Television coverage of the World Cup in Germany initially sparked complaints from viewers who felt there were too many panorama shots in which players were too small to identify, broadcasters said.

"Yes, we did have some complaints from viewers about the panorama shots," said Thomas Stange, a spokesman for the German public broadcaster ZDF, which is one of several German broadcasters showing free-to-air coverage of the tournament.

He did not give a figure for the numbers of complaints but said it had been an issue of concern for ZDF.

Stange said the situation had been raised by German broadcasters with HBS, the Swiss company that is providing the live television feeds to broadcasters around the world.

"The situation has improved and the number of complaints has fallen significantly," Stange said. "It's no longer a serious issue."

Stange said there now appeared to be more close-ups and fewer "bird's eye" shots than when the month-long World Cup began on June 9.

He added that the panorama images looked very good on the latest widescreen high-definition televisions.

Nicola Taylor, director of communications for HBS, confirmed that there had been complaints in Germany and Britain.

"Yes, some of the broadcasters have expressed reservations -- namely the British and the Germans -- but the vast majority have, on the contrary, congratulated HBS for its unbiased coverage and the innovative services and facilities," Taylor said in an email.

She said any changes to camera shots had been to cope with lighting conditions in stadiums.

She also denied that the panorama shots were intended to please the World Cup sponsors, whose advertising boards are clearly visible in the panorama shots.

"Directors are not instructed to go for wide shots to please sponsors: they are instructed to focus on the game as it unfolds," Taylor said.