No, I'm not talking about the movies or TV shows, but about all the other crap the stations are putting on the screen, like logos, ads etc.
First a few channels started putting transparent logos on the screen for a few seconds after each commercial. Now they're on the screen all the time except during commercials and some channels have started using color logos. Then a couple channels started putting the name of the show on the bottom after every commercial, now they all do it. Then some channels started putting ads for other shows in the corner of the screen after every commercial, now they all do it. Most of the networks just put a text ad, but some of the cable channels like SciFi and FX have started putting big, animated ads in the corner of the screen. FX even has the nerve to include sound effects! What purpose do these ads serve? Are they saying that the 50,000 commercials they aired for that show in the past week are so ineffective, that people won't remember it unless they put ads in the corner of the screen?
Now TNN puts a banner across the bottom of the screen with the name of the show there all the time, like you're too %^$@#*& stupid to remember what you're watching. I've seen vidcaps made from the channel Trio that have an even bigger banner across the bottom of the screen. It never seems to occur to anyone that to put that banner there, they either have to cover up the bottom of the picture, or compress it vertically, throwing off the proportions. How long until other channels start copying this idiotic practice?
In fact, how long until channels start putting product ads down in the corner of the screen? Or until they realize that if they put black borders along the side and bottom of the screen they can advertise others shows AND sell ad space during the shows? If you think this won't happen, think again. Past experience has shown that if channels don't get enough complaints when they put a little bit of crap on the screen, they'll assume nobody cares and put even more crap on the screen. Where is this going to stop? Are we going to end up watching movies and shows on a screen that looks like that financial show that USA airs in the early mornings where the non-CGI image is relegated to a little window 1/4 the size of of the screen?
Not to mention that it's impossible to read the credits of any movie aired on a cable channel since no TV has the resolution to display text at the size they shrink the credits to. You don't even get to hear the closing music.
Am I the only one who is sick of seeing all this junk cluttering up the picture?
I'm there with you,pal,for I'm also heavily sick of the way television uses logos,shrinks the screen(during end credits)to display what's on the news,etc.,etc.,etc.
It just kills any major interest that I have left in TV(which I barely ever watch anymore these days,because of all of this slop),for wrestling,MTV2,and "married With Children" re-runs is all I ever watch on the small screen these days,nothing much else.
...I'm watching the game on F*X, and this AAMCO ad starts popping up into the upper left corner of the screen, complete with their trademark "honk honk" sound effect. Third time that obnoxious s*** farted on my screen, the TV went off for the afternoon--and I let both the network and AAMCO know why.
i like the thing on tnn that tells you what is playing because i have the attention span of a small animal and when i'm changing by at the rate of 40 channels per minute, it makes it really easy to see what is on.
the animated overlays during shows really get me though - the learning channel is horrible with that, as is sci-fi.
Pretty soon every channel will be like CNN. The actual program in a half-screen box on the left. Commercials for products in an upper right quarter-screen box. Promos for other shows, movies, etc. in a lower-right quarter-screen box. Station ident and various American Idol and MTV News updates scrolling on the bottom.
Brother R
Just think what will happen when more people start to use Tivo. Skip the commericals eh!? How about some ads on the top and sides of the screen!?
Enjoy TV as it is today, cause I'm almost certain it will change very soon.
About TNN putting the name of the show/movie. I dunno i kinda wish some stations would do that for horror movies. That way I don't have to look for the t.v guide to find what movie i'm watching that's really cool. And you know how some stations just go to commerical break without saying the name of the movie.
-the first rule of fat club-
I hate when the closing credits get shoved over to the side of the screen, but it especially p**ses me off when something relevant is happening during the credits. The odd time a show will give you some incentive to watch the credits by putting an extra scene on the end, or a movie will run bloopers. The idiots at the network will still cram the picture into the corner and cut out the sound, so you can see a promo for the show that is starting in two frigging minutes - the same promo that has been shown during every commercial break all evening.
Damn, I hate it when they do that; there are times when I do want to know who played the second blonde in the bar. I'm surprised that the actor's and others unions don't get p**sed off by it, they've all been fighting to get their names on the credits.
i'm with you all. I hate those animated ads at the bottom of the screen. I like those little bars that show you what you're watching though, like on TNN sometimes, but only if they are there when you come back from commercials for like a min or two and then go away. Thats the best way to go about it.
I am sick and tired of the television industry in general. I though that the emergence of cable and satellite TV would provide a lot more variety and make everything better. Instead, everything just got all fouled up. Other than sports, the news, and an occasional documentary, I rarely watch television. I prefer to pop in a DVD and watch what I want, commercial and logo free.
What p**sed me off was a few months back before Sci-Fi made its image change, and had the solid blue logo, when Mst3k was showing, those idiots never thought to move the logo out of the way cause Mike, Tom, and Crow sat down there! Idiots! They fixed it though, and now it's on the other side, but it still annoys me to no end.
Scottie
Who wants to bet that even when digital TV becomes standard and you can just pop up information about what you're watching at the touch of a button, channels will STILL put the name of the show at the bottom?