New CNN Graphics

[Geoffrey 779]

I say it's about time that CNN updated their look. The new graphics have a bit of a CNN International feel to them in their relative simplicity.

 

It's interesting that they got rid of the traditional ticker. I thought it was a CNNI-style "flipper" but it actually appears to be part of the lower-third as the information on there relates only to the current story. Above that is a black box with rounded corners that switches between the headline and slugs.

 

I'm not a fan of the black box that sits behind the CNN logo bug, which has returned to the right side of the screen. That box grows taller whenever the "LIVE" bug is needed. I also don't like how that box grows to include more branding ("CNN = Politics", "Most News in the Morning", "World News", etc.)

 

The CNNHD logo sit on the left side of the white line, only visible on HD sets, and weather for three cities at a time appears on the top part of the HD wings (this might only be for American Morning).

 

I think it was July 2004 when CNN first went with the minimalist look, but those lower-thirds were increased in height about a year or so later and those graphics never did look quite right.

 

Update: The white line/ticker area has turned black, with a red "update" graphic on the left side, and headlines are flipping through. I guess this is only for this block of American Morning. It's just weird because I haven't really "figured out" the look yet.

[FoxFan 1]

I now know that the black background and white letters is for news updates... and the white background black letter flipper is for information about the topic that is being covered at the moment.

[clind 2]

Wow, simply wow. I'll have more to say about this later as I look outside and wonder what in the hell I got myself into (wind + snow + 16 degrees + work = ahhhh!). Headline News with the flipper seems like a good idea, though it's weird that the site reference is on the left even though the network logo is on the left. CNN, wow, simply wow. I feel like there's modifications on the way to be honest, but this is interesting for sure.

[Dave Lampstein 6]

Yikes - the bug and the time/temp on the banners aren't quite the same width. They just extended it to the left to show the big board at the NYSE so it's not as awkward but without it, it's actually somewhat distracting especially when the white bar disappears.

 

I'll have to tune in later to see more.. I'm not big on watching CNN.

[fox5news 0]

I have mixed feelings about the new graphics. The edges of the L3 boxes are so crisp (when seen in HD) that they look sort of uneven and muddy when viewed on an SD program. The animation the L3s have when changing from a story headline to a reporter's name is very annoying because the outline box stretches from left to right before the L3 text appears over it.. The L3 box was in motion almost nonstop during a news story as it went from interviewee's name to story headline. I'd suggest they change the animation so the L3s fade in.

 

I do like how the time and location is right above the reporter's name on the L3s. It is unusual to have the location above the reporter's name, but CNN displays the pertinent info in a concise way. I also like there is no news ticker anymore; it's one less distraction.

 

I understand CNN has studios not equipped with HD equipment, but why can't CNN's L3s be in HD while an SD program is being aired? The CNN logo in the right corner, as well as the time bar undernath it is in HD right now during an SD program, and its the same logo that is on CNN-SD (unlike before where CNN-HD had its own static logo while CNN-SD had a different animated logo in the same place.) I've seen HD news from my local stations with HD L3s superimposed over SD video content, so I guess it could be done at CNN, especially as CNN has HD L3s during HD programs. It just looks sort of mismatched and cheap with HD and SD-quality text side-by-side.

 

Sort of OT: Will CNN's Atlanta studios ever get HD cameras? I would have expected the Atlanta studios to get the HD equipment first as its their headquarters.

[WXmanTim 88]

Some thoughts:

 

Overall, I like the new look with the single exception of the oversized stock ticker/bug element.

 

I don't really understand why they can't go back to incorporating the stock update into the rotating time element like they did for many years starting in the late-90s. On all three news channels, putting the live camera stock-ticker on screen is so much visual clutter and adds no more information than when it was in with the time element.

 

Also, I think the tracer line through the CNN logo itself should return. It didn't add anything, but I still liked it on the old graphics.

[TennTV1983 743]

Looks like they changed the Headline News logo as well. It now has a box with its initials HLN in it.

[Dave Lampstein 6]

I don't really understand why they can't go back to incorporating the stock update into the rotating time element like they did for many years starting in the late-90s. On all three news channels, putting the live camera stock-ticker on screen is so much visual clutter and adds no more information than when it was in with the time element.

Not only that -- but what about NASDAQ? Maybe not as important as the Dow, but some (myself included) are interested in whats going on over there too...

