Nugent apologises for RTÉ’s picture and sound difficulties

RTÉ has apologised to viewers for ongoing problems with the synchronisation of pictures and sound from the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Group Head of Sport Ryle Nugent yesterday admitted to being frustrated by what he described as an RTÉ “technical issue” during three of Ireland’s matches to date with match commentary out of sync with the satellite pictures.

“We had significant problems last week and in the opening two minutes or so this week; the commentary this week was about a half second behind the match and it lasted for a couple of minutes.

“The problem is that the pictures are coming back by satellite and the sound is by ISDN line and it’s trying to synch both; there has been anything between five and eight seconds between the pictures arriving and the sound arriving.

“There are tests that you do beforehand but the slightest bit of movement in the satellite after the tests being done and going live can throw it out by a second or half a second.

“It took us two minutes and 20 seconds to get it right this morning [yesterday]. It’s not ideal, not good enough to be honest.

“It’s fair to say we have had problems with the sound coming in at the beginning of the Australian, Russian and Italian matches. It was particularly bad last week [Russia] and it took us seven or eight minutes to get on top of it.

“This morning the gap was less and the sound was behind the pictures rather than in front of the pictures, so it was less aggravating and it took us just about two minutes to get on top of it. It is a technical thing, it shouldn’t happen and we’re doing everything we can to get on top of it; I have no doubt about the fact that we will be absolutely right for next week [the quarter final v Wales].

“We recognise that it’s aggravating from a viewer’s perspective and we’re doing everything we can to sort it before it happens rather than as it happens.

“I would expect it to be right from here on in.”