HDTV: The 'Bug' That Bugs Me

Does Fox's 'bug box' have to take up the entire top of the screen?

My biggest complaint with HD sports programming, other than occasional poor picture and sound quality, is the incessant use of graphics by the various broadcast and cable networks. For some reason unknown to me, the networks at times make it very difficult to see the actual game through all the graphics, which I will dub "visual pollution." You almost have to look around and between the graphics on the top and bottom of the screen to see the action on the field.

I have taken the time to formulate some rules I would like to see implemented by the producers of HD sports broadcasts when it comes to graphics. I hope you are all paying attention out there as I know some of you are reading this.

1. Graphics should be as unobtrusive as possible.
2. Smaller is always better than bigger. Remember, this applies to on screen graphics only!
3. It is always better to place graphics at the bottom of the screen than at the top so they are not as noticeable to the eye.
4. Translucent is always better than solid colors.
5. Keep on screen time to a minimum.
6. Constant tickers are a no no.

Examples of obnoxious graphics in use currently that violate some or all of these rules?

Numero uno is that damn sports ticker used at ESPN and ESPN2. Quite frankly, it is totally unnecessary. It gives the same information to us over and over and over and over again. There is no need for this information to be fed to us constantly as it is now. Giving it to us at 28 and 58 minutes past the hour as they do on their NFL broadcasts is just fine. No more is needed. If you need the scores that badly, check out the web. That is what ESPN.com or even ESPNews is for. Keep them off my screen! The ticker takes up way too much of my screen and is distracting.

The colors on the ticker are also too bold. The only positive thing is that the ticker is on the bottom rather than the top of the screen. However, with all that space at the bottom of the screen wasted on the ticker, the rest of the graphics end up at the top of the screen leaving us with a maze to navigate through just to see the game! Maybe it is just me, but I tune in to see the game, not all the fancy graphics!

Next on the list is Fox and their "Fox Box", which in this writer's opinion, is one of the all time worst developments in the history of television. The Fox Box breaks all the rules. It is at the top of the screen and always in your primary field of view. It uses opaque and bold colors. It is way, way too big. Why does it have to extend all the way across the screen? Why not make it half the width and height it is now? Even worse, why is the space above the box shaded in? Is that part of our fancy widescreen sets useless?

My God, Fox even had snow falling above the box during a Patriots-Packers game a couple of years ago. To add insult to injury, when the snow piled up high enough, those crafty graphics engineers had a nice little snowplow come across the top of the box and clear off the snow. How quaint! Enough already Fox!

How about NBC and their Sunday Night Football telecasts? AT least they have their box across the bottom of the screen. However, they have joined in with the crowd and have the box extend all the way across the screen -- and also sees the need to shade in the space under the box. Their box is also too colorful.

CBS used to get it right but no more. Last year they went with new blue graphics which add nothing to the game. They are at the top of the screen but thankfully, near the corners. However, CBS has seen fit to have added a bar that extends all the across the bottom of the screen much like ESPN's ticker, which gives us a continuous stream of information about the other games, the scores, time remaining in those games and statistics of select players playing in those games. This is presumably to satisfy fantasy football geeks.

So, who does it right with sports? Glad you have asked. No one gets it right nationally. Regionally, one that gets it right is Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. While I would prefer their box to be at the bottom of the screen rather than the top, it is black and white in color and is very narrow and takes up about a quarter of the width of the screen. It also carries only the information relating to that particular game. The result being that the box is hardly noticeable
and does not distract from your view of the action on the field. For scores, they come in periodically to display those for only a minute or so after which they are gone, thankfully. Their graphics and their implementation are clearly designed by someone who likes to watch sports rather than a graphics engineer who is more caught up in what he or she can do with their equipment rather than how they can add to our enjoyment of the game. Well done! I just wish that the rest can learn a lesson from them!

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