Hopefully it's not an April Fools joke and hopefully this wasn't already posted but I didn't see it anywhere.

The LA studio opens next Monday (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i81e87508e923955f4840c257c71c2592) and apparently they'll switch the BottomLine/SportsCenter graphics over at that time.


http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2009/04/sportscenter02.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1x1mvb2W23Q/SdN3Secs2EI/AAAAAAAABGI/VAVHpEKWM9w/s400/sc1.jpg

New SportsCenter intro found here: http://vimeo.com/3944854

Graphics set looks like its going to match the ESPNews set which I figured would be most likely to happen eventually.

I can't really tell for sure from those pics but the bottomline better be lower on the screen than the current one, otherwise I will be PISSED.

source: http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2009/04/sports-center-is-getting-makeover-new.html

Not an April Fool's joke, new graphics are coming. They'll start with the first live SportsCenter on Monday at 9:00 AM EDT.

I saw the video - too long for the opening.

Sigh... I miss the blue screen opening with the swooping "SportsCenter" - you know, the days of Dan and Keith.

Why do they have to put so much crap on the screen I hate ESPN anyways so it don't matter to me I nly watch live sporting events and PTI the rest is pure garbage as far as I am concerned.

Well the left bar won't be there during the nightly SportsCenter editions, and if you forget about that, I feel like it is about the same if not just a tiny bit more simpler in terms of amount of stuff on the screen. They way they have it now they cram a bunch of stuff into the boxes made for the info

And you thought the sets/graphics for PTI, Around the Horn, and Jim Rome looked outdated before...

Well, I guess Jim Rome will move to the new LA studio.

I swear it must be someone with raging ADHD that designs this stuff for ESPN. You just cannot follow it all

As someone mentioned earlier, its looks like the graphics on ESPN News.

I swear it must be someone with raging ADHD that designs this stuff for ESPN. You just cannot follow it all

Bingo I think you are right on.

Is this only for SportsCenter? It's too much to have on during a live event.

It's like looking at the video wall at your local Best Buy if they had all the panels tuned to different stations. Has anyone told them about the revenue opportunity of pop ups yet?

I think their primary goal is just to make their game screens look less cluttered by comparison.

Idiocracy, here we come.

Somebody needs to explain to them that more is not always better. Great analogy CPanther that is exactly what it looks like.

http://www.ilounge.com/images/uploads/idiocracy3.jpg

Is this only for SportsCenter? It's too much to have on during a live event.

It's for the late night and morning sportscenters.... they already use a similar graphics package - this is just a redesign/facelift.

Obviously it isn't for live events.

Considering the nature of the show - I think its just fine.... people tune in for information. (The morning shows are more heaving on info than highlight packages, which people tend to prefer on the 11pm show, which is why that is free of this set of graphics)

Intro is waaaay too long. Lost interest after 20 seconds.

Too much crap on the screen, as usual. Hopefully we will be able to get 50% of the screen for highlights.

Just even more reasons why I barely watch SC, if at all.

Why do we need an ESPN News 2?

i like all the info....im not 80 years old.

I am monumentally confused by those saying "too much information" on the screen. The point of both these screens is to display the scores/stats. Of course there's a bunch of information on the screen. Do you people even watch ESPN? These comments suggest no.

These graphics are no different from the current format/display. They're just slicker looking.

Of course that's the point - display as many scores and stats from a variety of different sports all at the same time - and all while reserving about 15% of the screen for a display of what's going to come up next.

And don't forget the numerous commercial breaks from a subscription pay channel (a channel that gets almost the same amount of money as HBO) that can't seem to pick up the stupid ticker where they left off when you were staring at it during the 6 minutes since the previous commercial break.....

I am monumentally confused by those saying "too much information" on the screen. The point of both these screens is to display the scores/stats. Of course there's a bunch of information on the screen. Do you people even watch ESPN? These comments suggest no.

These graphics are no different from the current format/display. They're just slicker looking.
What is the purpose of ESPN News then? If I wanted to see highlights I would watch ESPN. If I was a numbers junkie and cared about all that, ESPN News.

And don't forget the numerous commercial breaks from a subscription pay channel (a channel that gets almost the same amount of money as HBO) that can't seem to pick up the stupid ticker where they left off when you were staring at it during the 6 minutes since the previous commercial break.....

Considering we pay so much for this channel, why can't the ticker stay on screen during commercials? It's ESPN. Advertisers will still buy ad time on that channel. It should be like CNBC, no stopping for 'breaks'.

That is something that irritates me beyond belief. They're running some long sentence on the ticker and POOF! it's gone in a commercial break. And of course the thing starts all over again after the break. :mad:

It's for the late night and morning sportscenters.... they already use a similar graphics package - this is just a redesign/facelift.
Describe "late night." The pictures in the first post read 10:16 ET. I wouldn't call that the late night edition of SportsCenter.

Like it or not, ESPN just keeps taking more screen space. MNF was a big slap in our face after they claimed they were giving the viewer more room.

What is the purpose of ESPN News then? If I wanted to see highlights I would watch ESPN. If I was a numbers junkie and cared about all that, ESPN News.There's no doubt that ESPNEWS is just SportsCenter 24/7. But so what? It's sports. You can't just have a blank highlight or just some face reading statistics off the teleprompter. There is a multi-billion dollar fantasy sports industry (that ESPN helped create) that depends on this information, to say nothing of the multi-billion dollar sports commentariat that pours over this data and empowers that fantasy sports industry.

Stats aren't going anywhere. There's no value in doing a stats-free sports report. If you want long form feature pieces or in-depth sports reporting, you need to watch Outside the Lines, E:60, 60 Minutes, or Real Sports.

And ESPNEWS keeps the ticker on during commercials. But there's a larger point I haven't addressed that the SportsCenter screen has no-where near the information overload that you can get on ESPNEWS.

They should start a Nerd "Sports" network for fantasy sport players. Or just run player stats on a Dungeon & Dragons channel or when they log in to play their sports video games online.

Let the real fans get their real sports unmolested by stats that could easily be retrieved online - assuming the fantasy players' computers aren't occupied monitoring the health of their virtual pets - or seeing if their Facebook page was visited by an actual real girl.

They should start a Nerd "Sports" network for fantasy sport players. Or just run player stats on a Dungeon & Dragons channel or when they log in to play their sports video games online.

Let the real fans get their real sports unmolested by stats that could easily be retrieved online - assuming the fantasy players' computers aren't occupied monitoring the health of their virtual pets - or seeing if their Facebook page was visited by an actual real girl.
I wanna give you a hug. Although I do confess I do have a fb page. :)

Snarky but pretty off the mark as far as I can tell. Fantasy sports is just the 2% of the iceberg you can see above the water. The 98% you don't see is the incredibly vast and invested world of sports gambling.

It's no coincidence that ESPN struck gold with the WSOP. They know their audience.

That 2% of the iceberg represents 90% of the clutter of our sports presentation. Professional gamblers typically have internet access and don't generally rely on a game broadcast to compile their player stats.

Very off the mark....

Considering the bottom line barely shows any stats.... its most scores with a brief stat summary... anyone into fantasy sports isn't watching sportscenter for that...

the "bulk" of the graphics is informing the viewer of the upcoming stories to be covered... what does that have to do with fantasy sports? or gambling?

