How Sports Broadcasting Can Help 3D TV Thrive In The Market

The 3D TV revolution, though still in its infancy, has been brewing for a few years already. The string of 3D movies that were recently launched in movie houses around the world such as Avatar, Toy Story 3 and Alice In Wonderland has become extremely popular that it's only a matter of time before 3D viewing makes it into our homes. While there are some who are still dubious about 3D TV's success, there have been numerous maneuvers in the market and the media that could possibly make them eat their words. One big example of this is the success of the ESPN 3D broadcasts of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. This is a clear indication of 3D TV's future, and it appears that 3D sports broadcasting might be the key to its success. 

The satisfaction one can get in enjoying sport broadcasts in 3D is significantly different from the one we get out of watching movies in 3D. For one, the outcome in sports events isn't predetermined. There's no way of telling how it will end. As such, watching a game on 3D gives the sensation that you're in the thick of the action. The 3D experience in watching a sports event is made even more thrilling by the fact that there's no script behind what's taking place, which we can't say the same about movies. As Chris Long, vice president for entertainment at direct TV, put it succinctly, "If you have seen what I have seen, you don't want to see the ballgame in 2D anymore." 

Close-up shots of players, coaches, and fans can give you quite a thrill (seeing a spray of sweat fly off a player after being tackled can give you the inclination to bring your own towel). A ball being thrown upward might appear as if it's going to come out of your screen. It looks so real that you're apt to flinch or move out of the way if a ball is suddenly thrown at your direction. And my favorite part: pretending that you're strangling a referee who'd just made an errant call.

There are still some hurdles that need to be overcome in order for 3D sports broadcasting to become the norm in living room entertainment. For one, there have been mixed reviews in the 3D broadcasting of the World Cup. Some even say that it's under whelming. There might be several factors that come into play here such as getting the graphics right. Proper placement needs to be administered to box scores and statistics in a way that, for example, prevents players from running through them. 

Another drawback, especially if you're using LCD as opposed to a Plasma screen, is that viewers who are watching from the side won't get the best quality compared to those that are watching right at the middle.

Not a lot of people can enjoy 3D Sports Broadcasting because of the exorbitant price involved. But since the competition is getting tighter, improvisations and tweaks will certainly be made. As a result, the costs of the 3D TV sets are also bound to drop down. This is definitely a good sign for the consumers, especially sports fans.