[d247 43]

I think it looks ok, but it's not great. They do have a CNNI-ish look to them.

 

They should shrink the time box to be the same length as the logo, and at least make the box on the side that shows the show name and stock ticker a little smaller.

 

For Headline News, I kinda like the new box/speech bubble logo. I first seen it during the Showbiz Tonight rerun this morning, it had the box on top (yellow box, blue HLN) and HEADLINE NEWS on the bottom in white. I rather see this on the regular graphics than how it is now (HEADLINE NEWS stacked to the left, box on the right) It doesn't look right with the current modified Morning Express graphics.

[qunewsguy 376]

So far so good. Nice medium between their old look and the CNN International look.

[Tyler 150]

I've only been watching for a few minutes, but I agree, so far so good. And am I noticing the absence of a news crawl?!

[seriouslythough 0]

I think they're trying to push site traffic.

 

Also check out the new Headline News logo. Kinda reminiscent of the late 80s dotted "HN".

[Tyler 150]

Also check out the new Headline News logo. Kinda reminiscent of the late 80s dotted "HN".

 

Saw that too. I like it...

[first on fox 18]

All 3 markets have been added to the "flipper."

[DMA 135]

I'm glad they dropped the ticker. Flippers are consise and easy to read.

[Jess 1110]

It's taking me a bit to figure out how to "read" this look as well. I guess it's because we've been so trained to the visual clutter on the networks that it requires some retraining when one of them goes the other way.

 

It's also because it's going to take some getting used to having the ticker space now being used for the "story info" that used to be on a permanent l3 and the occasional update - especially when the flipper is being used more traditionally on Headline News.

 

It's a radical adjustment... but it's also a significant improvement over the crap they had before, and I quite like it.

[Geoffrey 779]

I wouldn't be so fast to say that the ticker is gone. That space is still being used, whether it's the sub-headline for the lower-third or the "update" flipper (which serves the same purpose as the ticker: headlines unrelated to what the rest of the screen is showing).

 

I really think that the screen is actually more cluttered now. Those show logos are huge and the black box around the logo bug takes up a lot of space (and it's very ugly). And every version of the lower-third seems to have a different height, forcing it to resize. (At least CNNI has a definite position for things such as the headline, names and titles, and locations and video sources... they don't have all of the motion.)

 

I really hate when shows like AC360 and Campbell Brown use the spot where their show logos are to have annoying graphics for the stories. Not only are they distracting but they don't match the clean/minimalist look CNN seems to be going for. It's like a window into CNN's recent past.

 

TVNewser had this link with some more insight into the graphics: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6622125.html

[tw-804 190]

I don't like CNN's new look (I like the old L3's better), but I like Headline News' new logo and ticker.

[caliwxdude 252]

I'm glad that CNN U.S. has finally adopted a graphic look that's more in line with CNN International, which has always enjoyed a better brand than its American sister network. Now, the show logo... that's the one element I'm not really a fan of. It's too obtrusive, and yeah, when Anderson Cooper's show uses it to pimp the story they're currently on ("Digging Deeper," et. al.), it's distracting.

 

But seriously, thank you CNN for having the balls to finally get rid of the crawl. Also, the font geek in me appreciates the fact they replaced the tired Helvetica with the more modern Univers.

[clind 2]

To be completely honest, I've only caught bits, here and there, of the channel and it's a definite change to be honest. The screen seems let you focus a lot more on the content vs. the motion on the botton and the logo had. With that said, I still think the box around the logo is a mistake, the moments where the logo is freestanding looking better than it does with the box.

 

It's grown on me a lot today, even watching 30 minutes this morning and just noticing how much less my eyes stray due to all the motion.

[KnoxvilleTVFan 286]

I really love CNN's new graphics. To me, it is a definite change from the old graphics they had.

 

Also love the flipper. I wish other local TV stations would use the flipper.

[d247 43]

The HLN site on cnn.com has been updated with the new logo.

[Geoffrey 779]

I'm watching right now and they have this curved red animation behind the "breaking news" lower-third... so much for less clutter.

[Dave Lampstein 6]

Yeah, the more I've watched (I've watched more CNN in the last day than I have in the past few years) and I'm not a fan. The look is dated - not very modern at all in my opinion.

[PTVNews 188]

I agree. I don't like the new look.