That 2% of the iceberg represents 90% of the clutter of our sports presentation. Professional gamblers typically have internet access and don't generally rely on a game broadcast to compile their player stats.The stats are on TV because so many people watch sporting events in sports bars, where they don't have internet access.

the "bulk" of the graphics is informing the viewer of the upcoming stories to be covered... what does that have to do with fantasy sports? or gambling?It's well documented that SportsCenter has a ratings problem due to the glut of sports analysis on ESPN. Why go to Sportscenter for any information when you've got ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, NBA Fastbreak, etc. etc. unless you see a story on the queue that you're interested in.

I don't see it as the "bulk." It's outside the 4:3 frame. Half the time it's just covering the wing, and there's no time when it's covering actual meaningful information since, as we whine about everyday, everything on television is framed for the 4:3 viewer.

I was referring to the graphics on display during the sports programming. The SportsCenter philosophy of packing in as much info beyond the primary topic of discussion bleeds over into their on screen graphics of game presentations.

Not that ESPN is alone - all the networks are catering to the fantasy-weenies at the expense of the real fans.

How does that change anything? The data is on TV because most people watch sports in a sports bar where they don't have Internet access.

The scores during March Madness are all online too. But does anyone really think putting the scores to concurrent games on the screen is a waste of space? How is the ESPN ticker telling sports scores from other events any different? It's not. And why do people care about what the scores are in the other NCAA games? Because they're gambling on them. This explains the entire philosophy behind on-screen sports graphics.

The stats are on TV because so many people watch sporting events in sports bars, where they don't have internet access.

And if you are watching a football game in a sports bar - what do you need receiving/passing/rushing statistics from other games for - updated in real time throughout the broadcast?

The answer is, you don't. The guys at a sports bar watching a game want to drink beer and watch the game unfold. The only ones staring at the ticker are the ones sitting at a table alone because their internet date never showed up, or the guys bussing the tables to accumulate enough cash to pay the artwork charge for the custom pocket protectors printed with their fantasy football league logo.

Obviously it isn't for live events.



What if they did, who would stop them, not us!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is pure Idiocracy.

And if you are watching a football game in a sports bar - what do you need receiving/passing/rushing statistics from other games for - updated in real time throughout the broadcast?

What kind of real sports fan doesn't care about what's happening in other games around the league? You aren't interested to know whether a division rival is winning or losing? How that might influence which teams make the playoffs? Whether one player that you hate/like is having a really good game or a really bad game? Whether other teams are winning/losing because of offense, defense, turnovers, etc?

Most "real" sports fans seem to obsess about being the best armchair analyst among the people they know. That generally requires having some knowledge about how other teams and players play. Football is probably one of the sports where it matters less to some degree, but baseball or basketball? How do you hold a conversation about sports without knowing anything about what's going on?

But keep pontificating about imaginary fantasy nerd virgins rather than taking one second to consider that "real" sports fans obsess over stats all the time.

fantasy nerd virgins

Mind if I borrow that? :D

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2009/04/sportscenter02.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1x1mvb2W23Q/SdN3Secs2EI/AAAAAAAABGI/VAVHpEKWM9w/s400/sc1.jpg

Although as a graphic designer I'll admit that I really like the look, I wonder when the "let's make everything look all shiny and glassy" fad will pass.

remember the SNL skit when the news anchors had to stretch to see each other with all the graphics on the screen:

"whats that there now ?"

"it looks like a picture of the terminator"


thats skits gotta be on youtube.... a classic.

ps - the yanks are losing (again) on that espn graphic above....sweet.

remember the SNL skit when the news anchors had to stretch to see each other with all the graphics on the screen:

"whats that there now ?"

"it looks like a picture of the terminator"


thats skits gotta be on youtube.... a classic.

That skit was the inspiration for CNBC HD "+"

Describe "late night." The pictures in the first post read 10:16 ET. I wouldn't call that the late night edition of SportsCenter.

Me neither, because it's probably the live morning edition.

Me neither, because it's probably the live morning edition.The Yankees are playing in Cleveland at 10 am?

ps - the yanks are losing (again) on that espn graphic above....sweet.
They've also got the Celtics beating the Lakers in the NBA semi finals, which is impossible. :eek:

The Yankees are playing in Cleveland at 10 am?

Well, the information in the screenshot is just for show. There is plenty of things wrong with it.

The Lakers and Celtics played in the NBA Finals, not Semi Finals (which would be impossible as it is). They also wouldn't be crediting footage to Comcast SportsNet West in a game between those two teams. The Diamondbacks haven't played the Rays since 2006, and aren't scheduled to this year. The Yankees are paired with the Dodgers on the left side, while being in a game in progress vs. the Indians on the bottom line. And the bottomline and sidebar info is nearly identical between the two shots.

it is just a mockup, and the info inside is irrelevant. And if anyone thinks the score will be displayed on the side, while the entire highlight is inside that slanted box, they must not be thinking straight. The highlight is going to be shown in full within the graphical window, and probably transition into the screen you see there.

Too bad this doesn't carry over to SC, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1059567

Too bad this doesn't carry over to SC, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1059567
Aside from the fact that the changes talked about in that thread were almost universally hated, the concept doesn't apply to SC at all.

Just from looking at it, it's hard to judge anything without actually seeing the show. This just looks to be a long needed update to their insert graphics look which is circa 2003ish. The remote look in contrast was updated in 2006 with the advent of MNF on ESPN, the studio shows have fallen far behind because (1) they are still heavily DEKO dependent, and (2) Sportscenter (to my knowledge) apart from ESPNEWS is the only all-VIZ studio show on ESPN. I would imagine the LA studio was built as an all-VIZ facility, so this would make sense. What I would be surprised to see is if they completely replaced their 2004 Troika animation package (which was groundbreaking in its day) for a new animation look (which even after 5 years is still pretty fresh looking).

The other thing to remember is that for all the flack they get, most of the graphics gurus at ESPN, or that ESPN contracts are the best in the business and the graphics execs have been in the game since the old ABC sports days of the 70s and 80s. The other networks generally look to ESPN (or ESPN's contractors) when it comes time to integrate their look and if you pay close enough attention to just about everyone broadcasting sports, they're borrowing a lot of concepts. If you peruse the reels of some of these companies, Troika, Prologue, BUCK, The Syndicate/CafeFX, Reality Check, etc and see their resumes it becomes apparent that this isn't just 3 guys fidgeting in a room for new ideas, but some real high end talent at work, especially if you are savy enough to know the ins-and-outs of the motion graphics world, you quickly discover that the sports broadcasters (particurally CBS, TNT and ESPN -- NBC does almost everything in-house) tend to sit on the forefront of technology and design conceptualization. Much of innovation in television these days is being driven by sports. It's only genre that is competitive enough and has the money enough to make that happen.

Look at the new MLB-TV, their studio shows are almost a carbon copy of ESPN. NFL Network...same thing. NBC Football Night in America, visually mimics ESPN's style on highlights. I would suggest before people make up their mind they don't like something, let the show air first.

I saw the video - too long for the opening.

Intro is waaaay too long. Lost interest after 20 seconds.
I'm pretty sure that's simply a sample of tease templates they can use for various video elements (SD/HD/Sound Bites. etc.) and won't be that long in a normal show.

Well this fantasy nerd (not a virgin), hates the graphic clutter too. It is ridiculous what the networks do to ruin our HD pictures. Sportscenter is unwatchable and has been for a long time and it doesn't have to do with graphics only.

Tracking stats and for that matter getting my sports news is what the computer is for, I don't need them bashed into my head on the screen. I was a real sports fan before Al invented the internet and will have something NFL related put in my coffin with me. I'm offended by the stereotype. :P :)

I don't know if this is too off topic but since we are talking about ESPN graphics, does anyone know why the scorebug isn't in HD on ESPN-HD? The picture is crystal clear but the 'ESPN' and the gold trim on the bar looks like it is still SD.

