Hey sports fans! Accessorizing for the big game with team jerseys, cheeseheads, lucky boxers, and indoor cleats is going to get that much harder, because now you’ll have to work in 3D glasses: Disney’s mammoth ESPN network of sports channels has announced it plans to unveil the first 3D cable network on June 11, 2010, and is committing to showing a minimum of 85 live sporting events during the network’s first year. ESPN has already lined up the first FIFA World Cup match, the 2011 BCS National Championship game, a ton of college basketball and football, the Summer X Games, and at least a couple dozen World Cup matches, and the network plans to slot more events as they go.
“ESPN’s commitment to 3-D is a win for fans and our business partners,” ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said in a statement. “ESPN 3D marries great content with new technology to enhance the fan’s viewing experience and puts ESPN at the forefront of the next big advance for TV viewing.”
ESPN has played around with 3D broadcasts in the past, and showed an Ohio State/USC football game in theaters. However, the network’s new initiative is a complete network…and for viewers to see it, their cable or satellite operators will have to make room in their offerings for the channel. And that channel will be dark when there’s no 3D event taking place, meaning some operators may seek to treat it like a pay-per-view operation. At the outset, the network will not offer reruns of 3D events, although as the network accumulates 3D content it’s hard to imagine ESPN just sitting on it if there’s any value in rebroadcast.
Views will need 3D-capable HDTVs and, yes, 3D glasses to view the content properly. Depending on a customer’s cable or satellite operator, viewers may also need new equipment to handle the 3D video feeds.
I bought 65" panasonic plasma HD 3-d, was a little concerned initially,due to a big room,with lots of windows.This tv has out perfomed my expectations.The clarity and sharpness,has blown me away ,not to mention the 3-d,unbelievable.Watched a couple college games on espn,very cool. Movies are limited at this point, more due before holidays.The picture literally comes out in the middle of the room, makes you want to reach out and touch. Can't wait for more.
With our old TV no longer working, I decided to make the jump to HD and initially had no interest in the 3D piece. I saw the Monsters vs Aliens in Best buy and also watched a bit of the World Cup. I was honestly blown away with the 3D picture. I ended up getting a Samsung 3D and watched as many World Cup games as I could squeeze in. Everyone I showed this to were amazed as well and wanted to get a new 3D TV. Koodo's to ESPN for doing that and I'm looking forward to more sports this fall in 3D!
It's possibly they are getting dollars to push the technology, but I also think someone there made the decision that 3D is a possible new direction, and they want to beat others to the punch.
Have to give ESPN props for being bold enough to try something new. Obviously there are not enough 3D TVs in the marketplace for this to make sense today, but who knows, maybe it will drive these TVs to market. Geoff, Think they are getting money from TV manufacturers for pushing the technology so hard like this?