Pixellation in tv programmes.

[wildone63]

Can anyone tell me why there is more and more Pixellation occuring in tv programmes?
I watch various fly on the wall type tv shows where a film crew follow various police,ambulance crews and other reality type tv shows and an increasing amount of shots seem to have something pixellated out ie peoples faces,vehicle reg no.s,posters & signs advertising a business,even a street name sign i saw on one tv show recentley.
WTF is going in ,if most of these things are in public view in the first place why bother pixellating them out?
It does spoil viewing i reckon.

[rog007]

It's often to do with product placement restrictions, security issues, permissions etc etc. When filming official bodies such as Police those in shot will be asked their permission to be shown. Often for legit reasons individuals prefer not to be shown and producers have to agree otherwise they won't get permission to film at all.

[tonyvid]

They must have worn the pixellation button out on the recent Dispatches about Travellers. Fair enough when at their homes, sites etc but every single vehicle that was on the road and some random children's faces outside of the courts were all blocked out. They are public places, no permissions needed so why?

ETA - I thought the thread was going to be about data compression artifacts!

[Morningside]

American viewing is really bad. A lot of the car programmes are more blurring than picture content.

I bet it looks awesome in HD.