3D to take center stage at NAB
Products, issues to be hot topics at upcoming convention
Tiger Woods and other star athletes are going 3D.
As the Masters golf tournament gets under way and with World Cup soccer coming in June, 3D is getting a big kick forward just before the start of the National Association of Broadcasters convention, which opens this weekend in Las Vegas.
One major question remains: Will anyone be watching? 3D TVs are only now coming to market from the major set-makers, and few are in the hands of consumers. In effect, the initial broadcasts will be more about testing systems and creating consumer demand as they play on showroom floors.
That hasn’t stopped major events from getting the high-tech treatment.
This week, the Masters is being shown in 3D for the first time via cable, and the broadcast is streaming in stereo to 3D-ready laptops and other mobile devices.
On Thursday, soccer’s international governing body FIFA and Sony provided new details about the most ambitious 3D broadcast project to date, announcing its schedule for 25 World Cup games in South Africa that will be broadcast in 3D to a global audience on pioneer channels including ESPN-3D in the U.S., which launches on the soccer tournament’s opening day, and on Sogecable in Spain.
Eight matches will be fed live to 3D digital cinemas and other public venues worldwide; Switzerland-based Aruna Media will manage rights for venues in 26 countries. Meanwhile, 3D promotional trailers will be shown on Sony 3D Bravia TVs in about 4,000 Sony-affiliated retail stores worldwide.
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