I don't know if this is too off topic but since we are talking about ESPN graphics, does anyone know why the scorebug isn't in HD on ESPN-HD? The picture is crystal clear but the 'ESPN' and the gold trim on the bar looks like it is still SD.

is this the bottom line or the scoreboard?

http://i40.tinypic.com/4zwwp0.jpg

I tweaked the BottomLine a little bit. This could definitely be done with ESPN's Real Time capabilities (it works fine on ESPNews and BBTN).

It occurs to me that the current BottomLine went live on Opening Day 2003 (as did ESPN HD). Any particular reason why ESPN seems to time these things with Opening Day?

is this the bottom line or the scoreboard?
scoreboard.

It occurs to me that the current BottomLine went live on Opening Day 2003 (as did ESPN HD). Any particular reason why ESPN seems to time these things with Opening Day?
ESPN often times things for the beginning of April or September. It's how they roll. It prevents a lot of changes midway through either baseball or football seasons. Since they usually tweak the graphics for the MLB playoffs and WS, it's not a big deal to have a look change then.

They do also occasionally introduce a new studio set before the end of a fiscal year for tax reasons - they can include that expenditure if it's used within that period.

I thought one of the side benefits of a bad economy would be some layoffs in the graphics dept at ESPN (or at least transfer some people from graphics to Tony Kornhieser makeup dept...that has to be huge. Don't want to see anyone lose their job). I'll go anywhere else but ESPN now for my sports info just because my HD plasma screen has been turned into my computer screen. People at ESPN don't seem to understand what HD-16x9 is all about.

They've also got the Celtics beating the Lakers in the NBA semi finals, which is impossible. :eek:

Not to mention winning by 27...in Overtime :rolleyes:

I wouldn't expect wholesale changes to the look of Sportscenter anytime soon. Like I said this is probably just an updating of their studio insert graphics package, the new Sportscenter set in LA is almost a carbon copy of the one in Bristol (not two stories though), and it seems as if they've kept the Troika animation package intact (which wouldn't surprise me in this economy as animation looks are expensive, especially on a show with as many elements as Sportscenter). If you've paid close enough attention to some of the other studio shows bits and pieces of some of the new look have made their way into VIZ fullscreens here and there.

You guys are bashing the graphics for being too busy... but do you really think it's going to matter? No matter what kind of graphics set they have they are still going to cram as much stats as they want to have into there.

And for those complaining about the intro being too long or the data in the images being kind of off, obviously they are just sample images and aren't from a show or anything... Wait until you see the show in the morning before judging...

I like how both teams are 21 and 32 and in the semi-finals.

I like how both teams are 21 and 32 and in the semi-finals.

The Knicks and Clippers are probably in the other semi final!

Have they switched it up yet? I forgot to check this morning.

Have they switched it up yet? I forgot to check this morning.

The 9am SC Live is when it switches. Last night, the anchors made a bit of a slip, said the Monday, 1AM edition would be the first out of the LA studios. I recorded today's 1AM, but it was still from Bristol. I think they meant the Tuesday 1AM ET/Monday 10PM PT would be the first from LA.

The new look isn't bad. Basically updating the look that was already in place. I like how the lower thirds are much less dominant than they used to be. Everything is a little more Viz-ified, but it's not bad.

Espn classic also has the new bottomline

As a TV guy who constantly battles oversized fonts covering up half the screen, I think they got it right this time around. Definitely went for a less-is-more approach, the topic bars and upper lefts are a HUGE improvement. Everything carries a much lower profile. The overall look is a bit bolder in some ways, but it follows the same basic design scheme. This show has progressively become more rock-and-roll than news show. ESPN Creative Services are certainly the kings of one-upsmanship when it comes to bells and whistles. This might be the most ambitious package on the air right now.

The lower third is a massive improvement. ESPN definitely gave some of the screen back to the viewer with this update. I just wish it was standard across the rest of the studio shows.

Which time slots are going to be from LA?

which time slots are going to be from la?

10 pm pt/1 am et

Anyone have screencaps for those of us displaced from the US for the time being?

The BottomLine seems less obtrusive now. Well done ESPN.

I have noticed on the SD feed that since the team names don't fold in, there is not a lot of room for information like outs, etc. I wonder if that will change. The old BottomLine used to fold team names into three letter abbreviations for putting real time game data on the screen.

The lower third is a massive improvement. ESPN definitely gave some of the screen back to the viewer with this update. I just wish it was standard across the rest of the studio shows.

Yea I'm not sure how they plan to implement that. The other four Digital Center control rooms would have to be outfitted as fully VizRT, (like ESPNEWS and Sportscenter) which carries a hefty pricetag. VIZs can run 50K per engine and you're easily talking 12 or more engines to provide three discreet channels per control room which is what they have now with the existing Dekos, though with rumors that AVID is phasing out their Deko line, ESPN may make this switch soon or look to ORAD, Chyron or Harris for a less expensive solution for realtime 3D.

LOVE the new bottomline, it is definitely a little smaller and lower on the screen, and it runs through the information much faster.

that said I wish they weren't so dependent on having it on the screen, especially during afternoon events on ESPN, when the same information runs through and is seen every 2 minutes.

I wonder when they will change the scoreboard for the games...its too big

I wonder when they will change the scoreboard for the games...its too big

what? what are u talking about. The scorebugs? It took almost 2.5 years to get the latest look fully implemented, remotes and studio shows are entirely different ballgames when it comes to rollling out new material.

It took almost 2.5 years to get the latest look fully implemented
That's unfortunate, because ESPN's score bug is easily the worst one of any sports network.

So it looks like the new style BottomLine is only going to be used during the day. Both ESPNHD and ESPN2HD are back to the old style BottomLine.

So it looks like the new style BottomLine is only going to be used during the day. Both ESPNHD and ESPN2HD are back to the old style BottomLine.
That's kind of dumb. I wonder if there were problems with the new BottomLine, and they had to switch back to the old one.

Not a fan of the BottomLine during any live event.

Yeah, there seemed to be a problem with the BottomLine this afternoon. Although I liked the speed the information was rotating through at, it was going pretty damn fast. That and information seemed to be overlapping and small bugs here and there would pop up in the info. So probably something related to that.

I agree with the BottomLine thing during any live event^, 28/58 updates are enough, especially with the use of cell phones and internet to check live sports scores. It's really not necessary.

broke on the 1st day eh....maybe abc should raise their espn highest in the business per person subscriber fee because obviously their r&d dept cant work on that lowly income.

Please, TURN OFF THE BOTTOMLINE during a live event. It's the worst thing about Espn.

I can't watch the A's-Angels game - the animated snipe (a-la CNN) over and over on the right side of the bottom line telling me "Baseball Tonight" is on ESPN2 is too distracting. ESPN has gone off the deep end taking more and more screen space away from us, especially during AM "SportsCenter"

I wonder if there were problems with the new BottomLine, and they had to switch back to the old one.

You're probably right. The new bottom line looked great. On the HD channels, it seems to sit a few pixels lower than the old one. I did notice some glitches, with a few instances of overlapping/unreadable text. I hope they get it back up and running soon.

I can't watch the A's-Angels game - the animated snipe (a-la CNN) over and over on the right side of the bottom line telling me "Baseball Tonight" is on ESPN2 is too distracting. ESPN has gone off the deep end taking more and more screen space away from us, especially during AM "SportsCenter"
Uhhh, what do they want me to watch? The game or BBT?

