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ESPN Opens Up Digital Center 2


rkolsen

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You know what these graphics remind me of?

 

Gannett.

 

That's right.

 

Gannett.

 

Simple, clean, easy to read and understand. Huge departure from any other graphics I've seen on a sports network.

 

HulkieD,

 

tell me how you feel when you get to be 40 and you can't read the liberal-looking graphics.

 

This graphics package is great if you are a coder or a DBA admin, because those people have no artistic abilities whatsoever and when you lower the standards to the have nots, they love it. If you have the haves, you'd be pissed with this new package.

 

I don't like the lowercase on the bottom line and like I've said before flat looking graphics can't be done in a world still (whether you like it or not!) receiving channels via SDI or even a CRT based set (yes, there are still CRTs laying around being used!)

 

Now if they got the deathbed Belo look, maybe I'd feel different! ;-)

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I don't like the lowercase on the bottom line and like I've said before flat looking graphics can't be done in a world still (whether you like it or not!) receiving channels via SDI or even a CRT based set (yes, there are still CRTs laying around being used!)

 

Hate to break it to you, but ESPN/TV providers don't care about these customers. The ones that have bought a TV in the last 10 years and pay the high-dollar rates for a crystal clear pic on their 65" flatscreen are who they're designing for. Those still rocking a CRT are just going to have to put up with letterboxed pictures and hard to read graphics. TV catered to the 4x3 crowd for nearly a decade. Too generous if you ask me. Time to move on.

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Hate to break it to you, but ESPN/TV providers don't care about these customers. The ones that have bought a TV in the last 10 years and pay the high-dollar rates for a crystal clear pic on their 65" flatscreen are who they're designing for. Those still rocking a CRT are just going to have to put up with letterboxed pictures and hard to read graphics. TV catered to the 4x3 crowd for nearly a decade. Too generous if you ask me. Time to move on.

 

This.

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Hate to break it to you, but ESPN/TV providers don't care about these customers. The ones that have bought a TV in the last 10 years and pay the high-dollar rates for a crystal clear pic on their 65" flatscreen are who they're designing for. Those still rocking a CRT are just going to have to put up with letterboxed pictures and hard to read graphics. TV catered to the 4x3 crowd for nearly a decade. Too generous if you ask me. Time to move on.

 

If anything I think the new ESPN graphics are probably EASIER to read on SD sets, because of the larger and clearer typeface and lack of flair. ESPN's audience includes a lot of sports bars, which have that channel on 24/7. From experience I can tell you that:

 

  1. A lot of sports bars still have CRT sets hanging throughout
  2. A lot of sports bars do not grasp the concept that you have to tune into a separate channel to actually watch something in HD.

When ESPN went 16x9 a few years back, Comcast (which I soon dropped after a move) actually squished the 16x9 picture to fill the screen instead of letterboxing it. I remain convinced that they did that because the sports bars in Northeast Philly started bitching about the black bars on ESPN. Which is the direct result of #2, which is a personal pet peeve. There have been occasions where I have been to friend's houses and have actually rewired their cable boxes so they go into the component/HDMI ports instead of the Yellow/Red/White cords of old. And even then people go "I can't tell a difference".

 

While I absolutely agree that 16x9 is the way to go design-wise, I still think there are enough SD sets out there that you have to at least make some concessions.

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There have been occasions where I have been to friend's houses and have actually rewired their cable boxes so they go into the component/HDMI ports instead of the Yellow/Red/White cords of old.

 

Don't feel alone. I've done similar things at a friend's house, too.

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Same here. I often try to get my mom to watch stuff like HGTV in HD; she doesn't want to because they're all in the 800s and Mom doesn't know the numbers.

 

Especially if someone is used to a double digit lineup. It's hard to break the habit if you have a willing mind, it's easier.

 

Though I think one of the problems is the digital set tops aren't as responsive as an analog box. If I wanted Ch 84, I hit 8 and 4 and a split second I get to that channel. Thanks to delays in the digital world, if you don't hit 765 in a timely matter you can ether go to Channels 7, 76 or 65. And those lovely fat finger errors makes it worse.

 

I think that might cause people to not go to an HD channel right away.

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If anything I think the new ESPN graphics are probably EASIER to read on SD sets, because of the larger and clearer typeface and lack of flair. ESPN's audience includes a lot of sports bars, which have that channel on 24/7. From experience I can tell you that:

 

  1. A lot of sports bars still have CRT sets hanging throughout
  2. A lot of sports bars do not grasp the concept that you have to tune into a separate channel to actually watch something in HD.

