Mof’s already exhorted you to give this weekend’s snooker a chance. It’s shaping up to be an extremely exciting end to what has been one of the best tournaments I can remember. The presence of so many new players, the early exit of Ronnie O’Sullivan – which, although undoubtedly bad news for him and his fans, seemed to instantly put several other players on their mettle as if they knew they were now in with a real chance of winning – and perhaps even the thought that we might be witnessing the one of the final World Championships at the dear old Crucible, have all contributed to a higher standard of play and an even more electric atmosphere than usual. But it wasn’t always like this.

Today’s TV coverage is light years away from the old Pot Black days. The time when snooker lovers thought themselves lucky to enjoy a single frame per week, with a fixed camera and commentary by whispering Ted Lowe is a far cry from today’s hi-tech presentation.

Not only is there now more than one camera, but they move! Close-ups of cueing action, plants and pockets are expected and cameras are even fitted inside the pockets themselves for added impact.

Shots are regularly replayed in ultra-slo-mo – an annoyance at times, especially if overused, but it has at least allowed viewers to understand in minute detail what the commentators are banging on about when they say a player has had a kick.

Several years ago commentators were granted the ability to draw little diagrams and lines and circles on the picture to explain what would happen next. Once or twice the lines would even bear some resemblance to what actually did happen. I noticed only yesterday that this toy has been enhanced so that they can now make one of the balls flash as if it was a runway light. I suppose that’s marginally cooler than drawing a wobbly white arrow to point at the ball they’re talking about!

Perhaps the most significant technological change in recent years has been the introduction of Hawkeye. Now with stomach-churning rapidity we can be swung round to get a player’s-eye view of the table, which gives us even less of a clue what could happen next than we had from looking at the table head-on, but at least it looks flashy and uses up some of that pesky licence money that piles up everywhere.

If at any time during the bank holiday weekend you’re watching the snooker and need a little diversion, why not try thinking up some other technological innovation that could enhance your viewing pleasure? I mean something other than a gag for John Virgo, obviously.