New RAW and SmackDown! Titantrons, Wrestling Figures.

"January 14, 2008--World Wrestling Entertainment® fans will soon be getting their weekly doses of high-energy entertainment delivered in stunning high definition. Beginning the week of January 21, WWE’s Monday Night RAW® and A.M. RAW on USA, ECW®: Extreme Championship Wrestling™ on SCI FI Channel, and Friday Night SmackDown® on The CW will all be delivered in HD.

WWE will also broadcast its pay-per-views in HD, starting with Royal Rumble on January 27.

“The move to high-definition programming is another step in WWE’s ongoing mission to provide fans with the most engaging, exciting product possible, and our programs look spectacular in HD,” said Mike Grossman, Senior Vice President, Television Operations. “This upgrade will be the first of many technological advances for our brand in 2008.”

WWE’s switch to high-def was made possible by a series of upgrades to the company’s television studios in Stamford, Conn. The $20 million HD renovations included refitting of equipment to broadcast WWE programming and global pay-per-view programming in high definition on cable and satellite systems around the world. The WWE also worked with NEP Supershooters to build two new state-of-the-art production trucks, and will lease a custom transmission truck designed for HD transmission.

WWE built new sets for RAW and SmackDown for their HD debuts.

WWE programming reaches nearly 16 million people per week in the U.S. “Monday Night RAW” on USA Network is the most watched regularly scheduled program on ad-supported cable television in the U.S. “Friday Night SmackDown” on CW is the No. 1 program on broadcast TV Friday nights among males 18-24.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/ "


___________________________________________________________

I personally like both Titantrons the way they are.

People always say SmackDown! needs a new tron but it really doesn't. I mean. Just look at it. Its enormous. Its impacting, Its in your face, its over the top.. its F'ing amazing.

We just are used to seeing it so we are taking it for granted.

As for RAW, i don't want that to change, and I don't think it will be changed by much. I hope they keep the same parallelogram shape to the titantron.WWE have amazing people who work on this kinda stuff and I'm sure they have come up with something great and unique for us, Sadly, I will miss the current 'trons either way



<snip>
No spamming please

Vince135792003

I think it's good to have a chanage now and again. Plus the Smackdown fist thingy is such a rip off of Pride.

Charlie

I'm really sick of the current Raw set.

I much preferred the Raw set of early to mid 99, nothing too flashy, but it just seemed so much more imposing on the eye.

Also, I ate when either set doesn't have a stage or ramp, and the entranceway is flat. Booo-urns.

bennyx_o

I agree with what you're saying about the way they are. It's simple and works. They had a different entrance way at SNME which looked brilliant IMO. Can be seen in this video. Interesting to see what they'll look like. Anyone know if Sky will be broadcasting in HD now?

Vince135792003

Every WWE ppv and UFC ppv needs to start off with a Pride like opening cermeony. I gues it would be a bit over the top but I'm only half joking. Prides production values were out of this world.

Here's a great example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23jB-l5iR50

Charlie

Yeah I was always in awe of the Pride sets. Even when they were haemorrhaging cash, they could still build a whopper set.

However, my all time favourite set was Mania 18, it was frickin massive.

The Sparrow

I figured that they must be changing the set when Trips destroyed part of it last night. Like when they changed from the old Smackdown set and Rhino gored somebody through the glass.

I think both sets could do wit a bit of sprucing up. Oh and they should hire the woman that did the ring introductions in Pride! That would be money.

Fozzy

I never liked the Raw set, but I can't say that it really bothered me much

Vince135792003

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Every WWE ppv and UFC ppv needs to start off with a Pride like opening cermeony. I gues it would be a bit over the top but I'm only half joking. Prides production values were out of this world.

Here's a great example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23jB-l5iR50

As cool as that stage is, and the whole opening ceremony, too... it wouldn't be suited to WWE at all. WWE have about ten seconds of pyro, a bit of flashing light, and then the first wrestlers theme music hits. That would be too much messing about for WWE I'd say. Maybe something like that for a WrestleMania or something.


On a side note, WrestleMania X-7 is my all-time favourite titantron, but I really like the RAW one. Also, it was Jericho that was speared through the Ovaltron on the Old SmackDown! stage.

Vince135792003

More than anything else, leaving aside the opening ceremony, the reason why you won't ever see WWE have Pride production levels is because the cost of it would be huge.

krudler

its about time they updated the sets,smackdown has had the same one since 2002 and raw since 2003,give or take a few minor changes, my favourite raw set was the one during the invasion angle with the 3 screens,the tron and 2 others showing the logos of the companies,that was cool

R.Rated

Yeah that seems to be a good few fans fave set. Its about time Smackdown have got a new set. They have had the fist thing since 2001.

fatal

krudler wrote: »

its about time they updated the sets,smackdown has had the same one since 2002 and raw since 2003,give or take a few minor changes, my favourite raw set was the one during the invasion angle with the 3 screens,the tron and 2 others showing the logos of the companies,that was cool

That was my fav one aswell.
During the invasion they used to use the screens alot with backstage ambushes etc so it made perfect sense.I wish they kept it

ShaneU

Anyone notice that raw isn't on sky HD next week?

Minto

krudler wrote: »

its about time they updated the sets,smackdown has had the same one since 2002 and raw since 2003,give or take a few minor changes, my favourite raw set was the one during the invasion angle with the 3 screens,the tron and 2 others showing the logos of the companies,that was cool

Actually, SmackDown! has been the same since 2001 and RAW since 2002, which adds to the argument of why to change the titantrons. The InVasion RAW set was great too. Infact, the InVasion PPV titantron was briliant too, with the two ramps.

Double C

I wonder if they will change the WWE logo? The current one is Attitude era and has been there for 10 years. I doubt it, and personally hope they don't, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

bennyx_o

Double C wrote: »

I wonder if they will change the WWE logo? The current one is Attitude era and has been there for 10 years. I doubt it, and personally hope they don't, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Honestly, I'd hope they do. Hasn't looked right ever since it changed to WWE.

I think the logo looks better than the Attitude era WWF logo. The WWE logo looks crisp and clean, not as sloppy or thrown together as the WWF one did.

I honestly don't think they'll ever change the WWE logo.

As I said above, I really like both sets, so i kinda don't want them to change at all, and i hope the changes are minor, but one thing i really hope.. is that they don't have "HD" logo's plastered all over the place

Mr.Nice Guy

Don't know about anyone else but I have long detested that Smackdown stage with the fist since it was first brought in. Looks diabolical in my opinion.

I always loved it when they went to England and it wasn't there. Looks significantly better.