First thing to note: Scott Ferrall, or as I like to call him "The Reason No One Watches 'The Wheelhouse,'" is gone for good. Neil Best notes that his contract was up, and SNY wisely chose to set him to pasture. Maybe I'll actually watch that show (or at least not scramble for the mute button when the commercial comes on).
Secondly, SNY is going to make watching Mets baseball a lot more interesting. According to Multichannel (via Retire 31), SNY will be one of the first channels to embrace the new MVP Enhancement system.
This new system will allow SNY and its on-air team to enhance the game story with post-production capabilities in real time. With this new technology, SNY will incorporate five new features into its 2009 Mets telecasts: SNY magnify, flow motion, pitch differential and speed and distance trackers.
SNY magnify will not only hyper-zoom over the magnified area, but it will move with the player or object as the clip is played. SNY will be able to use this enhancement for plays at any base, a hit batsman, a ball near the foul pole or outfield wall. For example, on a close pickoff play at first base, the ball, glove and foot or hand of the runner can be magnified and followed into the bag.
With flow motion, SNY analysts Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez can dissect a pitcher's motion or batter's swing through overlays on repeated plays that will identify patters over the course of a ballgame.
The regional's pitch differential feature will illustrate a sequence by zooming in to where a catcher sets up, where the ball finishes and the point of contact with the bat.
As for the speed and distance trackers, SNY will be able to trace the speeds and distances of players on the base paths or in the outfield, as well as on balls that are pitched, hit or thrown by the fielders.
The article notes that SNY will also debut a new graphics package.
Oh, how exciting. I can't wait to listen to Keith Hernandez gush over all his new technology. I want to be a fly on the wall during that training session...
"Wait...so now we not only have the Coors Light Freeze Frame...but...HYPER ZOOM?!? I don't even know what that means, but I like it!"
Yes, Keith. You're going to have too much fun this season.
Well done, SNY. I'm very proud of you.