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It’s not only music that will be endearingly remembered from the 1980s. A late night discussion between the two of us this week concluded that most TV weather forecasts these days are nowhere near as good as the ones from over twenty years ago. It’s all about the graphics, you see.

While the BBC had a furore on its hands three years ago with its current map that sweeps under the forecaster’s arm when speaking about the weather for a particular UK region, the corporation’s slots have long been the best. On Wednesday night on the other hand, we decided that ITV’s are still the worst. Why? Both national and regional broadcasts are not detailed enough. But, most displeasing of all, they use cheap-looking, and outdated symbols and graphics.

Modern-day broadcasts are a long way from the weather forecasts on the Beeb from the late Seventies and early Eighties. There were no green or blue screen maps and no digital imagery back then, and the few-minute slots were all the better for it. Yes, they seem antiquated and outdated now, but will there ever be weather symbols more iconic than those of BBC Weather from thirty years ago?

Simple, stylish cloud-like outlines, with clear graphics attached to denote hail, rain, snow, or sun, the forecasters stuck the magnetic symbols onto the forecasting chart behind them, moving the pictures where necessary from one part of the country to another, to show changing conditions. Of course, as technology advanced, the boards were gradually disposed of, but even when computer graphics were first used, the symbols stayed.

In the older forecasts, the BBC’s presenters used to walk around the studio, too, from one board to the next, and the satellite pictures were no more than photocopy-looking grey and grainy scans. The blue outlined map on them looked like it was drawn with a felt-tipped pen, and with the absence of a hand-held clicker to change the picture, symbols and areas of the country were pointed at by big sticks and pencils.

All endearingly low-tech, and the like of which we’ll never see again. No doubt there’ll be many more  innovations and high-tech solutions to help the forecasters inform us of our changing weather patterns, but they’ll no doubt be cloudy and foggy compared to those bright and sunny forecasts of yesteryear.

One thing that makes my internet surfing a much better experience, is Firefox, the open-source browser launched by the Mozilla Foundation in 2004. I’ve not been a fan of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for a long time now, and even though it’s still the most widely used browser in the world by some margin, Firefox does just about everything better.

Whether surfing and reading pages, downloading media files, or buying online, the programme that uses the fox wrapped around the world as its logo makes the internet simplicity itself. Others agree; most of my friends use it, and 15% of worldwide online users are Firefoxers, too. And with plentiful plug-ins, smooth running on both PCs and Macs, and customisable looks, it’s easy to see why.

And so it’s with great anticipation that the latest version, Firefox 3.0, is launched today. Mozilla senses that anticipation, too, and so aims to set a record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours. It’s not even just any record either; it’s aiming for a Guinness World Record.

‘It’s a global effort to make history,’ the developer says. Is it aiming too high? Who knows, but with over 1.6 million downloads of version 2.0 in 2006, it might just do it. A reported 1.3 million users have already pledged to download the new version (myself included) when it goes live at 18.00 BST.

Tech-savvy users love Firefox, and the update promises many new features. Automatic warnings when users stray onto web pages booby-trapped with malicious code is one, and the ‘Smart Location Bar’ is another. This lets users return to sites they have visited before, but not necessarily bookmarked, also helping those who cannot remember the name of a site that they really liked. Improved security and faster browsing are but bonuses.

There’s no actual record for software downloaded in 24 hours, but ‘Download Day 2008’ aims to get 5 million copies of the programme onto existing users’ machines. Around 2 million users currently use the ‘fox, so Mozilla are obviously counting on word of mouth and promotional internet campaigns. Click the banner below to get your copy of Firefox 3.0, and help challenge Internet Explorer’s dominance.

With the replacement Pure micro system finally here, the DAB wonders of 18 digital radio stations now fill the front room in the flat. The timer is set up to record numerous BBC Radio 4 programmes to the SD card, and I wonder how I ever managed without it.

Searching through the station list on Sunday morning was surprising, though. A station named Birdsong appeared in the channel choices, (unsurprisingly) playing nothing but birdsong. Just like Big Brother does when its housemates talk about anything remotely contentious, or exercise their foul and uncouth mouths. First recorded in 1992, the audio track was last broadcast three years ago.

