recent TREND is really annoying on tv shows.. (1 Viewer)

[Guy Martin]

Check this out. Now the Discovery Channel wants to eliminate the credits altogether. Naturally the producers are none too happy about this:
Discovery plan to end credit crawls draws fire
- Guy

 

[Brian Lawrence]

I can deal with light translucent station bugs and I can deal with warp speed credits (Not that I like it). But I can not stand the way TNN has that damn black bar with white text in it, always running across the bottom of the screen I will not watch a show on TNN. If they want to butcher shows like this, then they should go back to airing garbage like Crook & Chase and Big Bass Fishing Derbys.
I also hate the way TBS now runs scrolling updates and scores across the bottom of the screen during Braves Games. I don't really have a problem with text at the bottom of the screen during sports events as it is pretty typical (And it's not used for advertising much it's mostly just sports scores). But I would prefer they use still text and just change it every 5 seconds rather than have the words scrolling. It's very distracting.
The absolute worst example I have seen is on MTV's 'Control Freak' Where the videos being played only take up about 2/5ths of the screen.

 

[TheLongshot]

Squishing credits: doesn't annoy most people. In fact, I bet more people are interested in hearing about that network's programming than about reading the credits; and most just don't care. Therefore, it makes sense to do this.

Course sometimes I'd like to see the credits because I might recognize an actor during the show and I might want his or her name so that I could maybe look up other stuff that they might have been in.

The problem is, credits speed by at a million miles an hour, and usually you have barely enough time to make it out. One of the worst offenders was Batman: TAS. I'd often hear voices that sound familiar, but the only way I could see the credits were to record the show and pause it.

I do think it does a disservice to those who work on the shows we all enjoy.

Jason

 

[Phil Nichols]

kevin_tomb,

Please.......can you or anyone else tell me why the lower right hand corner channel logo/ID "must stay"?

I hate this. It can't be required by FCC regulations because not all channels have it. How about it flashing on every so many minutes for a few seconds - how ever often the FCC requires it.

I think it's "lowest cost" for channels to just put it on and leave it. How about watching full length classic movies with that darn logo there! Plus.......some are bright enough to maybe burn in your screen and are definitely visually distracting.

Let's get rid of those doggon logos being constantly on!!!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Jesse: You did not sound at all smug. In fact, what you report about your situation with the cable being left on mirrors my thinking closely. Why pay for crap like that, eh? TV is so damn trashy these days. JB

 

[Jesse Skeen]

"It can't be required by FCC regulations because not all channels have it. How about it flashing on every so many minutes for a few seconds - how ever often the FCC requires it."
I worked at a radio station for a while and the FCC required the station's call letters and location be announced once every hour. In between every 2 songs we played "ID carts" with just the name of the station to remind people what station they were listening to. On TV I noticed formal ID's (showing the station's call letters and where they were located) about every half hour.
Many stations USED to put onscreen IDs on for about 10 seconds in the middle of shows, and whenever they came on I'd keep watching them until they faded out again. That's why I can't watch anything where it stays on all the time, because I keep looking at it waiting for it to go off!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It really doesn't bother me... around here... EVERYTHING has a bug. Our CBS affliate has it's own bug, so when the CBS bug is on the screen, you have two bugs. I've just learned to filter it out. Never got used to the TNN bar since I don't watch anything on that station to begin with.

 

[kevin_tomb]

The BUGS arent required, its just a lame way of the station trying to let you know what station you are on. Its like thisnce a few started it, they all had to do it. Now for one to stop it, supposedly NOONE would know what station they were on..:frowning: . SO the only way it will stop is if a lot of people complain
I wanna know why NO STAION will play the bugs or scrolling text while commercials play???.....make ya think huh....THE ADVERTISERS know they are annoying. Write to the advertisers and complain you wont watch stations they advertise on that use screen compression and moving bugs etc....
KEVIN

 

[Jack Briggs]

Kevin, that's an excellent idea. Maybe more compelling than and worthwhile than protesting to the stations themselves. Dollars speak volumes. I like that. Pick a few prominent advertisers, and tell them what you think. ("I'm not buying any General Foods breakfast cereals until you stop advertising on TNN!")

