Scoreboard video easier to see today

Submitted by aaamichfan on

http://www.mgoblue.com/allaccess/?media=235147

 

Since it's not an extremely sunny day in Ann Arbor, the scoreboard is much clearer from the cam. Looking pretty fantastic today. These new scoreboards are getting me extremely pumped for football season.

akblue

August 6th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^

I used to be a on scoreboard security back in the early 80's... the boards were so small that we had to post a guard to keep people from standing up and blocking the board.

Bring on the games!

blueblueblue

August 6th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^

I wish they would zoom out a little with the camera. It looks like the perspective we have now was better for the old scoreboard than the new one (they set it up before the new ones were put in). We would get a better understanding of the new ones if we could see more of their surroundings. That's why its so different seeing them in person. Zooming out could provide some of that perspective here.

Swazi

August 6th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^

Here I thought it was going to go the whole width of the screen.  I'm sure it's huge in person, but it just doesn't look that big.

Swazi

August 6th, 2011 at 5:40 PM ^

Apparently you didn't comprehend my whole post.  I said "I'm sure it's huge in person".  Meaning, you probably need to go to the stadium and see it for yourself to fully comprehend its hugeness.

 

And when did I say "disappointed"?  Your comment just comes off as ignorant. 

StephenRKass

August 6th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^

I can't tell from the mgoblue picture, but I'm curious is the screen has a very small parabolic curve. If so, it would follow the stadium outline. Probably, there is just some faint photographic distortion, and the board is straight across. Regardless, it is a beautiful thing to see.

It will be interesting to see whether or not, and to what degree, the screens are used to replay  a controversial call. With such a huge, high definition screen, it could be a lot easier for everyone to tell whether or not (or when) a foot went out of bounds, whether the ball crossed the plane of the endzone before or after a fumble, whether there was motion before the snap, etc., etc.

It also would be interesting to know just who makes the decision on whether such plays go up on the screen. If a coach slugs a player (a la Woody,) do you put it up on the screen or not?

I fully agree with NOT using the board for advertising. But, other than the game itself, what is fair game? Can a student propose marriage to another via the screen? Will there be cameramen looking for cute coeds and cheerleaders? Will there be infomercials about Michigan? Will they use the screen to show big plays from other games? Will ESPN & ABC allow their feeds and their content to be broadcast on the screens?

A different kind of question has to do with sound and scalability. With the size of the stadium, would it work to have giant speakers built in to the right and left of each screen, as well as on top of the luxury suites on both sides of the stadium? Does the cable from the sound source need to be identical in length so that sound coming out is in perfect synch on each speaker? Would sound traveling from south to north and north to south end up creating reverberation problems?

(Are we ready for the season to start, instead of stupid speculation about parabolas and sound carrying?)

MichiganPhotoRod

August 6th, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^

No, the boards do not have a curve.  They are completely flat / straight.

They displayed replays on the old boards; no reason why they won't on the new ones.

The replay booth in the press box has large and very high quality / resolution HD monitors from which the replay official can see the replay.  The new boards will allow fans to see replays far more clearly.

The video that appears on the scoreboards come from the TV production room in Crisler.  They decide on what to replay.

Last year U-M had promotions to allow the display of your messages on the old boards.  I haven't heard they were going to stop that for the new boards.

David Brandon has repeatedly stated there will not be any advertising in Michigan Stadium.  We all can assume they will delay any such advertising as long as possible until such time the potential revenue will outweigh the tradition.  I, too, hope they NEVER allow advertisements!

Cameramen on the field know to point their cameras at beautiful coeds ONLY to show on the boards during commercials.

Brandon, in a recent MGoBlue video, also stated that production people are working on recording segments of other student-athletes in the other sports programs to promote those players/teams.  Look for those on the new boards this year.

As for your questions regarding stadium audio, I am not an audio technician, but I am thinking the sides may house the new speakers -- and I am guessing from both video boards.  Compared to the PA speakers mounted on the old press box, I noticed a HUGE difference last year when they placed the speakers on top of the north scoreboard.  It didn't carry very well to the south end -- at least at field level.  When the speakers were on the old press box the sound did not have to travel as far considering they were effectively positioned in the center of the stadium.  With the speakers atop the old north scoreboard, the sound had to travel much further -- hence the loss of level.  If they have speakers within each of the new video boards, the sound will be even and MUCH better.  The reverberation problem that you brought up is an excellent point, which is why I think they will never want to put the speakers on either or both sideline structures.  The glass and facade would bounce the sound a hell of a lot.

jmblue

August 6th, 2011 at 5:36 PM ^

Those added seats don't look 60% as big as the rest of the seating areas.  Maybe 30%.  Also, we'd also probably widen all the rest of the seats (and probably replace the benches with actual chairs) by a significant amount if we added that many new rows.  Our maximum  capacity will probably peak at like 120K.

MrVociferous

August 6th, 2011 at 5:54 PM ^

Aren't the additional seats going to be an additional level?  Seems like that would be the easiest to pull off, would greatly increase the acoustics of the stadium, and would also keep the shape the same on the outside.  To do it the way you've depicted, you'd have to extend the seats and structure beyond the new scoreboards.

jmblue

August 6th, 2011 at 5:59 PM ^

The scoreboards would be moved back, I'm sure.  Otherwise there would be obstructed seats in the endzones.  Doing that and adding rows is probably a lot cheaper than building a second deck (and wouldn't change the aesthetics as much). 

MichiganPhotoRod

August 7th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^

If you look at Goblueram's rendering...esp. on the south end, it appears as if there could be seating even BEHIND the video board.  Imagine the view of the game in those seats if they add the video to the back side of the board too.  Talk about the mother of all TV screens!

MichiganPhotoRod

August 7th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^

plans for both continuing the seating from the current upper level and for a second deck.  I applaud DB for replacing the boards.  He has also admitted that he wants to add seating to the bowl before he is done as AD.  I am not sold on his current plan to expand just the south end and by merely extending the seating out from the last row.

When I look up at the open ends from the field it just screams "SECOND DECK" (with the video boards on top of the second deck).  I'd love to see decks added to close in both ends.  Talk about an intimidating environment! 

MichiganPhotoRod

August 7th, 2011 at 3:29 PM ^

The moment one more seat is added to either end zone, it will elongate the bowl, thus losing the classic bowl shape as you have described.  It will be lost because the new row can no longer be extended all around the bowl due to the sideline structures.

The 10,000 new seats that  DB wants would change the look inside the bowl considerably as ONLY on the south end is being considered.  Esthetically, it will look off.  The classic bowl shape is already lost from the outside at ground level with the new buildings in place.  That's why I think doing equal expansions on both ends will help with the eye appeal from inside.

Second decks would look menacing from inside and outside given the height we're talking about (at or near the roof level of the sideline structures).

Ooooof! 

JEL

August 6th, 2011 at 6:19 PM ^

The future does not answer the questions about the scoreboard back panels? Great to see there is still no advertising in the future. I also notice from your photo of the future the shade of Maze is the same shade we use today.

M-Wolverine

August 6th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^

It lights up the area with the tetris on the south end and big blue screen with maize "Michigan Stadium" on the north.