Birdsong is broadcast daily from 06h00 to midnight

It turns out it now occupies digital speech station Oneword Radio’s frequency, before it stopped broadcasting on 12 January, along with another popular DAB channel, Core. The only national commercial radio station offering spoken word entertainment, Oneword Radio first hit the airwaves in 2000, won many awards, and was the commercial riposte to the BBC’s Radio 4.

As well as birdsong, a ‘rural soundtrack’ will be played in place of the station’s programmes for the time being. And although not music, it was strangely (and surprisingly) soothing on a Sunday morning, and seemed to bring the outside indoors. What other aural delights make up a ‘rural soundtrack’, though?

Cows moo-ing? Lambs baa-ing? Cockerels crowing? The Archers already does those sounds more than well enough. That programme’s listeners would no doubt already be listening to other similar programmes on Radio 4.

And therein lays the probable answer to Oneword’s demise. The BBC has been offering a broad mix of spoken word programmes for years.

With the ever-busy lives of their viewers getting busier all the time, major UK TV broadcasters must ignore on-demand TV at their peril. The BBC has been slow on the uptake, but has finally pushed the BBC iPlayer into the virtual world, to try and seize the time back for viewers who simply don’t have time for ‘live’ TV anymore, and to jump on the competition, including Channel 4’s 4oD.

BBC iPlayer homepage

Having tried and been impressed with 4oD a few months back, I thought it was about time I gave the Apple-sounding iPlayer a go. Good reports about the newcomer were widespread over the Christmas period, with quality and ease of use being the major attractions. I’d missed the first episode of the BBC’s new frothy and dark drama, ‘Mistresses‘, and so settled down to watch it while I worked last night.

One of the main differences between the BBC and Channel 4 services is that the BBC’s service is totally cost-free, and programmes can be streamed online, meaning no downloads and no third party software. Selected programmes on 4oD are available at minimal cost (usually 99p), whereas content on the BBC version doesn’t cost you a penny.

The only catch is that the programme selection is only from the last seven days. However, programmes can be watched online by streaming, or they can be downloaded to your computer where a 30-day watchable window is exercised.

It certainly hasn’t put people off. The BBC reports that over one million viewers have used the service since the Christmas Day launch, and states that over 3.5 million programmes have been streamed or downloaded, averaging 250,000 programmes a day. Impressive figures. Is the service as good, though?

I’ll admit that I haven’t tried to download any programmes to my system yet, so can’t directly compare the iPlayer and 4oD’s similar service, but the streaming content is certainly up to the job if you have a fast computer.

The programme was easy to find through the homepage, and could be searched by the day of broadcast, category, or by its title in an A to Z index. Pressing ‘Click to Play’ started it straight away, with minimal buffering. The screen can be default size of the viewer itself, or can made full screen, for the ultimate TV-like viewing experience.

Like 4oD, the picture was very clear, the sound sharp, and enjoyed very little interruptions, even when buffering was needed again when returning to viewing from a pause. A wholly enjoyable experience then, and I would have no hesitation in using it again, especially as most of my TV-watching habits tend to favour Auntie’s (or Channel 4) programmes.

Fuss-free streaming playback with the BBC iPlayer

Are there any bad points?

If comments from users using the Beta version are to be believed, then yes. Rather mistakenly, the BBC iPlayer can only download programmes to a PC running Windows XP or Vista, due to the digital rights management issues and software, but it is ‘aware of demand to expand this to other operating systems’. It was a foolhardy and shortsighted decision to leave out Macintosh support, although Apple disciples can watch content if they stream it.

In reply to the decision, the BBC states that it hopes that by providing high quality programmes over the internet legally, easily, and at no cost, it will discourage illegal downloading. It says that it ‘uses streaming and DRM software to prevent illegal copying and distribution of BBC programmes to protect the rights of the people who make and appear in them’. That’s all very well, but it can’t monitor every download on every computer.

The Download Manager application has to be downloaded to your computer through Internet Explorer, too, due to Active X controls. But again, the BBC is ‘working on ways of making the Download Manager available on other browsers’.

I only hope that I don’t experience the same sorts of duplicate registering and slow download issues which affected many Beta users, and gave the long-awaited iPlayer a bad reputation among users before it was even launched on a patient and hungry public.