Why is the new bottomline gone already? I really liked it

Why is the new bottomline gone already? I really liked it
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16211247#post16211247

Closeups in LA actually look pretty good even on Lavin. Not a lot of dialing down the detail.

The old BottomLine is still in place. It would definitely appear that they had some trouble with the new one, and had to take it down to tweak it. I did notice some glitches when it was running yesterday.

overall I do like the new BL. I hope they fix it and bring it back.

overall I do like the new BL. I hope they fix it and bring it back.
I doubt they're going to throw the whole thing away because it had some glitches on it's first day.

More fancy graphics still same annoying Johnathan Coachman, and lame blurry sidebars, and ESPHD black bars.


Coachman should go back to WWE.

The old BottomLine is still in place. It would definitely appear that they had some trouble with the new one, and had to take it down to tweak it. I did notice some glitches when it was running yesterday.

Which seemed like an inevitable outcome on its first day of real time use. Which begs the question why ESPN always rolls this stuff out on a big day rather than launching soft a few days before just to be safe.

More fancy graphics still same annoying Johnathan Coachman, and lame blurry sidebars, and ESPHD black bars.


whats wrong with the pillars?

so when is the new bottom line going to come back....I really liked the new look it looked like ESPNNews

Well, I won't be watching much of the LA Sportscenters. Not because of graphics, productions and the like, but because it appears they are top-heavy with Stuart Scott, who may just be the WORST broadcaster in TV history. I don't like reaching for my gangsta-slang dictionary whenever I watch my sports highlights. And if that's politically incorrect then tell me what else you would call what he does?

I don't mind the graphics and bottom line though - I've become pretty immune to these subtles changes in the age of info overload.

Sangs,

I agree anytime I see Stewart Scott I change the channel I don't know how this guy still has a job in broadcasting.

Sangs,

I agree anytime I see Stewart Scott I change the channel I don't know how this guy still has a job in broadcasting.

Hey, the kids love him apparently.

Now, I'm not an old fuddy duddy (39) and I get that guys need a shtick to be recognized, but his is so beyond awful that I cannot describe. I tried to like him when I learned about his glass eye and that he battled cancer (and won), but I couldn't even muster some sympathy watching. I will admit to saying "Boo-ya!" a few times though, but that started about 10 years ago.

Hey, the kids love him apparently.

Now, I'm not an old fuddy duddy (39) and I get that guys need a shtick to be recognized, but his is so beyond awful that I cannot describe. I tried to like him when I learned about his glass eye and that he battled cancer (and won), but I couldn't even muster some sympathy watching. I will admit to saying "Boo-ya!" a few times though, but that started about 10 years ago.

I would suggest you reading the book about how ESPN came about I forget the title but this guy along with others really gives ESPN a black eye. I am not sure why woman still work there.

I would suggest you reading the book about how ESPN came about I forget the title but this guy along with others really gives ESPN a black eye. I am not sure why woman still work there.

Oh, I read it. ESPN - The Uncensored History by Mike Freeman. Problem, is I know the writer and had a beef with him a few years back when he was with the NY Times. (I used to cover the NFL for a newspaper.) He's a bit of a back-stabbing hack.

Oh, I read it. ESPN - The Uncensored History by Mike Freeman. Problem, is I know the writer and had a beef with him a few years back when he was with the NY Times. (I used to cover the NFL for a newspaper.) He's a bit of a back-stabbing hack.

That is interesting do you think some of the stuff in the book was made up?

That is interesting do you think some of the stuff in the book was made up?

Oh, I wouldn't say that. There have certainly been enough stories detailing the hijinx at ESPN over the years (Olberman, Tirico, Gary Miller) for me to believe most of it is true. But I'm betting some embelishment happened in the book. Plus Freeman was busted for lying on his resume. It cost him a job with the Indy Star.

More fancy graphics still same annoying Johnathan Coachman, and lame blurry sidebars, and ESPHD black bars.


Coachman should go back to WWE.

Oh no! There better not be more of that. I liked the new bottom line graphics(on all the channels), but if they dump the plain, dark "ESPNHD" sidebars in favor of that blur crap, the channel is dead to me! :mad:

I don't get the comments about "blurry sidebars"... This is ESPN we're talking about. Same ESPNHD and ESPN2HD sidebars as always.

I think they mean when they put a 4:3 picture in the center of the screen and then fill the wings with picture from the same image dramatically blurred to create a window-type effect in the wings. I have no idea why that would be offensive to the eye.

I think they mean when they put a 4:3 picture in the center of the screen and then fill the wings with picture from the same image dramatically blurred to create a window-type effect in the wings. I have no idea why that would be offensive to the eye.

the jets do that on their SNYHD weekly show....its annoying because sometimes like when the ball carrier moves to the edge of the 4x3 pic he is then also shown in the blurred part as well & its wierd seeing 2 people with the ball at the same time.

I think they mean when they put a 4:3 picture in the center of the screen and then fill the wings with picture from the same image dramatically blurred to create a window-type effect in the wings. I have no idea why that would be offensive to the eye.
Okay then. Now I get it...but I'm overly concerned about it. Thanks you.

Oh no! There better not be more of that. I liked the new bottom line graphics(on all the channels), but if they dump the plain, dark "ESPNHD" sidebars in favor of that blur crap, the channel is dead to me! :mad:
I've never seen the blurry sidebars on live content, only taped. I don't even know if there is equipment out there that can generate them live.

I still don't understand why they are using the new graphics but the old bottom line.

I still don't understand why they are using the new graphics but the old bottom line.
The new BottomLine broke. Is it really that hard to understand?

The new BottomLine broke. Is it really that hard to understand?

Ha, I understand that. I don't understand how it could break, especially still being broken what, 3 days in now.

Ha, I understand that. I don't understand how it could break, especially still being broken what, 3 days in now.
That I don't know.

I long for the days when we could just sit back and watch the game without all the graphics. Back in the 80's and early 90's, the graphics would pop up after a pitch or basket and then disappear. It was more like being at the game. Now we have to look around, over and under screen clutter or more properly, visual pollution, just to see the game. Makes me want to go back to the ballpark more often.

I've never seen the blurry sidebars on live content, only taped. I don't even know if there is equipment out there that can generate them live.

They can be done live.

I've never seen the blurry sidebars on live content, only taped. I don't even know if there is equipment out there that can generate them live.

Absolutely they can be done live and oftentimes are. All it is is a DVE effect where the same image is scaled up and blurred, then the original is keyed over the top. This is pretty commonly done live. ESPN has traditionally been very picky about how they use pillars though they're not nearly as uniform about it these days as they used to be.

Generally speaking the rules are that normal content, i.e. highlights, general b-roll, 4:3 game feeds, etc get the standard black/grey ESPNHD pillars. Montages, teases, stylistic features and bumpers with 4:3 content get blurry pillars (as a form of vignette -- animation overlays like the Sportscenter or Baseball Tonight bumper look would look horrid over black/grey pillar boxes). Live shots get special colored pillars usually blue (though Sportscenter now has a new live shot pillar look). Pillars typically never go in monitors on set (though this rule gets occasionaly overlooked) it is preferred that video is upscaled to fit the display. Stretching is never allowed.

If the piece of video is all 4:3 then pillars (of whatever variety) are generally added live in the control room, to avoid excess render time in edit and/or the fact that the same piece of footage might be used across shows and networks. (this gets a little hairy for TD's during scenarios where you would go from one pillar look to another such as going between a live shot to a bumper). Obviously video with mixed SD/HD content has to be pillared in edit with the network of first airing, so if a piece of video is cut for Sportscenter with ESPNHD pillars, and it gets reused on Nascar Now on ESPN2, they don't have to completely recut the video, that would get obnoxious given the enormous amount of cross utilization of footage.