 

What ridiculously lame sports bars are you going to? I haven't seen a sports bar with a 4:3 standard definition tube TV since I've been of legal drinking age (and I just celebrated the seventh anniversary of my 21st birthday last month—shudder). Most bars have long upgraded to flat-panel TVs and are more likely to be DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV receivers connected to HDTVs only tune the HD version of the channel—no separate channels needed.

 

A non-issue if you ask me.

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What ridiculously lame sports bars are you going to? I haven't seen a sports bar with a 4:3 standard definition tube TV since I've been of legal drinking age (and I just celebrated the seventh anniversary of my 21st birthday last month—shudder). Most bars have long upgraded to flat-panel TVs and are more likely to be DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV receivers connected to HDTVs only tune the HD version of the channel—no separate channels needed.

 

A non-issue if you ask me.

 

Word. Here you can go to one if your under 21 as long as your out by 9pm and all the ones here have had flat screens for atleast 10+ years - most were 16:9 but back then pioneer still produced a lot of 4:3 flat panels.
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What ridiculously lame sports bars are you going to? I haven't seen a sports bar with a 4:3 standard definition tube TV since I've been of legal drinking age (and I just celebrated the seventh anniversary of my 21st birthday last month—shudder). Most bars have long upgraded to flat-panel TVs and are more likely to be DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV receivers connected to HDTVs only tune the HD version of the channel—no separate channels needed.

 

A non-issue if you ask me.

 

Lol you need a field trip to a Philly dive bar my friend. You should see some the relics in there.

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What ridiculously lame sports bars are you going to? I haven't seen a sports bar with a 4:3 standard definition tube TV since I've been of legal drinking age (and I just celebrated the seventh anniversary of my 21st birthday last month—shudder). Most bars have long upgraded to flat-panel TVs and are more likely to be DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV receivers connected to HDTVs only tune the HD version of the channel—no separate channels needed.

 

A non-issue if you ask me.

 

 

 

Lol you need a field trip to a Philly dive bar my friend. You should see some the relics in there.

 

This sums it up. I don't go to bars often these days but when I do, it's with a pint of Lager and a blurry-ass CRT screen. Maybe an HD monitor or two.

 

As for DIRECTV, that's not an option. CSN Philly isn't available on satellite so if you want to see any local sports, you have to get Comcast or, if you're lucky, FiOS. The new FiOS software has an option built in to automatically put the HD channel on if you tune to an SD channel, but you have to enable it.

 

So yeah, we are in the dark ages.

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The new set is okay, but FOX Sports/FS1 set is better imo. Having monitors in the floor is a waste and unnessary. 'The Wall' only looks cool when shot head on (which I know defeats its designed purpose), but the graphics are cool. Overall, okay, but could have been better.

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The big TV in my hotel's lobby has been left on at night on ESPN after World Cup games, so I've gotten to see some of the new studio and graphics action this week. One thing I do like now is how the SC bumpers aren't SOOOOO in-your-face and time-wasting as much as they were before; the rolling red ball through a sports pinball machine (of sorts) effect before was VERY old/dated. They seem to have retained the music video segments that are really unnecessary (but they didn't ask my opinion about them) in-between parts of the show or coming back from commercials.

 

Fortunately, I haven't 'paid' for their operations/changes/umpteen channels since I cut the sat-cord years ago. One less bill I didn't have the $$$$ for.

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  • 2 months later...

That's pretty crazy that they built a new huge studio solely for the NFL. They even made it a point of emphasis that the studio will not be used for anything other than NFL shows. Every other sport will stay in their current studios in Digital Center 1. They've got two main anchor desks and like 3 or 4 mini desks in the new studio, all for just the NFL.

 

That just goes to show you how obsessed with the NFL ESPN is. Everything else is second fiddle. (although the NBA and college football/basketball are a step above how they treat MLB, NHL, and everything else)

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They're doing the 7 PM ET SportsCenter NFL recap from the SportsCenter studio rather than the NFL studio, which they used to use for this show for the past 5 years or so. I'm not sure if it's only because Berman is out tonight as he is travelling to Arizona for the Monday Night game or if they'll always do the 7 PM NFL recap from the SportsCenter studio even once Berman gets back.

 

I'm also curious if "The Blitz" is still around on the late Sunday SportsCenter and which studio it will be done from.

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