Until Sky News launched in High Definition earlier this year, the news channel's interactive function, available exclusively on the Sky Digital satelite platform in the United Kingdom, was made up of eight video feeds on varying topics which could be enlarged to full screen. This was a drastic improvement on the early versions of the Active service that offered just four feeds, which could only be enlarged to around half the screen, surrounded with text-based news stories.

It was quite suprising then to learn that since the channel moved its output to HD, that the previous eight newsfeeds available in full screen on the Active service, have been reduced back to just four screens, and like in the early days, are not available in full screen.

I can only summise that the reasoning behind this would be cost cutting, something which, although not openly admitted by Sky News, has been noticably taking place.  This year has seen the merging of Sky News' sports updates into the newly expanded Sky Sports News operation, and the almost complete abandonment of presented weather forecasts.

It is a shame that this step backwards has taken place on the Active service, which once was a great source of news and analysis, almost on demand, but furthermore, was brilliant for providing uninterupted live coverage of news events. Take for example the recent elections in Australia. On the old eight feed Active system, viewers would have been able to experience Sky News Australia's live coverage of the results in full screen.  With the latest incarnation of the service, the feed from down under was only available in half screen, and the quality was far from good to boot.

Editorial by Kevin Coy