The Newsroom

US Election 2008

Clinton comes back in OH, TX: McCain is Republican candidate (January 2008)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
GI
ginnyfan
Fox News is crap.
CNN's Elections HQ looks great.


****
***
***
MA
mark Founding member
CNN's Election Center is certainly pretty impressive. I'm fairly sure the newsroom in the background is what used to be the CNNfn newsroom when they first moved to the Time Warner Center (the channel closed down shortly after).

It can be a tad harsh on the eyes at times, though - especially as they seem to have dozens of people on set. I think there were more people involved than they really knew what to do with - two rows of analysts, new signing Campbell Brown popping up to present one random link, and Lou Dobbs being replaced by Anderson Cooper one hour in.

Fox seemed to be in a brand new set, which I assume is a sneak preview of what they'll be using in November. By far the biggest studio I've ever seen them broadcast from. I didn't think it looked too bad actually - maybe a bit sports-like, but then again that's Fox's style.

I do like the look of MSNBC's coverage - even though they're just in their normal studio in 30 Rock. It's brand new - and virtually made for things like elections. Plus I think Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews make a good presenting team - plenty of personality to keep you interested through the slow bits of the night.
MR
mromega
How awfully bad was Wolf Blitzer.
NG
noggin Founding member
mromega posted:
How awfully bad was Wolf Blitzer.


Didn't strike me as that bad to be honest. They do shoot the whole of that place very wide though - leaving him stranded like a small person lost in an aircraft hangar at times. I was watching in 4:3 (which they aren't framing for at all well) it must be even wider in 16:9.

I like the idea and the concept of the freedom to wander within the space and it could work really nicely, and at times the jib and steadicam have been used creativley. However in the main the execution just doesn't quite meet the ambitions. Cable bashers in shot, shots that constantly cross the line, wobbly handheld stuff and presenters who don't quite have the relaxed style that the rest of the show has made it not quite hit the mark.

However - compared to CNBC, Fox, AJE and BBC World it was the best IMHO. World tried to compete - but their set and graphics were woefully inadequate, though they at least had a decent line up of guests and reporters across the US. (CNNs lighting and pictures just looked cracking in comparison to the BBCs) AJE was very polished - but very dull. Sky seemed to not really be trying.
JU
juplia
I know that Huw Edwards in America covering super tuesday but it seemed that he goes there doing the 10 news ,, any one see him leading another slot..

by the way , Jon Sopel disappeared from BBC World today , Am i wrong ?
IT
itsrobert Founding member
noggin posted:
mromega posted:
How awfully bad was Wolf Blitzer.


Didn't strike me as that bad to be honest. They do shoot the whole of that place very wide though - leaving him stranded like a small person lost in an aircraft hangar at times. I was watching in 4:3 (which they aren't framing for at all well) it must be even wider in 16:9.


I'm fairly certain CNN doesn't output anything in 16:9. I know that CNN International is 4:3 and when I was in the USA in September CNN US and Headline News were definitely 4:3 as well. Unless anything has changed since then, CNN doesn't do widescreen yet.
JO
Johnnie
itsrobert posted:
noggin posted:
mromega posted:
How awfully bad was Wolf Blitzer.


Didn't strike me as that bad to be honest. They do shoot the whole of that place very wide though - leaving him stranded like a small person lost in an aircraft hangar at times. I was watching in 4:3 (which they aren't framing for at all well) it must be even wider in 16:9.


I'm fairly certain CNN doesn't output anything in 16:9. I know that CNN International is 4:3 and when I was in the USA in September CNN US and Headline News were definitely 4:3 as well. Unless anything has changed since then, CNN doesn't do widescreen yet.


Isn't CNN available in HD?
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Johnnie posted:
itsrobert posted:
noggin posted:
mromega posted:
How awfully bad was Wolf Blitzer.


Didn't strike me as that bad to be honest. They do shoot the whole of that place very wide though - leaving him stranded like a small person lost in an aircraft hangar at times. I was watching in 4:3 (which they aren't framing for at all well) it must be even wider in 16:9.


I'm fairly certain CNN doesn't output anything in 16:9. I know that CNN International is 4:3 and when I was in the USA in September CNN US and Headline News were definitely 4:3 as well. Unless anything has changed since then, CNN doesn't do widescreen yet.


Isn't CNN available in HD?


CNN Int. doesn't. As I said, it's been a few months since I was in the US but I'm fairly certain it was still 4:3.

Edit - I've just had a quick look and Wikipedia claims that CNN HD went national towards the end of September which would explain why I didn't see it. I guess that most Americans are still watching it in SD, though? CNN Int is definitely 4:3 SD.
FL
flaziola
MarkDC posted:
BBC WNA and Matt Frei tried to compete with the big boys, and they did a good job. Correspondents in key locations, analysis...but

- the graphics were difficult to follow - i couldnt tell who was winning visually. Someone in London could have used a big screen. I thought AJE did well with their visual presentation.

- Matt needed a co-anchor and some more studio guests. Everybody else did, including AJE.
They really are missing Peter Snow and his swingometer aren't they?
NG
noggin Founding member
CNN have had HD equipment for a number of years - and have been producing web content in 16:9 for a while.

Last year they launched CNN HD, and some content produced in New York is now originated in HD. Atlanta is still SD.

Most of the US Election stuff has been out of NY and has thus been shot 16:9 HD.

Of course CNN International is still SD - and taking a 4:3 centre-cut rather than letterboxing CNN HD content (presumably because 4:3 content on CNN HD is itself 4:3 pillarboxed and letterboxing this would give you postage stamp)

Anyone watching the CNN election coverage, and other stuff shot in 16:9 HD, will notice two things.

1. Even in 4:3 SD it looks good in picture quality terms.
2. They still aren't that good at framing for 4:3 AND overscan in 4:3. Loads of shots looked cramped, and in some cases graphics in screens were cropped.

CNNHD is only available on some HD platforms - the bulk of US viewers are still watching in 4:3 SD.
IS
Inspector Sands
CNN US have been doing some odd experiments with displaying statistics, with virtual hand-held pie charts and the like. You might have seen a couple of these shown on The Daily Show over the last few weeks. Its coverage is very good, but i do feel that that set is just too busy!

However their on-screen graphics are the clearest out of the US channels - the 'bottom third' results strap stays on screen all the time even during adverts and shows one state at a time. Very simple and very easy to understand.
SE
seamus
noggin posted:
CNN have had HD equipment for a number of years - and have been producing web content in 16:9 for a while.

Last year they launched CNN HD, and some content produced in New York is now originated in HD. Atlanta is still SD.

Most of the US Election stuff has been out of NY and has thus been shot 16:9 SD.

Of course CNN International is still SD - and taking a 4:3 centre-cut rather than letterboxing CNN HD content (presumably because 4:3 content on CNN HD is itself 4:3 pillarboxed and letterboxing this would give you postage stamp)

Anyone watching the CNN election coverage, and other stuff shot in 16:9 HD, will notice two things.

1. Even in 4:3 SD it looks good in picture quality terms.
2. They still aren't that good at framing for 4:3 AND overscan in 4:3. Loads of shots looked cramped, and in some cases graphics in screens were cropped.

CNNHD is only available on some HD platforms - the bulk of US viewers are still watching in 4:3 SD.


I presume you mean NY content is in HD, not SD. Last time I was in the states, it was in HD.

Edit:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0a/CNN_HD-American_Morning_1080.png/800px-CNN_HD-American_Morning_1080.png

A capture from Wikipedia.

Newer posts