Annoying digital ads in World Series game (1 Viewer)

[MickeS]

For those who watched Saturday's World Series game, did you find the "digital" ad for Ally McBeal and "The Tick" annoying? I sure did. The ad was smack dab in the middle of the screen, and they had chosen the angle so that no players obscured it.
At first I wasn't sure if it was a digital ad or not, but it sure looked like it (they seemed to use the same technology that's used to mark the line across the football field). When a different angle was shown briefly, you could see that it was just a big green screen standing there, and it was a done deal. Then after a while, the ad was changed from "Ally Mcbeal" to "The Tick".
I understand WHY they did it this way, but it was very annoying. Don't they make enough money off of the World Series coverage that they don't need this kind of obnockious ads?
/Mike
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[Jason Merrick]

I'm with you! They've been using these digital ads for quite awhile, but I've never seen them so big, bright, and colorful... very distracting to say the least!
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[Jeff Kleist]

Why not boycott the games until they stop? That way they could show the Tick when it was supposed to air, rather than pre-empting it for a baseball game
Jeff Kleist

 

[Brian Perry]

The thing that really made it stand out was the phrase "tomorrow night." It was disconcerting to see an actual time reference on an ad behind the plate. Plus, of course, the huge size.
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[Patrick Sun]

I actually thought that photo of Ally McBeal was one of her better photos. She didn't look so scrawny in that shot.
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[Alex-C]

I hated it...and wrote to foxsports telling them how much I hated it.
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[Mark Pfeiffer]

Sadly I don't think this latest tool will be going anywhere. It really isn't that hard to do. They use a green screen (which can be seen during replays or close-ups, if I remember correctly) and key in whatever ad they want. This certainly isn't the first time this has been done. I've noticed baseball games using it at least this year, if not last. I noticed some college basketball games with ads placed in the key, only being visible by being shaded darker.
I agree that it's annoying and distracting, but it's either bonus ad time or ways of doing self-promotion.
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[Joel Mack]

You should be happy they didn't go with the idea of electronically putting ads in the outfield grass (like the First Down lines on football games)...
That truly would have sucked.
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[MickeS]

Nice to see others agree with me.
I never watch baseball normally, so I hadn't seen this before.
I don't mind ads during games, it's certainly better than interruptions, but they have to be done less conspicuously. The way these ads were, it was taking way too much attention from the game.
/Mike

 

[Joseph S]

You should be happy they didn't go with the idea of electronically putting ads in the outfield grass (like the First Down lines on football games)...
That truly would have sucked.

Seen any tennis matches during the past few years? They do the same thing adding ads to the court for TV only. This has got to go. I can't stand how TV stations keep piling bugs in every corner and at the top and bottom of the screen. It's not like there isn't enough time during "Alias" ad time to show an actual ad saying "The Practice" is up next. How much advertising do they need???
As for Foxsports, can it get any worse?? lame robot animation, McCarver, Buck...

 

[Scott_J]

FOX isn't the first network to do this. During the season, I noticed both TBS and ESPN doing it during baseball games. It's just more obvious that FOX is doing it because they are the only network that I have noticed that actually uses a chromakey ("green screen"). And, with certain shots, as was already mentioned, you don't even see the ad, but just see the green screen. ESPN, I believe, just puts their "virtual ads" on a blank area of the wall. I'm not sure if TBS' are actually "virtual" ads behind home plate or one of the regular ads, but I believe it's the former.
Face it, it's the future of sports on TV. If you don't like it, watch ESPN Classic because that's the only way you'll be able to escape it on TV, or go to games in person.

 

[gregstaten]

It may be annoying, but the technology is pretty cool.
I can't vouch for the technology Fox is using, but broadcasters in Europe have been doing this for years for football (soccer) matches. Though some are simple chromakey, the newer versions (and the version I suspect Fox is using) uses a depth sensing camera.
A depth camera reads the actual depth of a scene and transmits it along with the video. The depth information is used to key in the ad on the wall but prevent overkeying of anything in front of the wall. For example, someone could stand in front of the wall with the same shade of green and the z data would prevent them from being keyed out.
Additionally, the technology doesn't require a green screen. I've seen demos done where the wall where the ad was inserted looks no different from any other wall.
-greg

 

[MikeM]

In baseball, this ad technique was pioneered by the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Not like this is something to be proud of...
But yeah, you're exactly right. The mastercard logo was actually bigger than both players! It was way too big. There were times when they'd have the score line on top, the LARGE ad smack dab in the center, and a Fox Poll like, "Do you think they should pull Randy Johnson Now?".
With all that shit on the screen it looked like I was watching Headline News! Awful!!
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[Scott_J]

Additionally, the technology doesn't require a green screen. I've seen demos done where the wall where the ad was inserted looks no different from any other wall.

That is how ESPN does it, as I pointed out above.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Heck, ABC even puts the faces of the leading Indy 500 drivers on the surface of the track. Plus, at the 500 this year, they had a fake "Oldsmobile" billboard suspended in midair by a fake digital pole.
There is something about the green screen that Fox is using though. The image does seem move vibrant and solid to me than the other technologies. But then again, they can only use it from one angle.

 

[Joseph S]

There were times when they'd have the score line on top, the LARGE ad smack dab in the center, and a Fox Poll like, "Do you think they should pull Randy Johnson Now?".

They've had at least one where the results were 0% Yes 0% No and they still posted the results.
Do you think they'll get the message?

 

[MickeS]

In the last two games in NY, the digital ads have been much less conspicuous. They've been partly obscured by the players, not as large and not right in the middle of the screen. Yet, very visible. I hope this wasn't just a coincidence as a result of changing venues, but a deliberate decision by Fox. We'll see, when they're back in Phoenix again.
/Mike