I recently completed the construction and development of the new Comux site.

Comux have notified Ofcom of their interest in bidding for the UK local TV MuxCo multiplex operator licence.

For this project I was working with Public Life and to Lara Bradley‘s comprehensive design brief, which included a great collection of graphics.

The WordPress site uses a custom built HTML5 theme, which includes the use of custom post types for generating the common questions page and custom fields for populating the different elements on the home page.

It was fantastic working with the friendly bunch at Public Life on this project.

And good luck to Comux with their Ofcom bid!

The television analogue signal was turned off in London yesterday, and to commemorate the change an impressive light show took place at Crystal Palace transmitter last night, where I took this picture in somewhat drizzly conditions.

The light show, and associated event, was organised by transmitter owner Arqiva.

Although I have my doubts about the quality of DVB pictures on Freeview, especially when too much compression is applied to some of the channels, this is a major development in UK broadcasting as part of the process of turning off the analogue television signal after seventy five years.

Today marks 75 years since the first regular high definition (as in 405 line) television service began broadcasting from the BBC studios at Alexandra Palace in North London.

The BBC’s Nick Higham has posted two videos about the anniversary: BBC celebrates 75 years of TV and Behind the scenes at Alexandra Palace, the cradle of television.

There is also anniversary coverage on:

• The BBC Story site
• The About the BBC Blog
• Ariel
• BBC News: the story of the competing Marconi-EMI and Baird systems in 1936

(Test Card C illustration from the Test Card Circle.)

I’ve been rewatching the updated, contemporary, witty, knowing, intricate, stylish, brilliant, modern, reinvented, exciting, fun, imaginative, enjoyable, excellent, fantastic, brilliant, intriguing, wonderful, gripping, thrilling, entertaining, engaging, clever, gripping BBC series of Sherlock.

Definitely one of the best television series of 2010.

I’ve just caught up with the first two episodes of The Trip on iPlayer, and it’s very good indeed.

Bringing together Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, along with director Michael Winterbottom, it reunites the trio involved in A Cock And Bull Story and 24 Hour Party People – both great films.

The Trip – highly recommended.

Excellent.

Whilst watching Channel 4′s The Greatest Ever 3D Moments I found it incredibly annoying having to constantly put on and take off my anaglyph glasses.

Of course, there was some archive material that was shot in 2D, but why weren’t the interviews that appeared throughout the programme recorded in 3D?

This spoiled an otherwise mildly entertaining programme.

Jenson Button’s immaculate Formula 1 victory from pole this weekend against the glamorous backdrop of Monte Carlo prompts me to look at the BBC coverage.

Monte Carlo is the sixth Formula 1 race covered by the BBC since it gained the TV rights from ITV at the end of the last season.

The Corporation already had the UK radio rights, which, along with the inherited live streaming rights and the red button channels showing practice sessions and alternative race coverage, a true multi-platform service has been provided.

The BBC Formula 1 site has provided the hub for all of the coverage, which, now we’re just over a third of the way through the season, has proved to be of a very high standard.

The coverage was always going to improve on ITV, just by the absence of ad breaks, but with BBC Sport obviously expending a lot more time and effort on scene set items and background material, it has produced one of the most polished sports productions in recent years.

• Stately decline [Media Guardian] and the associated PDA post Kingswood Warren: The end of an era gives the background to BBC Kingswood Warren faces strike.
• Intel unites the internet with TV [BBC News] Intel and Yahoo work towards a Widget Channel, or as Yahoo calls it the Cinematic Internet.
• iPlayer goes for higher bitrates, Olympic Gold and home theaters? [NewTeeVee] Is the BBC looking at a new generation of devices offering internet experiences alongside video content?
• Celebrating a stereo pioneer: Alan Blumlein [BBC News] His contributions to audio engineering, television and radar were amazing – some of his early stereo recordings have been restored.