news.bbc.co.uk

using a cool trick on images

[Receptional Andy]

When images have finished loading on the bbc news site, I see a kind of white line move from the top of the image to the bottom. It looks like a kind of scan/monitor refresh kind of thing.

Anyone know how they do this? I can't see anything in the code of the pages/css.

[Receptional Andy]

Anyone know what this is? I'm starting to think I must be seeing things ;)

[oilman]

I'm not seeing anything there like what you are describing Andy. There is a ton of javascript on those pages tho. I loaded up an image by itself to see if was animated but it wasn't.

[Receptional Andy]

The images aren't animated, I don't think. I see a white horizontal line travelling from the top of the image down to the bottom. I've seen this on more than one computer.

I had a look now in IE6 and I didn't see anything, then I realised that I had used Mozilla the last couple of times I had a look.

OK, anyone with Mozilla out there want to help me convince myself i'm not mad? Go to news.bbc.co.uk and look at the frontpage. Reload it and watch the images. The bit at the top where it says 'BBC NEWS uk edition'. Once this image has finished loading, I see a white line go from the top to the bottom of the image. After the line has covered the text, it adds the line 'updated every minute of every day'. I then see this effect on all the other images on the page, apparently once each has finished loading. This does not happen in internet explorer, but I can replicate it in Mozilla.

C'mon, someone help me out here...
:)

[Quinn]

I don't see it. Even with Mozilla.

[Receptional Andy]

hehe, i'm going mad then. Give me a minute and i'll try and take a screenshot...

[Receptional Andy]

OK, here it is screenshot of what I'm on about ;)

Notice the white line midway through writing 'updated every minute of every day' at the top.

screenshot [andylangton.co.uk]

[oilman]

I've loaded and reloaded the page in Opera, IE and Phoenix and haven't seen anything. Sorry dude - I'm giving up :)

[Receptional Andy]

Do I have some kind of unique Moz/BBC news combination?

Have I gone completely round the bend?

...find out next week.

[or alternatively, someone else PLEASE tell me that they see this on bbc news too :))

[dazz]

sorry andy, but ive never seen it on my comp (ie6), from your screen shot it looks like the line comes right down the whole page and not just the images!

Wierd!?

Have u ever seen it on any other website on your comp?

[Receptional Andy]

I have a verified (?) witness who can attest to this strange activity on the bbc site. Surely the screenshot speaks for itself?

Here's a capture of a picture next to a news story with the same unexplained white line:

news pic [andylangton.co.uk]

I'm not making this up, honestly... ;)

[dazz - I only see this on the bbc news site]

[edited by: Receptional_Andy at 11:48 pm (utc) on Mar. 25, 2003]

[Quinn]

That's odd. The world news menu on the left side of the site is different from yours, and it appears that the text of the Basra uprising story is worded a bit differently, but appears to be the same story...

[Receptional Andy]

Interesting, Quinn. Through the-cloak.com and choosing non-UK (not my usual choice) I see the same story. What are the differences you see? I think the bbc displays different content based on IP address, which might explain it.

And on topic, do you see my image quirks?

[added] Through the cloak, I don't see the images scanlines... [/added]

[Quinn]

My news article

Uprising reported in Basra
UK forces fire on the southern city of Basra in support of what they say is a civilian uprising, as a major battle is reported near Najaf.

I believe your page reads

civilian uprising, as Baghdad

and then my nav reads as follows:

Africa
Americas
Asia-Pacific
Europe
Middle East
South Asia
UK
Business
Health
Science/Nature
Technology
Entertainment

[Receptional Andy]

If I look now, the story is the same as yours. It looks like the beeb changed the story in between me posting the screenshot above and your message.

However, I really need someone to help me out with the original image question. It's real, I promise!

[This only seems to happen on the news frontpage, not on inner news pages]

[carfac]

Andy:

Sorry- nada...

However, I had never been to this site before, and it tried to load something into my browser. I clicked no before I noticed what plug in it wanted me to have...

dave

[Receptional Andy]

Thanks everyone for trying.

carfac - I say NO to plugins of all kinds ;)
I don't even have the flash plugin for Moz.

>>I had never been to this site before

Wow!

[gethan]

To back Andy up - I have observed the white line travelling down images on the news.bbc site too. Only on the front page as well.

At first I assumed that it was that they were using low res images and then updating them. But that isn't the case.

Today - I don't see the effect :)

Don't have the time to try to work out why but am interested though.

[Receptional Andy]

woohoo!

A confirmed sighting...

Just so I sound even more like a lunatic, I now see it on many other pages too (for instance search pages).

gethan - my original post was because I was interested in recreating this effect, so I share your interest.

[Robino]

Does anyone even see the "little white line" in this Andy dude's screenshot? Maybe you have a bad contact lens or something.

[carfac]

Sure, I see it in the screenshot.... just not on the site.

But, yeah, it would be a cool effect to use!

dave

[Receptional Andy]

I had a good look at the source of the bbc site to try and find anything that might create the effect. Eventually I ended up with a page looking like this:

<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39010000/jpg/_39010789_wreckedcarap203.jpg">
</body>
</html>

Loading this up in Mozilla, I STILL see the scanline effect, despite there being no other code other than the image on the page. So it must happen server-side when I request an image. It doesn't happen if I use a local copy of the image.

[lazerzubb]

How about changing from the 0,001 hz screen refresh that you have to 100 hz or something like it ;)

[Receptional Andy]

[sniff] Why won't anyone believe me?

It's true. I swear!

[Men in white coats drag Andy to the door...]

[SethCall]

well the bbc website does have differnt content based on people who live in the UK and those who dont (remember being asked that qustion first time u went to the site)?

Maybe tahts a part of it? Im a non-UK guy: and i tried all your links: no lines (in mozilla 1.3)

[Receptional Andy]

I don't see how it can be because of being UK based, because in my test page above, all I am doing is calling up the same image that visitors worldwide see.

>i tried all your links: no lines

The links to screenshots above are screen captures of the line in progress. There is definitely a white line there. The bahivour can be seen by visiting the bbc new frontpage in Moz and reloading the page. If you have a quick PC the lines move pretty fast, so look at a large image...

[dazz]

Dont let it ruin your life Andy....move on! ;)

[Receptional Andy]

>>Dont let it ruin your life Andy....move on!

OK, OK. It's just i'm at the bbc site all the time, and it keeps reminding me ;)

[xcandyman]

Dont Worry Receptional_Andy you are not going mad I have to had that problem but Im not sure with the bbc site Im sure Ive seen it with other sites with my phoenix browser. I thought it was some sort of image java thingy but obviosly not.

Havnt got no screenshots I will let you know when I see it again.

Steve

[xcandyman]

Man ive done some research on this and found that I only get it on a few sites but after a few refreshes on news.bbc.co.uk I get it a whole lot.

Heres a screenshot:

[xcandy.co.uk...]

Put away the straight jacket he's not MAD!

Steve