Bothersome aspect on some pool vids or streams

[Revlucjl]

I enjoy and appreciate pool vids & streams. I have one issue that irritates me on a small number of these. I feel like most viewers of these are avid players themselves and also can learn a lot about the game. My minor gripe is this...
Some of these videographers approach this as trying to be artistic in their shooting of this sport. They constantly crop in tightly on the shooters face or on the CB & OB, sometimes neglecting the pocketing or the position play. I feel that most of us would rather view the complete scope of the shot, showing all the movement taking place, such as the stroke and the complete tracking of all the balls on the table. I feel that most of us aren't interested in viewing the zit on cheek of the player or missing the complete play of the balls. It would be akin to someone watching a major sport such as football, baseball, tennis or golf while looking through a toilet paper tube. If we love a sport, we want to view it in its fullness. Please be gentle on me as I have seen many who are verbally crucified for their postings.
Late add on...I would also prefer to not see a three peat of every break shot.

 

[Cracktherack]

You couldn't have said it better.

Some of the worst streams are loaded with drivel and snide remarks about a full breasted waitress or some restaurant they dined at last night.
To the commentators; We don't give one crap about your personal life as a commentator, but if we did, we'd want you to begin the story when you dropped out of school in the 6th grade and began studying English in the poolroom.
Try to turn your head away from the microphone when you're coughing and raising phlegm.
Try to not tell us he's going to play the 1 ball in the corner when it's hanging deep in the pocket.
We also know it will be a rail first shot when a ball is blocking the direct path.
We know there is one push off the break.
We know they shoot the balls in numerical order.
We know when the shooter pulls out a jump cue that he's going to jump a ball.

 

[Tobermory]

First, I have to express my gratitude to all of the people who produce videos and streams of pool. We no longer live in the stone age.

To get down to criticism, I haven't noticed the close-ups of the faces which irritate "revunjcil," but I have noticed that the shot of the player at the table often is from such an angle or distance that one cannot see the player's stance. It sometimes seems as if disembodied hands and arms are playing the shots.

Also, on many videos and streams the absence of a sound engineer is distressingly noticeable.

In general, American TV sports broadcasting assumes that the rule of radio broadcasting applies: no moments of silence. This is a mistake. European TV broadcasts of soccer assume, by contrast, that the public can be allowed to understand and appreciate much of what is happening on the field through its knowledge of the sport. At intervals the commentators speak about factors that may have escaped the average viewer's notice or that summarize what is happening overall on the field. This might be a model which would be more appropriate to pool and billiards.

 

[3kushn]

You're 110% correct. IMO there's nothing to learn from watching the vids. I still skim through them on occasion but never in an attempt to learn anything.

I'm resigned to thinking there's no cameramen that know anything about the sport and we simply have what we we have. Be thankful for that I suppose.

So many shots I would have loved to have seen the stroke. Not to be.

We need to move over to golf. There you see can see the entire swing on TV.

 

[Donny Lutz]

List

You couldn't have said it better.

Some of the worst streams are loaded with drivel and snide remarks about a full breasted waitress or some restaurant they dined at last night.
To the commentators; We don't give one crap about your personal life as a commentator, but if we did, we'd want you to begin the story when you dropped out of school in the 6th grade and began studying English in the poolroom.
Try to turn your head away from the microphone when you're coughing and raising phlegm.
Try to not tell us he's going to play the 1 ball in the corner when it's hanging deep in the pocket.
We also know it will be a rail first shot when a ball is blocking the direct path.
We know there is one push off the break.
We know they shoot the balls in numerical order.
We know when the shooter pulls out a jump cue that he's going to jump a ball.

Good list. Mine would be even longer.

It bugs me that announcers are unable to pronounce "Meucci", - it's not that difficult.

One of the announcers at the Florida event last night, called a shot a masse when it was clearly just a jump shot, adding, "How did he do that?"

 

[jeffj2h]

I took advantage recently of Accu-Stats "buy 10 DVD's for $100" offer. I believe they are still offering that BTW.

So I've been watching a lot of great matches from the 1990 and 2000's. Accu-Stats is terrific for their commentary, discussing strategy. And I like their color commentary on the pool world. But even Accu-Stats, who is selling to pool junkies, zooms in too much on the players between shots. Sometimes there will be a tricky layout after the break and the commentators are talking about where the shooter could push out to, and meanwhile we get 30 seconds of Buddy Hall's face looking concerned…

Still, Accu-Stats is great.

The TAR matches were great too. I'm pretty sure they kept the camera on the table and not too much on the player.

ESPN is the worst.

 

[bdorman]

The pool industry production crews (Accu-Stats, TAR, POV, etc) do a very good job IMHO, given that they don't have the resources of an ESPN.

It's ironic that ESPN (who has the resources) is the most guilty of the actions you complain about. Drives me nuts too.

But remember, they're producing a show for as broad a public as they can...and the pubic wants to see action and drama. Witness the hokey tournament introductions with flashing lights and Rocky-like entrances.