Although they don't happen often, has anyone else noticed these green flashes during this episode of countdown? I'm just trying to pair down if it is a reception issue, or whether the original countdown tapes have withered.

Thanks
Mark

Yes I noticed this too. I just put it down to the fact it has been copied a few times.

Is this due to them copying the shows from the original tapes to DigitalBeta? From memory I noticed this too on a 13th March 1983 episode that went to air back in January 2006, and this was on my first digital set top box. At the time, I was taping stuff from SD set top box to HighGrade VHS tapes.

Sorry to be technical again guys..hehe..

The green spots are not a reception issue - that's just the result of that tape having its recorded signal fading slightly due to age and improper storage/handling. In audio tapes you hear it as a split second period of no sound (a dropout) but in video you see it as those flashes. The fault isn't within the digibeta's though, it's there because the original tape when transferred had those problems appear and of course they made their way to the digibeta dub.

It's equivalent to the days of when your Hi Fi Stereo VHS VCR would lose the stereo audio track momentarily when playing back a tape.

Thanks guys for the response, this has been a great relief, the sutherland area of Sydney is plagued with reception issues with the digital telecasting.

I'm glad to know that it's the original tapes, and not my reception.