There’s a strict height limit for buildings in Washington, D.C., and consequently, one of the highest structures now within close proximity to the U.S. Capitol building’s dome is one of the largest HD screens in North America. Peering down from rows of brand new centerfield stands in the nation’s newest Major League Baseball facility, Nationals Park, stands a 1,300-inch LED scoreboard, built and wired under the watchful eye of digital signage firm ANC Sports.
The HD screen is getting several trial workouts starting this week before the regular season starts March 30. While it’s not the largest scoreboard in baseball (Atlanta’s is a bit bigger), its detailed imaging capabilities will allow the use of loads of graphics and video highlights (live, instant replay, and historic)—with an emphasis on the use of textual statistics and other quickly assembled information on players and teams that will be instantaneously manipulated via a bank of cutting-edge computers, the team said.
The scoreboard itself which comprises the TV screen is 101 feet wide by 47 feet high (which is about five times bigger than the old scoreboard at the Nationals’ temporary home until now, nearby RFK Stadium).
As for the production team controlling the new scoreboard, “We [will] treat everything like a TV broadcast,” said John Guagliano, the team’s marketing chief told The Washington Post. “Everything has to be timed. We’re truly developing a show.”
Thus, whether at home with an HD set or at the ballpark, HD will play a major role in every game.
