(10-06-2022, 07:50 AM)nwtv2003 Wrote: ...the presentation such as the slides and Weather captions are quite advanced by 1983 standards. One would guess these were ditched shortly after when they started cutting costs left, right and centre.
https://youtu.be/_MA4lBHG5tg
Those particular graphics are generated on one of the first Quantel Paintbox systems.
The BBC obtained the use of one around the same time; 'Breakfast Time' being one of the first programmes benefiting from its availability, and Channel 4's presentation department began rolling out Paintbox creations during the summer of 1984; holding slides produced on the Paintbox started appearing at Christmastime that year.
The Weather Channel in America claim to be the first broadcaster in the world to acquire a Paintbox - and the launch video, as viewable on YT, has on-screen evidence of its use.
The 'Astons' appear to be sourced from, indeed, an Aston 3 character generator; again, adopted early by the BBC, while Thames acquired their own in 1981, with other ITV companies picking theirs up as the 1980s progressed.
The sport caption looks like a physical slide with Aston-generated text super'd; a format which TV-am used in tandem with the electronic methods at their disposal for a few more years.
Despite the precarious financial situation at Camden Lock in 1983, they didn't give up completely on their high-spec graphics hardware.
Close observation of other YT uploads of that period of TV-am shows regular Paintbox/Aston use on children's output; but its prominence on news graphics seems to get cut back on in favour of physical slides - c.f. John Stapleton on the 'phone from Brighton...
Weather presentation quickly switched to the rotating device - in place by the time Wincey Willis joined towards the end of 1983.