WOF Puzzle Board

[chris319]

Could someone describe the technology used to display characters on the WOF. puzzle board? Obviously there must be one display device per character.

Thank you.

[clemon79]

Could someone describe the technology used to display characters on the WOF. puzzle board? Obviously there must be one display device per character.

Not necessarily. It could be a matrix of larger screens or some kind of a Jumbotron-ish thing (where you just install as many LED panels as you need for whatever it is).

The question I have always had is whether they are actually touchscreens or if someone just syncs the reveal to when Vanna touches it.
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[Dbacksfan12]

There's an episode from early in the board's lifespan where Pat touched a panel and nothing happened.  I'll try to find the clip.

ETA:
https://youtu.be/n28gYdnSmHU?is=AN1tNhi4Zrz9ezkj

20:30 mark; Vanna is actually touching the side of the panel, not the panel itself.

[JasonA1]

I remember an interview about the newest board that explained how it used lidar technology. Vanna showed how she had to break the plane to make it work. I believe GMA did a piece on it, too.

This article from Buzzerblog has a lot of good info on how the first-gen screen version worked. As noted within, there was a switch of some kind on each monitor. But naturally, that could be superseded by manual control.

What I DO remember is something crazy about how the characters were stored. Broadly speaking, there was a DVD player involved -- or perhaps one for every screen -- and chapter stops at every character. I remember hearing something to the effect of...the computer went to the disc(s) and took a still store of each character from the chapter stops...and sent that to the monitors as appropriate. Again, that's a very short summary of what somebody explained to me, while also describing the "waterfall" of cables that went from that rig to the board itself.

-Jason

[chris319]

I did some snooping around and am now led to believe it's now a big, single video wall. That would simplify things greatly as it could be driven by a single PC which could also store the various messages/puzzles. Vanna's role would then be purely cosmetic as the board is actually controlled offstage.

I observed HS when it was being done at TV City and the board was controlled with a single PC by an operator with a light pen of all things. You don't want to see a mouse pointer on the screen.

The same question could be asked of the J! board.

I am very behind the curve in my knowledge of video walls and jumbo displays.

[BrandonFG]

I imagine it still acts as a touchscreen similar to what a meteorologist or Election Night commentator uses.

[TLEberle]

Idiotest used massive for their time touch screens as well. "Why'd you touch that?" "Because I think it's the right answer."

[trainman]

The same question could be asked of the J! board.

I just went to a taping last week -- the J! board is now just one massive video wall. During the game, for each clue, the whole board (except for the categories at the top) just goes blue with the text of the clue in the middle, or, for video clues, video on the left with the text on the right. What it looks like on TV is a video effect. Same deal with the category reveals -- the smooth pan across that you see on TV is a video effect.

[Matt Ottinger]

Vanna's role would then be purely cosmetic

Vanna's role has always been purely cosmetic.

[MSTieScott]

Here's a video the show released when they went to one big LED screen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8ATdt-Y0lc

[chris319]

Vanna's role would then be purely cosmetic

Vanna's role has always been purely cosmetic.

Her role used to be to turn the letters.

[CJBojangles]

Here's a video the show released when they went to one big LED screen:

They had Vanna wear some of those newfangled camera-glasses back in April and posted a "Vanna Vision" video to their YouTube page. While she doesn't have to touch the video wall, you can see from her POV that she still does:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiLbvtwYEPI?si=mytmkW9JOkx7eUcS&t=102

[jjman920]

Vanna's role would then be purely cosmetic

Vanna's role has always been purely cosmetic.

Her role used to be to turn the letters.

IIRC originally, the idea was for the letters to turn by themselves, but mechanical issues led to the hostess role that Susan Stafford pioneered. But I believe at some point, technology did get better and they probably could've had the tiles turn on their own (Concentration managed with the difficulties before Wheel debuted), but the role became popular and they kept it despite the fact that they probably could've gone without it by the time Vanna auditioned for and won it.

[wdm1219inpenna]

Much as I adore Vanna, I cannot help but wonder why she is still needed anymore, other than to make the puzzleboard look less barren.  Clearly the puzzleboard can operate without her.  For one, the toss up puzzles fill in automatically without her doing anything but "touching" the last letter.  For another, when Vanna filled in for Pat, during one Disney themed week, Disney "magic" filled in the letters while I believe Mickey and Minnie Mouse were just standing at either end of the puzzle board and would wave their hands whenever a called letter appeared in the puzzle.

I do not know about budget concerns for future seasons, but to me, once Vanna retires, I do not really see a need for a new hostess.  I admit I am not a huge Wheel watcher like I once was, but will still occasionally watch.  Does Vanna still model any prizes?  If so I imagine it would only be automobiles.

All this said, I do not want Vanna to retire any time soon, and if the show is still on once she decides to retire, I'd be okay if Maggie Sajak takes over.  It saddens me that Chuck Woolery never got to appear on the show after Christmas Day 1981.  I know Susan Stafford, the original letter turner had filled in once I think when Vanna suffered a miscarriage.  It would be nice if Wheel did an "old home" week some day, filming at the original NBC Burbank Studio and to have Susan make an appearance somehow...sadly Merv, Chuck, Jack Clark and Charlie O'Donnell all have passed.  Would be neat though to have perhaps Susan play for one episode against Rolf Binirschke and Bob Goen for charity during one of the "old home" week episodes.  (sorry I went off on far too many tangents)

[Steve Gavazzi]

Much as I adore Vanna, I cannot help but wonder why she is still needed anymore

Because she's Vanna White.