Sky Sports 3D: Football Match Gets New Dimension

Sky will show the world's first live 3D TV sports broadcast this weekend after being helped by the man behind the Hollywood blockbuster movie Avatar.


The broadcaster will screen the Premier League match between Arsenal
and Manchester United in 3D in nine selected pubs on Sunday.

Football fans in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin
will wear special glasses to see the game in an extra dimension.

However, Sky has not revealed which pubs are involved, to avoid a stampede to see the game which might ruin the experience for the regulars.

The new technology helps to show the difficulties a rugby player
faces kicking a conversion, the distance between sprinters as they
cross the finish line and the skill and length of an incisive
cross-field pass in football.

The clash at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium will be the public's first
taste of live 3D football ahead of Sky's dedicated 3D channel which
launches in April.

The broadcaster has been developing its 3D system for two years and
its team even travelled to America to visit the pioneer of modern 3D
cinema, Avatar director James Cameron.

Darren Long, Sky Sports
director of operations, said: "James is a massive evangelist about 3D
and he lives, breathes and eats 3D and just wants to see good 3D out
there.

"For him, it was about how we were going to do it, what equipment we were going to use, what were our filming techniques.

"He's all about 'Get the message out there, get it out well and to the people properly'."

Mr Long dismissed the suggestion 3D sport was a gimmick and
explained how the extra dimension gave viewers a greater appreciation
of the action.

He said: "When you watch a golfer putting in 2D it looks flat - it looks easy.

"When you see it in 3D you can see every bump and contour on the green and you really appreciate their skill."

On Sunday, Sky will transmit two live feeds - one to its traditional Sky Sports customers and another in 3D.

Two separate commentary teams, two camera crews and two production teams will produce the simultaneous broadcasts.

Sky News senior correspondent David Bowden said: "In choosing this
weekend's game, Sky steals a march on the BBC which had already
announced it would show an international rugby match in 3D the
following weekend.

"The difference is Sky's games will be shown on 3D television sets in pubs, whereas the BBC's offering is only in cinemas.

"Either way, the 3D bandwagon is well and truly rolling and the race
is already on to get reasonably priced 3D tellies into the shops."

Sky is rolling out its 3D service with live sports, but also plans to broadcast movies, concerts and drama.

Bowden, who has previewed the new system, said: "It's definitely an
entirely new viewing experience, but it may prove to be an acquired
taste for some people.

"And you might have to explain to your bewildered neighbours why you are wearing sunglasses in your front room in the dark."

He added: "The next major obstacle for the broadcasters and set
manufacturers alike is to persuade a recession-hit public who have just
splashed out on their HD TV to start saving again for a new one capable
of receiving 3D."

As the number of 3D TVs arriving in the UK increases, Sky promises
to broadcast a weekly 3D Premier League game to hundreds more pubs this
spring.

And in the home, its 1.6 million Sky+HD customers (figure from
September 2009) will be able to watch the 3D channel at no extra charge

I can't wait for the future ...

Aye, am going nick the glasse off one of the kids....they had em to watch Avatar and A Christmas Carol.......theyre cool now actually, like ray-bans....