The Buffalo Sabres revealed some details of their brand new videoboard Tuesday. A social media post detailed four major components of the flashy big screen, giving the public a better understanding of what the structure entails. There are some significant improvements over the previous jumbotron and it should set the tone for the new era in KeyBank Center that the Sabres are trying to sell.
The arena’s last videoboard was installed before the 2007-2008 season and featured four large HD screens facing different directions. There were also two LED ribbons around the screens, one at the top and one at the bottom. It was a crafty-looking centerpiece above the ice but had some flaws.
Previous Sabres Videoboard
First, the lower bowl had trouble seeing the video screens, particularly the people seated closest to the glass. Since the video screens did not wrap around and connect, animations were limited by the corners of the videoboard. There was also a slew of modifications made to the board due to the Sabres fluctuating logo and colors over the past decade and a half.
While it didn’t seem out of place or too outdated, many other arenas around North America have upgraded to these mega-boards in recent seasons. The Sabres felt it was their turn, and it’s a sign of a forward trajectory on the club’s business side.
New Sabres Videoboard
The first thing you notice about the new videoboard is its size. The giant structure is 27 feet tall and 43 feet wide. That’s nearly three stories tall and covers over 75% of the neutral zone.
Its four wraparound corner panels are fully digital and therefore the screen is viewable from every angle. The animations and video can now be seamless, adding endless possibilities to game production.
One technical improvement on the new video screen is the definition. The separation between pixels is smaller, allowing for a higher-definition broadcast. According to the Sabres’ post, the pixels are changing from 10 millimeters of separation to only four.
The final, and perhaps coolest, feature of the new videoboard is the video panels on the unit’s underbelly. The photos on the team’s Instagram show angled screens tucked under and inside the structure. This solves the poor visibility issue for those sitting close to ice-level in the lower bowl.
No longer will these patrons have to kink their necks to view a replay. Game presentations and following all of the action within the arena are now accessible to everyone, making the overall game experience more enjoyable.
The massive screen is shown up and already in place at KeyBank Center via the Sabres’ Instagram. The quality of the product on the ice remains to be determined, but the Sabres videoboard will be somewhat of a destination viewing experience in itself.
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