It seems like it has been forever since their initial announcement but WWE SmackDown is moving to Fox next week. The show will still be live but it is moving from Tuesday to Friday night starting October 4.
For their final SmackDown episode on USA, WWE did something very subtle but noticeable with their broadcast. Nothing looked different with their main camera but their ringside cameras were displaying a choppier picture and the closer people were to the camera, the more noticeable it was.
It appears that WWE lowered the frame rate for their ringside cameras. It might not be as noticeable viewing on a mobile phone but you can tell that there’s a lower frame rate in this clip.
Not only was the lower frame rate affecting the broadcast but it was also what was causing those wavy lines on all the LED boards around the ring.
It’s unknown as to why WWE decided to experiment with a lower frame rate or why they chose the final SmackDown episode on USA to do that. Maybe it was a test for Fox’s debut next Friday, I don’t know. Maybe Fox is looking for more of a cinematic broadcast by shooting at a lower frame rate but if that’s the direction WWE and Fox want to go in, this might be something they want to discuss and evaluate because the choppiness was pretty noticeable and a bit distracting at times.
About Phillip Bupp
Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.
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