They can be done live.
I realize that it's possible to generate them live, maybe I should have phrased it a little differently: I don't think there's a little self-contained box that can generate them live, like sidebars are generated now.

I realize that it's possible to generate them live, maybe I should have phrased it a little differently: I don't think there's a little self-contained box that can generate them live, like sidebars are generated now.

They black/grey pillars are just a still in the Kalypso still store. The blurrys are a transform engine effect within the switcher. On remotes they're generally done with a DVEOUS.

I don't understand how it could break, especially still being broken what, 3 days in now.


maybe berman & golic sat on it.

maybe berman & golic sat on it.

LMAO that is great and probably true

I long for the days when we could just sit back and watch the game without all the graphics. Back in the 80's and early 90's, the graphics would pop up after a pitch or basket and then disappear. It was more like being at the game. Now we have to look around, over and under screen clutter or more properly, visual pollution, just to see the game. Makes me want to go back to the ballpark more often.

Well said...

I long for the days when we could just sit back and watch the game without all the graphics. Back in the 80's and early 90's, the graphics would pop up after a pitch or basket and then disappear. It was more like being at the game. Now we have to look around, over and under screen clutter or more properly, visual pollution, just to see the game. Makes me want to go back to the ballpark more often.

not me....i couldnt imagine watching 4 games at once on sunday ticket & keeping track of the score, down & distance, time left for each game....id be brain fried.

I long for the days when we could just sit back and watch the game without all the graphics. Back in the 80's and early 90's, the graphics would pop up after a pitch or basket and then disappear. It was more like being at the game. Now we have to look around, over and under screen clutter or more properly, visual pollution, just to see the game. Makes me want to go back to the ballpark more often.
It'd be cool if there were a way to have the bottom line and onscreen graphics come in as optional screen components... like closed captioning or an alternate audio stream comes in today. Since I'm pretty sure that doesn't exist, how about "ESPN Live!" and "ESPN"... one would be graphic-laden or "info heavy" (more suitable for use in bars/restaurants/dcowboy7's living room) and the other could be a "clean feed" (more suitable for use in JWhip's living room). (And dcowboy7, this is *NOT* a knock on you at all... I often have a boatload of sports up at any given time, and I can completely see the value in both having all the information available, but I can also see the value in having an unobstructed view. I know I'd like to have the option available, because sometimes I am in the mood for that info and other times not.)

Sure it'd require two times the bandwidth, but I can dream, no?

It'd be cool if there were a way to have the bottom line and onscreen graphics come in as optional screen components... like closed captioning or an alternate audio stream comes in today.
That would be extremely cool. Although it would be pretty complicated, and isn't realistic with today's STBs.

You can always follow the scores with the web. I would rather have my screen clear.

You can always follow the scores with the web. I would rather have my screen clear.
Well I'm not a crotchety old man who grew up without graphics, so I definitely want the score on the screen.

You can always follow the scores with the web. I would rather have my screen clear.

again how everyone watches is different but i would even miss them taking away the 40 second clock ticking down between plays....u know like when its going 03..02..01 & your screaming at the qb to snap the ball already !!

The score should always been on the screen. We just need better use of transparency and less emphasis on flashy designs.

That would be extremely cool. Although it would be pretty complicated, and isn't realistic with today's STBs.
This is true -- but in a world where bandwidth isn't an issue, we could simply carry duplicate copies of the channel. :) Imagine if instead of SAP we simply carried two versions of the same channel, just with different audio. Apply this to sports programming and voila. Of course, there's that whole problem with finding the world with all the extra bandwidth.

The score should always been on the screen. We just need better use of transparency and less emphasis on flashy designs.
ESPN's MNF bug would be perfect if they just got rid of the solid background.

Amazing the amount of crap people need to just watch a football game. Play clock? blah, either they get the play off or not. The ref can handle that. Down and distance, I could live with it going up between plays, but I can follow a game good enough to keep up with that too. Give me the MOST field of play you can put on the screen..I'll figure out the rest.

And one more thing, the more games you try to watch at once, the less you enjoy them all.

And one more thing, the more games you try to watch at once, the less you enjoy them all.

not when your winning $$ on them.

ESPN's MNF bug would be perfect if they just got rid of the solid background.

to me the espn/abc college football box is the best as u also get the aformentioned 40 second clock constant + timeouts left per team.

Amazing the amount of crap people need to just watch a football game. Play clock? blah, either they get the play off or not.




That kind of stuff is there to sell the game. That is how you sell anticipation, excitement, and tension. Watch a broadcast from the 60’s and it’s very bland compared to today’s game. As much as we old fogies would like things to be the way they were, I believe we would become very bored with those broadcasts. I’ve watched enough ‘old’ games to know that as much as I hate the excessive talk and graphics we have today; to go back to the 60’s would not be a good move.

ESPN changed their NBA score-box tonight, new graphics to coincide with LA opening probably.

Anybody notice they've updated the graphics look for the NBA remotes. It's now a variation on the Monday Night Football graphic, though takes up mcuh less screen real estate. Appears the be the same formula of score bar with no lower thirds, though appears to be executed somewhat similarly to FSN's new look. Kinda surprised they didn't wait till the playoffs though.

I like the new NBA scoreboard/graphic. Very simplistic, sharp looking. Black background is somewhat opaque. If they could just go a step further and eliminate the useless "NBA Wednesday" graphic bar it would be about perfect.

I would guess a new MLB scoreboard could show itself this sunday night. On monday Jon Miller was referring that the 1st official sunday night baseball telecast would be this sunday.

I'd like the new NBA scoreboard a little more if they, like said above, got rid of the redundant "NBA WEDNESDAY" line and didn't frame the scoreboard to be above the BottomLine. It should be on the same plane as the ESPNHD to the right.

Wow, that is about as perfect as it gets. This bodes well for the return of MNF this fall.

I do wish ESPN would dump the old fashioned bug though. The score box says ESPN right in it, and they have a separate ESPN bug for replays in the top left corner.

Wow, that is about as perfect as it gets. This bodes well for the return of MNF this fall.
Yep. Looks like ESPN took our complaints to heart. I'll never understand how they thought all the wasted space was a good thing with the MNF bug, but that's apparently in the past now so it doesn't matter.

Hopefully the new bug carries over to ESPN on ABC.

With people complaining about the bottom line in other threads I'm surprised how much it is missed by the posts in this one.

With people complaining about the bottom line in other threads I'm surprised how much it is missed by the posts in this one.
The new BottomLine is a definite improvement to the old one.

The BottomLine has been off pretty much all day except during SportsCenter. It's even off now for halftime. I'm guessing they're working on getting the old one back up.

Honestly, I've been enjoying ESPN without it. Maybe it'll stay broken and someone will have an epiphany that we don't need it almost ever.

I like the new NBA scoreboard/graphic. Very simplistic, sharp looking. Black background is somewhat opaque. If they could just go a step further and eliminate the useless "NBA Wednesday" graphic bar it would be about perfect.

I would guess a new MLB scoreboard could show itself this sunday night. On monday Jon Miller was referring that the 1st official sunday night baseball telecast would be this sunday.

Possibly. I'd be curious to see how they'd execute something like this for MLB since its not as desirable to have a lower third bug in baseball. It would probably end up being more like the new Fox Box. Also Opening Day coincided with launching LA, i would've figured they would've rolled it out then.

