ESPN & Discovery to Broadcast in 3D
ESPN & Discovery to Broadcast in 3D
Looks like 3D TV will be one creating new wave in 2010 with the news coming out recently ESPN and Discovery are launching 3D programming this year. Discovery has already been involved with incredible IMAX programming over the recent years and the move to the small screen seems reasonable.
Sports on HDTV has brought an incredible element to live broadcast events and the announcement by ESPN adds more to the overall “being on the sideline” feel and will surely be a welcome addition to both casual Super Bowl viewers to hardcore sports enthusiasts.
ESPN plans on bringing its first live 3D event starting with the opening FIFA World Cup match between South Africa and Mexico on June 11, making way for at least 85 live sporting events during its first year, ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said. Up to 25 World Cup matches will be shown on what ESPN called "the industry's first 3-D television network" along with college basketball, college football and other US domestic sports events.
Concurrently, Japanese electronics giant Sony, Discovery Communications and IMAX Corp. also announced that they were working together to "develop the first 24/7 dedicated 3-D television network" in the United States. They said the new 3-D network, which is expected to launch next year, will feature "high-quality premium content from genres that are most appealing in 3-D, including natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and children's programming."
Sony, Discovery and IMAX said they would be equal partners in the venture aimed at bringing a "high-quality three-dimensional viewing experience to home television audiences." The dueling announcements came as representatives of leading electronics firms from around the world gathered in Las Vegas for the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Thanks to the much-hyped release of science fiction blockbuster "Avatar," a 3-D film by "Titanic" director James Cameron, for renewing interest in 3-D and led to industry leaders believe that the time has come for 3-D TV in the home.
"This is a turning point for 3-D," Consumer Electronics Association chief executive Gary Shapiro told USA Today newspaper.
Of course, to enjoy these new 3D HDTV channels, you will need to own a 3D-capable HDTV set. Manufacturers already have plenty of sets on display, especially during the CES. Like HDTV, the risk for 3D television is the relative expense of producing and broadcasting the content in relation to the number of homes with compatible devices installed. However, the slow adoption to HDTV could actually benefit 3D TV technology, as most of us may decide to upgrade to a 3D-capable set when moving to HDTV or replacing an aging HD unit.
For the moment, ESPN will just broadcast special live sports events in 3-D while the Sony, Discovery, IMAX deal calls for the creation of a dedicated 3-D channel. Discovery, Sony and IMAX said the 3-D network would launch first in the United States and they would eventually "explore international distribution opportunities in selected markets."
There is truly nothing that can compare with the immersed IMAX 3D experience but we surely do look forward to seeing this 3D technology on the small screen version. Let’s hope some eyewear designers would take notice and start coming out with appealing versions of 3D glasses. It would be nice to sport a pair of stylish Ray-Bans instead of the functional, yet hideous 3D glasses out there right now.
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