 

[Mitty]

BTW, if people really complain to Wal-Mart about widescreen DVDs, why don't they complain about logos on their TVs??

A question for the ages. My guess is that it happened gradually, and thus the networks "got away" with it.

Those who upgrade from VHS to DVD quite abruptly find that they are "missing" half of their TV screen.

Another guess is that people are complaining like crazy, just not to anyone that can do anything about it. People love to complain, they just lack to energy to productively voice their negative opinions. Sort of like the person who bitches to all of his or her friends about something that his or her spouse/partner did (or didn't do), but never voices dissatisfaction to the partner. We are a strange species.

 

[Mitty]

I just had a shudder-worthy thought. Do you suppose if, overnight, all the networks ditched their logos, THEN people would complain?

"Where're the logos?!?!?! How are we supposed to know what channel we're watching?!?!?!"

 

[Jack Briggs]

Jeez, Mitty, that is a disturbing thought. And I just read in yesterday's Los Angeles Times a letter to the editor by an articulate person who refuses to buy into DVD because she hates letterboxing. The world is a scary place.

 

[Mike Soltis]

Actually, I believe that the 'bugs' first appeared on NEWS broadcasts (i.e., CNN and the networks back when they spent money covering ACTUAL news). This way 'exclusive' footage from one network could not be used on another network.

Not to say it's not annoying, but the bugs on news footage I can see, as it protects the owner of the footage.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

"Where're the logos?!?!?! How are we supposed to know what channel we're watching?!?!?!"

They did quite nicely without them for 50 years.

 

[Benson R]

I'm watching the Godfather on TNN right now and there is no black bar! Is it possible the network people finally got it through their heads? If its truely gone I can finally watch Trek. I absolutely refuse to watch anything with the black bar and I imagine there are people everywhere even outside of this forum who feel the same. I just hope I am not getting my hopes up and it returns.

 

[Benson R]

Well unfortunately it looks like the TNN black bar is back. I kept checking in on the Godfather which the black bar remained off of but the program following it had it. I know the blackbar was left off several programs when they ran initially then put back on when they went into regular rotation. But the Godfather has ran several times now and I remember seeing the black bar during the movie. I have trouble understanding how they decide what program is worthy of having this hated annoyance removed. I have never complained to a network before about programing but I am tempted to over this. I simply flat out refuse to watch TNN not out of principal but simply because the black bar is so distracting I can't watch it for more than a few minutes. Also why can't they have a translucent network id with the program title? I know I still would prefer no logo but I would at least find it watchable.

 

[MickeS]

I have trouble understanding how they decide what program is worthy of having this hated annoyance removed.

What's even more annoying is that if they decide to NOT show it during "Godfather", they are obviously aware of how hated this black bar is, why else would they choose not to display it on some shows? I didn't know they did that, but that makes me even more pissed off, since it shows how arrogant they are towards their viewers.

/Mike

 

[Jack Briggs]

Benson, Micke:

I've noticed the same thing. On the network's high-profile programming, the message bar is removed. I am told that this is so with its wrestling programs. Same sitch with The Godfather. Others here have also mentioned that they've spoken with TNN marketing people about the damn message bar--and these execs have admitted to knowing that people hate the thing.

Well, TNN doesn't care. The programming is simply filler to them, and it's there simply to draw people to TNN's promotional thrust. TNN is not about programming; it's about advertising and branding. And the hell with all of us.

 

[Eric-S]

I'm not sure if anyone has brought this up yet, but not only does TNN squeeze the show...they time compress the whole show as well! Watch anyone moving across the screren, and they will jump forward every few frames. This is also seen by a slight vertical shifting of scan lines every second or so...combine the squeeze and time compress, and TNN is truly unwatchable.

Too bad...I would watch it more....

Eric