It'd be cool if there were a way to have the bottom line and onscreen graphics come in as optional screen components... like closed captioning or an alternate audio stream comes in today.

Around 20 years ago, I assumed this sort of feature would be a part of the "interactive TV" that was promised for the far-off future. But back then, the full-time, on-screen graphics that we've become used to didn't even exist yet. But now, I doubt that we'll be seeing such an option anytime soon.

Possibly. I'd be curious to see how they'd execute something like this for MLB since its not as desirable to have a lower third bug in baseball. It would probably end up being more like the new Fox Box. Also Opening Day coincided with launching LA, i would've figured they would've rolled it out then.

Wouldn't they stagger these things? I mean, as much trouble as they've apparently had with the BottomLine, it wouldn't seem like a good idea to upend your entire events workflow when you've got tons of basketball and baseball games on the schedule and a remote crew deployed to Augusta for early round coverage of the Masters.

The BottomLine has been off pretty much all day except during SportsCenter. It's even off now for halftime. I'm guessing they're working on getting the old one back up.

Honestly, I've been enjoying ESPN without it. Maybe it'll stay broken and someone will have an epiphany that we don't need it almost ever.

The BottomLine is always off during NBA games unless they run long into the Sportscenter time window.

Wouldn't they stagger these things? I mean, as much trouble as they've apparently had with the BottomLine, it wouldn't seem like a good idea to upend your entire events workflow when you've got tons of basketball and baseball games on the schedule and a remote crew deployed to Augusta for early round coverage of the Masters.

Well for the team in Augusta, I don't think it really matters what kind of graphics they are running because I thought they, both CBS and ESPN, ran the same set as required by Augusta themselves.

Well for the team in Augusta, I don't think it really matters what kind of graphics they are running because I thought they, both CBS and ESPN, ran the same set as required by Augusta themselves.

They're doing a SportsCenter Masters special from Augusta the next few days. I don't know if they feed the graphics out of Bristol or what, but my guess is it's much more complicated to do a remote SportsCenter.

I'd like the new NBA scoreboard a little more if they, like said above, got rid of the redundant "NBA WEDNESDAY" line and didn't frame the scoreboard to be above the BottomLine. It should be on the same plane as the ESPNHD to the right.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to have the NBA Wednesday that large. I mean, do they really need to tell the viewer what day of the week it is in the biggest text on the entire screen?

I mean, do they really need to tell the viewer what day of the week it is in the biggest text on the entire screen?

They do the same thing with Monday Night Football.

At least the bottom bar 'NBA WEDNESDAY' is used to show stats as well. Would be better if it just popped out when they want to show stats though.

They're doing a SportsCenter Masters special from Augusta the next few days. I don't know if they feed the graphics out of Bristol or what, but my guess is it's much more complicated to do a remote SportsCenter.

Sportscenter should be using Sportscenter graphics even for a remote. Chances are they've taken an element reel down to the truck in Augusta and loaded all that stuff up. Though there is probably an integration room in Bristol that is handling the bulk of the Viz stuff.

I am neither old nor crotchety, at least I don't think so. Watched a replay of Game 4 of the Sixers sweep of the Lakers on DVD again and gee, no graphics duruing the game except after a basket is scored. The new score and time pops up and then is gone. Perfect. I am not sure how some of you can stand watching a game in person without a Fox Box or ticker projected on the field. I guess it is like a crackberry. Some can't live without one. I can't stand them and use them only when necessary. I don't need to be plugged in all the time. The Borg claim that resistance is futile. I will continue to resist being assimilated.

I am neither old nor crotchety, at least I don't think so. Watched a replay of Game 4 of the Sixers sweep of the Lakers on DVD again and gee, no graphics duruing the game except after a basket is scored. The new score and time pops up and then is gone. Perfect. I am not sure how some of you can stand watching a game in person without a Fox Box or ticker projected on the field. I guess it is like a crackberry. Some can't live without one. I can't stand them and use them only when necessary. I don't need to be plugged in all the time. The Borg claim that resistance is futile. I will continue to resist being assimilated.

I agree with almost everything, but you may be a little crotchety, JWhip....

Cynical but not crotchety and certainly not old!

I am not sure how some of you can stand watching a game in person without a Fox Box or ticker projected on the field.
Just like when you're watching TV, you never have to move your eyes too far to see the score.

I don't mind a scoreboard box on-screen, just not one that is overly instrusive and adds additional un-needed lines on the screen for "continunity" (FOX, SNY CBS NCAA, for example), or overlays viewing area (like ESPN MNF, the absolute worst).

I noticed that there was no bottom line this morning during sportcenter wonder if they are working on it now

I noticed that there was no bottom line this morning during sportcenter wonder if they are working on it now
The old BottomLine is still there right now.

what happens first ?

1. new bottom line is working again.
2. Kimmels show in HD next week.

I actually don't mind NBA WEDNEDSAY/NBA FRIDAY being there the whole time. I found the old score bar with the constant popping up and down somewhat annoying. It came across almost like a design flaw, like they were executing it in way that wasn't originally intended...and during the playoffs they'd just leave it popped up with whatever Division Game it was anyway. The elimination of lower third fonts in addition to the score bug is a major step forward.

Replace the boring ESPNHD Black bars with more flair!

Maybe a blue color, or red!

Replace the boring ESPNHD Black bars with more flair!

Maybe a blue color, or red!
What? It sounds like you've had enough flair for tonight...

What? It sounds like you've had enough flair for tonight...

Calm Down!

Oh please, no more flair on ESPN. Red/blue sidebars would make it tacky, like Big Ten HD.

The red score bar was so colorful. What a boring look now. Reminds me of new subdivisions where every house on the block is the same ugly beige color. What the hell is so wrong with some color?

I also wish someone would buy ABC from Disney to rid themselves from ESPN and bring back ABC Sports.

Are you kidding me? ESPN is one of the few things that makes Disney any real money these days. They're holding onto it with an iron fist. And ABC ratings have been decent for several years now (a far cry from where they were 10 years ago) with Lost, Desperate Housewives, Dancing With The Stars and Greys Anatomy leading the way.

Also it would really do ESPN little good to be bought by anyone else, editorial and synergy considerations aside Disney has been a great thing for ESPN; when you consider the push to go HD back in 2003 Disney bankrolled the Digital Center in Bristol which at the time was the most ambitious project of its time, then turned around a few years later and greenlit the LA facility as a 3gbps 1080p capable facility. The build out of the campus has been extraordinary, most of the facilities are brand new, not to mention forking over tons of bucks for their lucrative contracts with the NFL, NBA and NCAA. In this day in age its actually very rare to see a parent company invest so liberally in one of its franchises and to boot, Disney pretty much stays out of ESPN's way, especially in comparison to the heavy-handed approach Disney takes with Parks & Resorts and Features. It's a rare occasion to see Burbank execs prowling around Bristol, and when they do its very nondescript, maybe once a year. ESPN's management structure has also been unusually stable for the past decade and the business model (oft criticzed) has proven to be remarkably sound. It's hard to argue from a corporate standpoint, they'd be in better hands under someone else's management. Disney is after all the #2 media corporation, it would be hard to find someone who could offer more.

The loss of ABC Sports (even though most of the personnel have gone over to ESPN) was IMO an unfortunate loss to the sports media world, but from a corporate standpoint it makes sense. Why split the same branch of the company into two competing units just for the sake of culture, especially when the ESPN brand is more dominant. It was just smart consolidation on their part, though unfortunate for the sports afficiannado.

