ESPN 3D

[Paper Guy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4796555

Didnt see this anywhere -- if it is, feel free to kill the thread.

I don't really have many thoughts on the new ESPN 3D, but I was wondering what everyone else thought. The experiment didnt really work in Dallas (or so I read). Most ESPN ventures work out, but I wonder how many people will want to put on 3D glasses to watch the BCS championship game...

 

[zebracoy]

Using 3D glasses at the IMAX or whatever gives me a headache. Count me out.

 

[cranberry]

This should go over about as well as the time the boys in ESPN marketing thought it would be a bright idea to market branded cell phones.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Stick to the baseball threads, cranberry. That is some serious cluelessness.

This is not a goofy marketing scheme like branded cell phones. It's something the TV industry has been working on for years. Once HD became reality, the technogeeks (and I say that with respect) started asking, "What can we create next?" I'm somewhat surprised FOX isn't first, because it has been a huge champion of 3D TV. David Hill said this might save boxing, although it may be too late.

I know our guys have been to a couple of seminars about it. Not sure of the specifics: what your tv needs to make it work; what glasses you have to wear, etc -- but do know they said it looks spectacular. In a lot of ways, ESPN is testing this for everyone else.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

This should go over about as well as the time the boys in ESPN marketing thought it would be a bright idea to market branded cell phones.

DirecTV launched another another bird last week specifically to add 3DHD capacity and will add 3D support to its converter boxes via a software upload soonish.

You'll still need a 3DHD TV and glasses to view the programming, but the new TVs are in the pipeline for the spring.

http://hdguru.com/directv-to-launch-a-3d-channel-hd-guru-exclusive/1201/
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/DirecTV-HD-3D-Channel-Satellite,news-5445.html

 

[LongTimeListener]

How feasible is 3D in the home in the next, say, 10 years? I would love it. But everything I've seen indicates it takes way too much equipment. So it's either the movieplex or a Shaq-style home theater system that costs about $20,000.

I know prices come down and I assume that if the technology exists already, it can be refined. I just wonder how soon.

 

[cranberry]

Stick to the baseball threads, cranberry. That is some serious cluelessness.

This is not a goofy marketing scheme like branded cell phones. It's something the TV industry has been working on for years. Once HD became reality, the technogeeks (and I say that with respect) started asking, "What can we create next?" I'm somewhat surprised FOX isn't first, because it has been a huge champion of 3D TV. David Hill said this might save boxing, although it may be too late.

I know our guys have been to a couple of seminars about it. Not sure of the specifics: what your tv needs to make it work; what glasses you have to wear, etc -- but do know they said it looks spectacular. In a lot of ways, ESPN is testing this for everyone else.

Great. it will still be a failure.

 

[playthrough]

Who knows? 20 years ago, who would have imagined that HD technology would become so great that some sports fans would favor the home-theatre experience over live games?

 

[ringer]

Could be cool. I'm curious to see it. But I suspect it's a long way from perfection. I saw that ESPN X-Games 3D movie this summer (in a theater) and there were a couple cool shots but after 15 minutes, it started to look kind of 2-dimensional. In other words, it was really easy to distinguish the foreground from the backdrop. I don't know if the eyes eventually adjust to the trickery or what...

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I'd pay to watch next year's BCS title game at an IMAX theater. Unless it's Boise State. Then screw it, it doesn't count.

 

[cranberry]

Who knows? 20 years ago, who would have imagined that HD technology would become so great that some sports fans would favor the home-theatre experience over live games?

Nobody knows, of course, and (as Elliotte so eloquently pointed out) I'm clueless about technologies, but I can't see this gaining critical mass anytime soon. Just because an industry is investing in something doesn't mean it will be successful as a product. It's their job to invent new things and try and try to part people from their money. 3-D has been around since the '50s (earlier, really) in movies and the progress has been extremely slow. Consumers, not industries or marketers, will make the final decision.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I'll say this: After watching Avatar on Sunday in 3D, I can see this taking off. It really is a transcendent experience done correctly, which of course will be the key. Conversely, I saw Up in 3D as well, and while it wasn't bad, it didn't add that much to the experience.

Eventually, 3D *will* become the gold standard, because we've been waiting for it pretty much as soon as the Dumont Network went on the air. Whether it's this rendition that makes it, or if it takes 500 years and countless failed experiments, it'll happen.

 

[CitizenTino]

I saw last year's BCS title game in 3D at a local theater. If this is anything like that, they have a long way to go. Numerous glitches left me with a pounding headache by the time I walked out of the theater.

Even with glitches aside, I wasn't particularly blown away by what I was seeing. You get very little appreciation for depth (the biggest point of 3D) when watching from a high camera angle (in other words, the angle you see 90 percent of live football action from). The broadcast I watched tried to combat this periodically by showing plays from a lower angle, which helped. The problem with that, though, was your view on the near side of the field was blocked by players standing on the sideline. A number of times, I missed whether a guy had made it to the sticks going for a first down. That was annoying.

 

[Stitch]

I can't even see 3D using those glasses, so I don't care.

 

[TigerVols]

The GMs of ESPNZones across the country are salivating at the idea of charging $20-$50 a head to watch big sporting events at their restaurants in 3D.

Much like the porn industry's embracing of first VHS (over Betamax) and then DVDs, this move by ESPN will have a huge ripple effect on home viewing in the next decade. (Save the porn jokes -- the Net's taken care of that industry for good).

 

[Gomer]

Why on earth have I not heard of 3D porn? You'd think they would be all over this technology.

The next-gen gaming systems will likely be 3D. Once everyone's bought an HDTV, how do the electronics stores keep selling new units? 3D. The entire market is going this way - it's just a matter of time.

The tech will improve. It's not quite there now, so I think this experiment by ESPN won't be popular, but someone's got to be the first to broadcast 3D. Might as well be a sports network.

 

[Dirk Legume]

Vizio is announcing this at CES this week.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/vizios-2010-xvt-lcds-go-up-to-72-inches-with-3d-led-wifi-and-wi/

(crap, something's wrong with the link and I am too stupid to figure out what.)

Anyway, they are looking at manufacturing several sizes and the 72 inch will be 3500 dollars. I would expect that prices will go down as manufacturing ramps up. So it's here, but two things:

1 it has to be so easy to set up that my 72 year old father in law can figure it out.

2 You have to REALLY be able to see the difference. My wife says she doesn't really notice the difference between SD and HD on our set...and wives make a lot of these decisions.

We were talking about this on my radio show today and a listener pointed out that it wont be too much longer until there actually is "ESPN 8 The Ocho".

Also, the glasses can't be too bulky or expensive...

Still, porn in 3D...

 

[JimmyHoward33]

I don't see people who've bought HDTVs in the last 2-3 years shelling out more money to upgrade to 3D. I sell TVs parttime because my journo job doens't pay well and I just don't see this taking off quickly. Maybe in time, but not by the end of 2010 for sure.

 

[Moondoggy]

"Around The Horn" in 3D.
I'm just sayin' ....

 

[Clerk Typist]

Properly equipped DLP projection sets by Mitsubishi and Samsung have the technical guts to handle 1080p 3DHD right now, according to DLP creator Texas Instruments. Now, ESPN currently broadcasts in 720p, so that will have to change, but via satellite or cable, 1080p is doable. It isn't over-the-air (yet) because of the bandwidth needed.