Comments on: Stop the insanity: CNN's 'hologram' was horrendous

CNN's decision to use a "hologram" during its election coverage ruined the broadcast--for one, green screens and overlay images aren't even real hologram technologies.

[Hunnter2k3]

I think it was pretty terrible.
They were getting all excited over something worthless and time-wasting.
3 weeks to set it up? 30+ HD cams?

Stick to green screens and a camera CNN, save some cash, especially in, OOP, a credit crunch!
Plus, actually seeing whats going on in the background would have been better (especially this time, and the noise is no excuse either, mics work wonders)

[AquilaMinor]

Aren't we looking beyond the point with this kind of criticism? Do you tell a four year old that his macaroni painting is stupid and then tell him that he needs to put art off until he's old enough to be able to do it? Yes, I'm comparing CNN to a four year old and this 'hologram' to a macaroni painting. I'm doing it to draw the similarity between a fledgling innovator and his/her brave steps at a concept unfamiliar and exciting to them. The difference between the 4 year old potential art school drop out and CNN in this case is that the parents have experienced what they consider quality art and have the wisdom to foresee the potential damage such a harsh criticism could cause. Granted, CNN (since the network is being referred to as an entire entity with a force of will in this comment) has the judgment and experience to think for itself and defend itself without anyone's help, we should still consider that we're really looking at an amazing concept and an exciting, no matter how primitive, possible future for communications technology. I'm not an expert technologist. I'm not a philosophy guru. I'm not even 26 years old yet, but I do know that when I see someone drawing for the first time, I understand that encouragement is far more powerful a motivator than cynical wit and criticism.

aren't we beyond that by now?

[Malenx]

Just because technology exists, doesn't mean you should use it. CNN is a world wide proffesional news organization, not some small school media club. Beyond that, the imitation of a hologram was a terrible idea to begin with. It didn't enhance or serve a single purpose.

If the technology is useful and beneficial, then yes, even if it's shabby, go for it. But there was no reason to use that except flash something shiny in front of their viewers eyes, just like you dangle keys in front of a baby.

[Eludium-Q36]

Reisinger, the problem with your report and perspective is that you didn't even attempt to imagine the possibilities this affords. And you're to be journalistically chastised for that. Yes, their v1.0 implementation can be critiqued but it's the huge set of possibilities it opens up that's the point.

Imagine a video stream of a hot warzone with a virtualized reporter walking around in that environment describing the action as it occurs without the risk to their life. Any environment that has a video stream can have a virtualized person(s) inserted into it for reporting, instructional, or entertainment purposes. This is an amazing technology for endless possibilities -- now do you get it ?!

[undahpresha]

Thank you.

[4schler]

so true. i felt like i was watching an FMV cutscene from Wing Commander III.

it was THAT bad.

[abclarke4]

Dude, it was cool. Are you the self appointed coolness police or something? So what if it wasn't a true hologram, it was still pretty damn cool. Find something better to write about than trying to dictate to the average Joe what should and should not be tagged as "cool" in your book.

[tomclaeys]

Ummmm, I'll have to say NOT STUPID. Why is this stupid?? Clearly a hologram is irrelevant to news reporting. I mean a CNN reporter in holgram is basically worthless. But the feature in and of itself is just plain cool. Sorry. The application is in interacting with family members and friends and TV and sports. The applications are far reaching. And wait till it appears in your own living room.

But to condemn CNN because they tried something fun and interesting in the midst of the never ending political banter is, in my opinion, ignorant. Perhaps they should go back to listening to radio interviews being drown out by the background noise of mechanical typewriters. These are the same kinds of people that ridiculed the TV and the computer. Lighten up, geez.

[Hunnter2k3]

Did you even read the article / watch the scene in question??

IT WASN'T A HOLOGRAM, the man couldn't see the woman, it was tagged by the little cirlce on the floor, then she was added in using a computer.
Google AR toolkit, similar thing.

[TheAlpacaHerder]

Don, when are you going to implement this with Digital Home Video? I would imagine the green screen overlay can be managed in post in Final Cut. A trip to Jo-Ann Fabric would likely allow any guest the chance to get their very own green screen.