By the way before you go wishing for different colored pillars, you might want to be careful what you ask for. If you've ever seen a show with distracting pillars that has a lot of HD/SD mixed material (especially with quick cuts) that can become incredibly annoying very quickly. There's a reason they generally go with a more subtle look.

Okay ESPN you can bring back the new bottomline now...

What are they waiting on? How could there have been this major of an issue with it that they hadn't spotted before putting it on the air?


Also Chris Berman and John Saunders spotted on sportscenter.

I miss Kevin Neghandi!

They should start a Nerd "Sports" network for fantasy sport players. Or just run player stats on a Dungeon & Dragons channel or when they log in to play their sports video games online.

Let the real fans get their real sports unmolested by stats that could easily be retrieved online - assuming the fantasy players' computers aren't occupied monitoring the health of their virtual pets - or seeing if their Facebook page was visited by an actual real girl.


This coming from the guy who is a moderator on an internet message board called the AV SCIENCE FORUM with over 21,000 posts :rolleyes:

Isn't there a kettle somewhere you should be calling black?

Also Chris Berman and John Saunders spotted on sportscenter.

Was that supposed to make me want to watch or help me remember why I don't watch Sportscenter any more? (Referring to Berman, not Saunders)

This coming from the guy who is a moderator on an internet message board called the AV SCIENCE FORUM with over 21,000 posts :rolleyes:

Isn't there a kettle somewhere you should be calling black?

Sometimes those in nerd denial lash out at their own. Sad but true.

The Masters coverage on Espn last Thursday and Friday shows HOW GOOD Espn can look..no obnoxious crawls, etc...it was refreshing...

The Masters coverage on Espn last Thursday and Friday shows HOW GOOD Espn can look..no obnoxious crawls, etc...it was refreshing...

Amen

Amen

I thought it was Amen Corner? :)

Was that supposed to make me want to watch or help me remember why I don't watch Sportscenter any more? (Referring to Berman, not Saunders)

I can't argue that Berman gets annoying, but there are a few really good anchors on currently..John Anderson, Neil Everett, Scott Van Pelt, Stan Verrett to name a few. Man I do miss Kenny Mayne doing SC though..

New SportsCenter intro found here: http://vimeo.com/3944854


Watching the intro....

Is "Rollerball" a REAL sport now??

:confused:

The Masters coverage on Espn last Thursday and Friday shows HOW GOOD Espn can look..no obnoxious crawls, etc...it was refreshing...The Masters dictates what can be shown on the screen, not ESPN. Just watch the US Open in 2 months to see the abomination that is the PGA Tour on ESPN.

The Masters dictates what can be shown on the screen, not ESPN. Just watch the US Open in 2 months to see the abomination that is the PGA Tour on ESPN.

Hence my comment, "shows how good Espn can look". I'm fully aware of the control that Augusta National has over the broadcasts. I stand by my original point, live events don't have to have EVERY bit of info on the screen.

Okay ESPN you can bring back the new bottomline now...
No non no, get rid of it.

No non no, get rid of it.
Well, it's going to be there regardless. So, let's choose the better of the two.

I never thought I'd miss an on-screen clutter item this much. After seeing the cool new, ESPN News style bottom line, the old one just looks so ugly and shabby.

Are they still working on that new bottom line, sheesh, I saw it when it premiered a few weeks back and can't believe it still has not been fixed. Does anyone have any idea what's up did they just scrap it altogether or something. Doesn't make sense why it would take this long to put it back.

It must be really broken. Like start-from-scratch broken.

maybe they will "redebut" it on their nfl draft coverage saturday since the new scroll always seems to be tied to events.

Is the ABC scroll the HD one?

Kevin Neghandi spotted at ESPN Sportscenter Special!

I thought they fired him, I guess he was demoted.

Is the ABC scroll the HD one?
ABC's scroll is the SD one, with blank space on the sides to fill up the 16:9 area.

maybe they will "redebut" it on their nfl draft coverage saturday since the new scroll always seems to be tied to events.
http://espnmediasource.com/rs/filestore/1/4/3/1/0_a24133ac58b1c13/14310scr_5759da9207d49d5.jpg

http://espnmediasource.com/rs/filestore/1/4/3/1/0_a24133ac58b1c13/14310scr_5759da9207d49d5.jpg

is that a photoshop?

No it was in an ESPN press release about the draft being in HD for the first time.

WOW, Donald Brown is on the clock yet in Round 3 !! Now thats a Steal. :D

Well, since that's not the new BottomLine but looks like an alternate modified version so they can left-cut the HD feed for SD, it looks like this ongoing BottomLine mess won't affect the draft.

But I think dcowboy is probably right that the new BL will premiere following the draft. Maybe this was planned all along and the run on Opening Day was just a test?

Maybe this was planned all along and the run on Opening Day was just a test?
They can (and do) test this stuff off the air. The old BottomLine looks totally out of place during SportsCenter with the spiffy new graphics. There is no way ESPN meant for it to go down like this.

This image was also part of the press release, via Engadget HD (http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/04/23/espn-prepping-its-first-hd-nfl-draft-coverage/), with the old-style BottomLine.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadgethd.com/media/2009/04/espnnfldraft0903.jpg

This image was also part of the press release, via Engadget HD (http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/04/23/espn-prepping-its-first-hd-nfl-draft-coverage/), with the old-style BottomLine.
Yes, that's how it looked last year. They provided it for comparison.

Yes, that's how it looked last year. They provided it for comparison.

Yes, looked more like a 4x3 picture with the rest of the stuff (i.e. graphics, bottom line) filling in the remainder of the 16x9 area.

The new look keeps the 16x9 type picture, although shrunk, and changes the graphics package.

I will have to read about it here as I won't be able to watch the draft this year - I'll be away at a weekend event.

one final thing - ESPN: FIX. THE. DAMN. BOTTOM. LINE. GRAPHICS. :mad::mad::mad:

How difficult can this be....they change the scoreboard for the NBA without a glitch....why is this taking so long unless they just forgot about it

How difficult can this be....they change the scoreboard for the NBA without a glitch....why is this taking so long unless they just forgot about it
The scoreboard is just a slight modification from the MNF one that was used last season. The BottomLine is a completely different beast.

They're running a segment from Radio City during SportsCenter. If this is what it looks like tomorrow during the draft, it's going to be very disappointing. Looks DVD soft, so much so that the graphics look blurry. Maybe they cut corners because the picture is going to be resized?

I can't understand why shows like PTI, and AROUND THE HORN are not in HD.


:confused:

They are recorded in D.C., not Bristol or LA. That's why. Besides, unless ESPN is going to start broadcasting ATH in letterbox, I don't see what benefit an HD presentation would even bring, and I doubt any of the cameras at any of the newspapers where the panelists work are HD ready.

They're running a segment from Radio City during SportsCenter. If this is what it looks like tomorrow during the draft, it's going to be very disappointing. Looks DVD soft, so much so that the graphics look blurry. Maybe they cut corners because the picture is going to be resized?

No cut corners. This is the Monday Night Football SS25 outfit. Not sure what the transmission path is, most likely fiber straight to Bristol, PQ should look pristine. And if they are doing some minor coring or camera filtering it shouldn't affect the way the graphics look.

They are recorded in D.C., not Bristol or LA. That's why. Besides, unless ESPN is going to start broadcasting ATH in letterbox, I don't see what benefit an HD presentation would even bring, and I doubt any of the cameras at any of the newspapers where the panelists work are HD ready.

They are both produced by Atlantic Video in D.C., and I don't think their facility is even HD capable. I'm not aware of any timeline for getting these shows bumped up to HD.