Not one to rest on its laurels, the BBC plans to develop the service further, extending the format choice, and bringing its radio programmes available on the BBC Radio Player into the iPlayer format, so that all the content is in one place.

And, if you don’t fancy sitting at a computer screen connected to the internet and have an old-fashioned TV, then the iPlayer will come to a cable platform near you soon. Just make sure Virgin is your provider, though, as it’s touching down on that first.

Finally, listen up international users. You will also get the full iPlayer experience as soon as possible. BBC Worldwide is fighting for your rights and is working on an international iPlayer so that you can enjoy the programmes which are currently only available to users in the UK.

Then, and only then, will the clever ‘Making the unmissable, unmissable’ campaign message be truly meaningful. But, overall, an impressive first, if a little late, effort.

(The first of ‘Mistresses’ was very good by the way, the lives of the four women developing darkly and nicely, with plenty of potential for drama. A welcome frothy addition to Tuesday nights.)

Television isn’t television anymore. The advent and onward march of digital technology and ever-busy lives have meant that we can catch our favourite shows that we used to watch on the box in the corner quite literally, anywhere. Ongoing developments mean that we’ll soon be able to watch television content on our mobiles, in addition to on our portable music and games players, or catching programmes online.

It’s television on the web that I tried for the first time this week. Having missed a few episodes of the US drama Brothers & Sisters, while we away in Cornwall, I decided to give the Channel 4 on-demand TV service 4oD a go. I need to catch up with three programmes in total (even though the season has now ended), but though that for now at least, I’d download one, to see what I thought of the service.

It came well recommended by other members of the family, who had used it to watch other Channel 4 content they had missed. (Just like The Archers, though, you would think it impossible to be able to miss an episode of your favourite shows completely now, what with +1 TV channels, online content, podcasts, and repeats.) And, do you know what? It’s really very good.

4oD’s media library lists all downloaded shows

As with most other services, software (effectively a library and player) have to be downloaded first, and then installed on your computer, and then a registering process has to be completed. Once that’s all done, though, you’re away. You can browse the relevant available content online, and although Channel 4 reportedly offers content available from the last 30 days to download free, be careful, as the show which I wanted to watch cost 99p, even though at the time it had not been broadcast outside of the previous 30 days.

Once you’ve picked your favourite show, all you have to do is download it, and complete a secure payment form (if applicable), which is similar to all other web payment forms. Most programmes are 99p, and in effect you rent them for a month. They can be watched any time in that month before the expiry date, though once you start to watch them; they expire within 48 hours, and disappear from your library.

One of the things I was most impressed with was the download speed. Brothers & Sisters is a 41-minute programme once all the commercials which appear on the television have been taken out, and it only took between 15 minutes and half-an-hour to be obtained from the server, and saved as a playable file on my 4oD library. I’d read many bad reports about BBC’s long-awaited but disappointing iPlayer, so I wasn’t expecting much.

So far, so good. And then you play the programme. The quality really is outstanding. Near-DVD quality pictures and sound, and so much better edited than the broadcast TV version, as there are no annoying sponsor idents and commercials. The 4oD player is similar in style to Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, so the picture can be made larger (larger still to fill the screen), and the show itself can be paused, and stopped if necessary, just as on many ‘live TV’ video and hard-disk recorders.

4oD’s viewing pane is similar to Windows Media Player

The bonus for Channel 4 is obviously that most of its audience own PCs, and so are familiar with the Windows Media Player application, making the use of a similar one child’s play.

I found the whole 4oD experience easy, enjoyable, and I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to use it again, or to add my voice to the other members of my family in singing its praises. The only downside I can see with the service at the moment, is that you have to be using, or sitting in front of your computer to watch its content (and of course, it is limited to Channel 4’s content). To be fair, though, that could also be said of 4oD’s many competitors. Maybe the technology and digital rights management issues have to still develop further.

All in all, though, 4oD is a fuss-free, quick, and (where applicable), a competitively-priced experience. It will certainly still further enhance my television-watching in the 21st century, and can be added to my recordable DVD player (which I use to record and then play the DVD content on a laptop on occasional train journeys to or from work), and live broadcasts as ways of viewing my favourite shows.

So, television isn’t just television anymore. At least, not as we used to know it.