[willem0]

Who are these "so many people"? Everyone at my election party thought it was cheesy, and I don't think we were that rare. When I google it, I find plenty of results like:

"I liked the part where it barely worked. And I also enjoyed that it wasn't really a hologram, and that it looked like a waste of money and time."

This article succeeds in being condescending/pretentious, but is neither original nor insightful. It's the sort of thing that would be worth a remark at a social function, but does it really merit its own article? Really?

[manicsquirrel_]

It's not a hologram unless Wolf could see her in the studio and walk around her image while viewing it. Wolf was starring at an empty space designated by the red circle. Home viewers saw her though. It was a special effect.

There is nothing about this that is holography.

[Digiboy]

You guys just forgot to wear your paper glasses with the red and green plastic lens. I still have mine on.

(BTW, can I take them off now? I'm getting nauseous)

[Connieg199]

Well here's my take. We watch CNN & others to see news, not a show. Those happen in Vegas. With 6 or more crawlers, split screens, etc etc plus all the "swooshing" noises every time they change anchors it's difficult enough to get what news they do provide. To say nothing of Wolf's voice cadence. Can someone please tell him to get some speech therapy and lose that "UH" every 30 seconds.
Just the news folks, just the news....that's all we want...aspiring stars need to seek a different venue. I want Aaron Brown back to CNN

[gregluna]

The Hologram was the best technological feature of the broadcast! The touch screens are getting better but they are not that great.

[geshp]

I wasn't impressed with it. I give them kudos for getting it to work at all, but it looks like it was done with a set of 25 bargain basement web cams. The halos on her image were absolutely horrible and the frame rate was 4-5 fps (as opposed to lo-def television which 50). The technology to do this has been around for a while (Gap Commercial anyone?) but they didn't put high-enough resolutions cameras on it and it looks like they skimped on computing power to, judging by the frame rate. All in all, it looked like a pricey high-school A/V shop project, not something on the 'cutting edge' of technology that you would expect from CNN.

[techie_curmudgeon]

So answer me this: in what way (if any) did this "hologram" enhance the viewers' understanding of the information being conveyed?

Forget for a moment if you liked/disliked the tech itself, or if it was really a hologram or not- CNN is supposed to be a news organization, and all their efforts should be (IMHO) directed to figuring out how to better convey the information they are trying to report.

The tech is irrelevant unless it helps the viewer understand the news. Otherwise you just wasted your money and my time.

[Alphaman63]

Spot on, Don. This was so lame and contrived, it was not worth the minute of interrupted news coverage it consumed!

I'm trying to figure out why she needed dozens of cameras when they only showed a couple angles from different tracking cams. Were the other 30 turned off and just there so she could say they had 32 cameras in the tent?

What good is an on-the-scene reporter if she has to be locked up in a tent in order to provide a report? Decades of light-weight, portable camera development, down the tubes just so they can put the reporter back in the studio??? Why, CNN? WHY?!?

Ultimately, it comes down to my first gut reaction I had when I saw the green-screen trickery: what kind of a twit (apologies to Leo) would ever call a 2D video trick a hologram? I despise the marketeers who misuse technical terminology, distorting and misrepresenting their product, and I recognized this as a sham as soon as it appeared on screen.

Epic fail, CNN. Good call, Don.

[jazznbikes]

Lipstick on a pig?

Anything for ratings?

Our content is lousy, so we'll try to make it up to you by showing you this cool new magic trick?

I wonder if they still use AOL dial-up to get on that interwebs thing.

[ndostepe]

of course that was not a hologram.
Wolf should see a hologram in front of him to call it hologram. instead of that he was looking at a normal monitor.
TV spectators were just watching some 3d visual effects which is definitely not a hologram.

[johnnada]

this was suppose to be coverage of the election right? this so called interview had almost nothing to do with the election. it was just the two of them talking about the technology for 3/4 of the interview. seems like a huge waste of time and money. was wolf able to actually see her standing right infront of him or did he have to use a monitor like the weathermen do? the news channels are bringing us all this sort of sweet technology to grab our attention, which it does. but at a cost of NOT REPORTING ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL! why does my local news station in rural ohio actually provide better news coverage than the big networks. and how come my four year old has better diction than the vast majority of anchors on these 24 hr news networks. why do these fools have better paying jobs than working stiffs like me?

[theantibush]

I see a South Park episode right there! : )