Every decision that is made in business, school and life today has a direct reflection on the kind of carbon footprint we make. The world has finally woken up to the fact that we cannot continue down the path of polluting our earth without consequences. The high volume of energy demands plays a major role in the kind of purchases that we make and there is a slow transition around the globe to more ecologically friendly energy sources. These decisions include our technology and for schools and stadiums, that equates to their choices in electronic scoreboards and the peripheral equipment.
The home entertainment systems of today are so incredibly well designed, that size, view and sound make it almost like being at a game. Stadiums around the country have been updating their technologies to get their sports fans off the couch and into the stadium. Over the last couple of years, the upgrades have been pretty impressive for baseball enthusiasts and have included everything from park wide Wi-Fi access to high def LED ribbon electronic scoreboards. Here are just a few of the parks and teams that are drawing the crowds in, with the glamour of technology:
When you are looking to purchase an electronic scoreboard, there are a number of factors that come into play. The desire to have everything on your ‘wish list’ may be counteracted by the perceived price. However, there are some important aspects of the newer high technology scoreboards that you need to consider, as they will often not only pay for themselves but, if chosen wisely, can offer opportunities for additional recurring revenue for your school, team or stadium.
In days gone by, sports scoreboards were an intensely manual thing. To change a score, people had to stand on ladders an flip large number charts and the fans were required to wait to make sure their favorite team actually got the point. It’s hard to believe that those days were not all that long ago. The world of technology has taken our population by storm and we are inundated with seamless, easy and instantaneous access to just about everything we would ever want or need. These changes have also been seen with the advent of some of the highest technology electronic scoreboards and they have taken our sports world to an entire new level.
If you attended any sports game in the 1980’s or 90’s, you will remember that the most high tech electronic scoreboards of that time were often bulky, large displays with light bulb style visuals. It was, however, what we were used to and expected when we entered a sports arena or university field. As spectators, we knew that we would minimally see the score update and, that was about it. Today, it’s all about going beyond the numbers. The electronic scoreboard is an entertainment within the game and as consumers, we expect the best.
You might say that we have all been spoiled by the high resolution televisions and home theatres that are available. We no longer want to view anything, including our favorite sports team, in pixely or low res. The costs of high tech electronic scoreboards have come down so that many of the high schools around the country began to invest in what used to only be seen in the large stadiums. Smaller, sleeker and gorgeous brilliant LED colors are now common, even in the middle school arena.
There are a lot of sports enthusiasts that are absolutely passionate about their favorite sports and teams. They also have a high expectation level when it comes to fanfare and the deliverable of the excitement of the game itself. In the past, it was only the stadiums that could produce the kind of visual and audio thrills for a game. High resolution electronic scoreboards with videos and an audio system that would rival the most expensive professional systems. The game line on this topic has made a major shift. Pricing for the best technology scoreboards has come down and now these products are being seen in every venue: from middle schools all the way to university and college games.
Some of the considerations and trends that are happening in today’s electronic scoreboards are stuff that would have been closer to science fiction a number of years ago. The addition of the LED display changed everything and since the cost has been reduced, the scoreboards are now much more affordable. LED offers longer life, higher color resolution and quality and an electrical savings (lower bills). Given the more recent technologies, the LED and corresponding software can also offer incredible sponsor ads and video.
The enthusiasts of basketball take their sport very seriously. The stadiums, schools and recreation organizations are very aware of this and make every attempt to deliver a game experience that outweighs anything the fans could see if they stayed in front of their home theatre. Today’s electronic scoreboards for basketball and glitzier, flashier and completely designed to make the game an even better moment of excitement.
In the world of electronic scoreboards, you get what you pay for. There are a number of manufacturers that may come in cheap, but, that is exactly what you will get. While the costs of scoreboards have been considerably reduced, the cheaper boards have a shorter lifespan, offer fewer options and have a higher breakdown percentage. The original basketball scoreboards were the flip chart style. Someone manually flipped the numbers for each new point added to the score. These were followed by the light bulb style; controlled by a hardwired control box that at least offered a bit of a faster update.
Whether you live in a small rural community or a larger urban city, almost every high school in the country is buying into the concept of high tech electronic scoreboards. With enhanced technologies and lowering costs, the fans that attend their local favorite team games are being enticed even more as the newer, fancier, flashier scoreboards are added to the schools.
It is no secret that Texans have an intense sense of pride in their state. It doesn’t seem to matter about the topic you are talking about in Texas; the people of that area seem to feel that everything in Texas must be bigger, flashier and better than anywhere else. Texans have a lot to be proud of when it comes to sports. They have some of the best teams in the country and they make sure they invest the dollars needed to show their support. The Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas has to be included in that concept as they have gone over the top to have a total of seven electronic scoreboards, two with video replay.
Any attendee of a sports game of today knows how important an electronic scoreboard is. In the past, a scoreboard was just a place to post the scores, but today’s scoreboard has actually become an integral part of the game itself. So what are we tech-savvy fans looking for when we walk into a stadium or on a field today?
To begin with, if you have gone to a larger stadium game, you are hit with the view of some of the largest and most visually attractive scoreboards that are available. Pre-game presentations are all part of the marketing and the vibrant colors, splashing sponsor names, videos and ads; along with streaming news around the stadium is almost overkill. Today, these are the same screens that are used in gala musical concerts and events, so the sound systems must also be impeccable. Some might say that the average fan that attends multiple events might become numb to these visual and auditory effects, but, this would actually be hard to believe.
