be on the wrong end of an English toecap.

Yebbut as a Yorkshireman, a w*g was anyone from Lancashire, or in fact the rest of the UK.

[Really Ancien]

The BBC test card.

I use one all the time, although these days it's this one.

Why is the original 1440 x 814?

Damon.

[redshift]

Probably because at some stage it's been through HDV 1440x1080, aiming at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and not quite getting there.  There are a variety of versions of this test card, and it's been through several stages of construction - it's not the original, just a link to show the picture.  The full 1920x1080 version has a red x through it to show the centre of the screen.

The original version is available here

For more info on the re-scan of the picture for the widescreen (and later hi-def) versions, have a look here

[clarion]

That clown's always annoyed me.

[Really Ancien]

Probably because at some stage it's been through HDV 1440x1080, aiming at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and not quite getting there.  There are a variety of versions of this test card, and it's been through several stages of construction - it's not the original, just a link to show the picture.  The full 1920x1080 version has a red x through it to show the centre of the screen.

The original version is available here

For more info on the re-scan of the picture for the widescreen (and later hi-def) versions, have a look here

Thanks for that, I'm quite interested in the various HD standards, having struggled through making a Blu-Ray standard DVD of London Edinburgh London using 1920x1080i. 1440x1080i. 1280x720p and 720x576 footage. You've just got me to read up on anamorphic HDV2 pixels

Of course with the switching off of the analogue signal it will no longer be possible to watch native Black and White TV, so goodbye black and white TV licences. Did anyone ever have a dog licence I wonder?

Damon.

[Andrij]

Did anyone ever have a dog licence I wonder?

Damon.

Yes. But not in the UK.

[rogerzilla]

Out of interest, can TV detector vans detect if a digital signal is being watched, since there is no frequency conversion?  In fact, could they ever detect anything?

[TimO]

Of course with the switching off of the analogue signal it will no longer be possible to watch native Black and White TV, so goodbye black and white TV licences. Did anyone ever have a dog licence I wonder?

There's no reason why you couldn't run a digital box into a traditional B&W PAL TV set.

[Really Ancien]

Of course with the switching off of the analogue signal it will no longer be possible to watch native Black and White TV, so goodbye black and white TV licences. Did anyone ever have a dog licence I wonder?

There's no reason why you couldn't run a digital box into a traditional B&W PAL TV set.

How could I have missed that obvious workaround, almost worth doing to annoy the licensing people. I've got a box with an RF output somewhere.

Damon.

[Jaded]

Thanks for that, I'm quite interested in the various HD standards, having struggled through making a Blu-Ray standard DVD of London Edinburgh London using 1920x1080i. 1440x1080i. 1280x720p and 720x576 footage. You've just got me to read up on anamorphic HDV2 pixels

Of course with the switching off of the analogue signal it will no longer be possible to watch native Black and White TV, so goodbye black and white TV licences. Did anyone ever have a dog licence I wonder?

Damon.

1920 x 1080

All the others are ersatz inbetweenies.

Don't let that stop you buying loads of kit though.

PS. There's be a bigger one along soon....

[border-rider]

Out of interest, can TV detector vans detect if a digital signal is being watched, since there is no frequency conversion?  In fact, could they ever detect anything?

doubt it

I suppose in theory it's possible for analogue TV (though I'm not convinced they'd be able to get much spatial info) but in practice I think they just go on who hasn't bought a licence.

[Basil]

in practice I think they just go on who hasn't bought a licence.

Yes.  We worked that out years ago.  Throughout the 70s and 80s I just bought a Black and White licence.  £19 at one point, I remember.  Happy in the knowledge that my address did not appear on on the list of "No Licence"

[mattc]

The decline in English football coincided with a change in boot styles, after which the w*gs no longer knew what it felt like to be on the wrong end of an English toecap.

This is a LITTLE harsh on the WAGs.