Comments on: FOX is testing a new overhead camera

By: lmno7

lmno7 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:24:53 +0000

Oh I don’t sweat it… I just think it was an amazing example of synchronicity…
That could never happen again, if you tried for 100 years…

And yes, Randy could bring it…
Just not once he put on the pinstripes…
Took my son to his first Yankee/baseball game, and Randy was the starter…
I think he gave up like 8 runs by the 2nd inning…
put a real damper on the experience for us…

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:03:30 +0000

Natural selection. Don’t sweat it.

By: lanflfan

lanflfan — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:46:54 +0000

If the camera gets loose, will it start to eat the fans?

By: lanflfan

lanflfan — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:45:51 +0000

It was to us, but not from the bird’s prospective. Definitely added to Randy’s aura though. That man could bring it.

By: lmno7

lmno7 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:24:16 +0000

That was THE most amazing thing… EVER…
Poof… just a small cloud of feathers….
Awesome.

By: Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:59:05 +0000

There’s one change in how the TV brings us the game that I really dislike this year. It’s not from FOX, but rather ESPN. It appears that they are going to impose their K-Zone box around the plate for each pitch. That annoyed me during spring training games. It looks like I am watching a video game.

By: Charles Gates

Charles Gates — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:25:48 +0000

I’m all for new camera angles, moving cameras, and camera apparatus that hasn’t even been invented yet, as long as it helps the overall enjoyment of the game. But when the game starts to get in the way of the FOX production crew showing off their new camera doo-hickey, that’s where I draw the line. Test the technology. If they use it wisely and it’s an effective add-on to telecast the game, go for it.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:03:01 +0000

You have to try this new stuff out. Catcher cam should be revisited as miniature HD cameras get better and better (see HD shots from F1 cars. Really breathtaking). You never know how the overhead cam will work, but a stabilized shot over home during the ball’s flight over the plate is pretty cool. They’ve been doing that in Oakland, along with maximum slo-mo: part of the reason the A’s TV views were up last year.

By: Matthew Flint

Matthew Flint — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:45:15 +0000

I may be wrong, but I think the first “Skycam” use was in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. XFL may have been the first US league to use it.

By: heyblueyoustink

heyblueyoustink — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:24:03 +0000

I always liked the idea of a catcher or ump cam……batter’s eye view to what these pitches really look like, or the shadow distraction stuff during late day into night games…..

After that, i’m pretty OK with the camera angles baseball offers now……and if I want better angles, i’ll just take a trip to the park

By: kmgannon

kmgannon — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:22:25 +0000

Just because you *can* do something with fancy new technology doesn’t mean you *should*.

By: jimatkins

jimatkins — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:10:58 +0000

Watched it last night- didn’t like what they did. The camera was swooping over the field, only between innings. My wife complained it made her airsick. I wasn’t really impressed with what they did. It did seem like there is a real possibility of getting a camera hit with a pop-up. All in all, it seemed gimmicky.

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:50:30 +0000

If Randy Johnson can hit a bird while it flies through his fastball’s path to the plate, then someone will undoubtedly hit this camera or the cables holding it. Cool angles worth it? Perhaps, but let’s hope they work out the rules for when it does hit the thing, b/c it will happen.

By: BC

BC — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:38:32 +0000

And to think it was the XFL that pioneered this thing…..