Eric Richardson [Flickr]

ESPN Zone's new line-free center picture in the Screening Room.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It's amazing how big a few little lines can be.

Since its opening in December of last year, visitors to L.A. Live's ESPN Zone have complained about the pair of bezel lines running through the main picture of the venue's centerpiece Screening Room. As of this morning, they're history.

The original screen was made from three 103-inch plasma screens, rotated sideways. The bezels between the screens led to annoying lines that disrupted game watching and left split-screen talking heads faceless.

This morning, workers mounted a large Panasonic projector on the back wall of the screening room. While ESPN Zone staff didn't have a model number handy when blogdowntown dropped by, it's likely the new unit is a PT-DZ12000U, with a street price around $69,000.

Conveniently, the change came just hours before Game 6 in the Lakers' Western Conference Finals series against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers lead the series three games to two, but ESPN Zone GM Eric Levitt selfishly wants to see the series go one more game, bringing a Game 7 to Los Angeles on Sunday. Game 7 of the Lakers series against the Houston Rockets was a big money-maker for the venue.

ESPN Zone is one of the venues participating in L.A. Live's Downtown Discount program. The restaurant is giving 15% off food and non-alcoholic drinks on nights where Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre are dark.