Isnt this like a month now already....whats the deal ?

I guess we now know why ABC is tied for last with NBC 18-49.

Im sure they forgot about it....Like a poster said now Sportscenter looks weird with Black backgrounds and a red bottom line

Isnt this like a month now already....whats the deal ?

I guess we now know why ABC is tied for last with NBC 18-49.

LOL because of ESPN's bottomline? I don't know that there's any data, but I would imagine the bottomline would not affect ratings. Certainly not to the extent that semi-lackluster outings of Lost, Grey's and Desperate Housewives would along with a series of highly touted shows like Life on Mars that sorta crashed and burned.

Seriously though, why did the new bottomline get dumped?

I was about to be pleased with ESPN but with this bulky crap still on my screen...

Seriously though, why did the new bottomline get dumped?
The fine people at Vizrt in Norway decided to hand-deliver something ESPN needed to fix the new BottomLine. But they're walking.

The fine people at Vizrt in Norway decided to hand-deliver something ESPN needed to fix the new BottomLine. But they're walking.
It actually looks a little more like this:

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/aaposter/njdelaware.jpg

Is this thing EVER coming back? TWC just added ESPN News HD here. I thought it was going to be a waste at first, but I can't get over how fantastic the graphics look. It looks like the one-day only BottomLine from the regular ESPNHD. I really hope ESPN resumes using these beautiful glass-like graphics soon and dumps that flat, 2D monstrosity that currently clogs up the bottom of the screen.

Is this thing EVER coming back?
Yes.

Yes.
I know we'll never find out, but I would really love to know exactly what went wrong and why it required so long to correct.

I know we'll never find out, but I would really love to know exactly what went wrong and why it required so long to correct.
Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.

Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.

And do we know when this will be done?

Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.

Now they can do a fullscreen bottom line after the upgrade! :D

Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.
Interesting. But even a hardware upgrade shouldn't take this long.

Hopefully with this they'll get around to being able to do the program alerts with the HD bottom line so they don't have to revert it to SD for those, and maybe they can extend the HD line to ABC broadcasts as well...

maybe they can extend the HD line to ABC broadcasts as well...
They can't do that. Most SD viewers receive ABC via a center-cut of the HD signal, so ABC is forced to use the SD bottom line with 16:9 filler.

Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.


Thanks :)

This makes me happy.

And do we know when this will be done?
That's something I can't nail down since they're being very cautious not to give a date they can't reach if anything else delays things. However, there's hope for sometime in the next 30 days. ;)

Interesting. But even a hardware upgrade shouldn't take this long.
It's not the upgrade - it's the testing to make sure whatever is done is going to be stable and do what's needed. They don't want to have to pull it again. Once was enough.

Are we there yet? ;)

It's not the upgrade - it's the testing to make sure whatever is done is going to be stable and do what's needed. They don't want to have to pull it again. Once was enough.
I have to ask the tough question: why wasn't this testing done the first time? I can't imagine that the first time the old machine ran was the first time they took it to air.

Does this mean the baseball graphics will be updated to match everything else on the network or are we staying in 2007?

Does this mean the baseball graphics will be updated to match everything else on the network or are we staying in 2007?
The baseball graphics and the BottomLine are two separate things.

... ... ...

What is that? Is it supposed to be morse code? :confused::confused::confused:

Just a ... meaning stillllll waiting.

and still annoyed that they have to run the bottomline persistently, if not only to advertise for the finals for the NBA.

Yeah, it's been two months now. This obviously isn't a high priority item.

I know when the new ESPN BottomLine will be seen. On the day ESPN broadcasts the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl in 1080p HDTV!! :p:p:p:p:p ;);););)

I know when the new ESPN BottomLine will be seen. On the day ESPN broadcasts the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl in 2010

Fixed. (yes, diehard Browns fan)

Fixed. (yes, diehard Browns fan)
You just cursed them, because the Super Bowl is going to be on CBS in 2010.

So there's about as much chance of ESPN showing it as the Browns winning it then.

browns vs lions superbowl XLIV on espn's new graphics... brilliant...

From 5/13/09:
That's something I can't nail down since they're being very cautious not to give a date they can't reach if anything else delays things. However, there's hope for sometime in the next 30 days. ;)

Well we are approaching the 30 day mark.

Hate to be late on this, but what was the problem that forced ESPN to go back to the old graphics for the BottomLine?

Hate to be late on this, but what was the problem that forced ESPN to go back to the old graphics for the BottomLine?
This:
Word on the street is the hardware wasn't 100% up to handling all the stuff they wanted to do, so it's being upgraded to pack a little more punch.

Probably so it can support more screen diarrhea like they are doing with the NBA Finals thing.

It's been a few months now. What the heck are they waiting for?

Probably so it can support more screen diarrhea ike they are doing with the NBA Finals thing.

Now THAT is beyond annoying. They need to stop it. Now.

I would rather have the messed up bottom line than this one

I would rather have the messed up bottom line than this one

Yeah, at least if it was messed up maybe it would be absent during some programming. OOPS!! I think I just discovered the reason why they don't want to use problem technology. Some executive at ESPN/ABC/Disney would have a heart attack if the BottomLine was missing for even a second. ;)

Well we are approaching the 30 day mark.

Unless it happens tomorrow morning, they missed it. It would be some nice symmetry if ESPN dumped the old bottom line on the same day as the analog shutoff.

But I'm not holding my breath.

^^^That would be nice. How perfect to sen two outdated pieces of crap to the trash bin on the same day! ;)

Too bad it didn't happen today, maybe it will be there for football season.

Just a speculation but I had heard that ESPN is possibly bringing more VIZs online in Bristol (my guess would be to facilitate the other studio shows moving to the new insert graphic look that debuted on Sportscenter a few months ago). They might roll all of that into one launch. But then again just speculation.

NEW ESPN graphics: Rose Bowl 2011. :D

Just a speculation but I had heard that ESPN is possibly bringing more VIZs online in Bristol (my guess would be to facilitate the other studio shows moving to the new insert graphic look that debuted on Sportscenter a few months ago). They might roll all of that into one launch. But then again just speculation.

Baseball Tonight and NFL Live/Countdown could certainly use it now that they face some HD competition from MLB Tonight and NFL Total Access.

Baseball Tonight and NFL Live/Countdown could certainly use it now that they face some HD competition from MLB Tonight and NFL Total Access.

Well not to mention that the Sportscenter Specials and SC wraparound shows often originate from those other Deko based control rooms which taxes the one VIZ operator in those rooms who now has to provide all the graphics playout. The transition i'm sure is coming, but it's not cheap to upgrade four control rooms.

Just a speculation but I had heard that ESPN is possibly bringing more VIZs online in Bristol (my guess would be to facilitate the other studio shows moving to the new insert graphic look that debuted on Sportscenter a few months ago). They might roll all of that into one launch. But then again just speculation.

Is ESPNU ever going to update their graphics? They seem to have that circa-2005 look. And will the ESPN shows that originate from DC ever be in HD?

Now that the NBA Finals are over what will they spam in the bottom right corner?

Well no debut during "wimbo" either....i think my rose bowl 2011 prediction may be too early....can i can change it to Super Bowl LIV in 2020.

Honestly, live sports, during the daytime, there is NO need at all for a BottomLine. If you are watching this soccer game on ESPN right now, you've seen the same sports updates about 500 times by now.

Why can't they just take it off for stuff like this?

The new bottom line is during the NBA Draft. Kind of forgot what it looked like. The bottom line looks great with the graphics.