SKY Ready To Net 3DTV Viewers In The UK Starting In October!

3DTV owners in the UK rejoice! Starting October 1, you will be able to enjoy Ryder Cup Golf and movies such as MONSTERS VS. ALIENS on your new SKY+HD channel. After in the field testing at more than 1500 locations, SKY is ready for primetime.

As Christmas approaches, other 3D movies will be available including ALICE IN WONDERLAND and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE.

Further to golf, a variety of 3D sporting events will be on the channel including Premier League football.

The service will work on most 3DTVs including units from Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

I am elated that the UK are getting their 3D in the home so quickly! SKY seems to be doing things right so it should be a pleasure to watch. If you are in the UK and getting this service, let me know! I will pass along your thoughts to our readers.

Source: BBC

3D Sports Set To Explode On June 11!!

Have you got your S3DHD TV yet? Well in case you haven't and you are wondering what kind of broadcast content will be available before you buy, try this on for size: The 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer games will start airing in 40 million homes on June 11 in stunning 3D through ESPN 3D. The insanely popular tournament will be aired through Comcast, DirecTV and other distribution channels.

Not only will the sports be in S3D, but so will the commercials! ESPN is ONLY taking 3D commercials for the games and Sony has already agreed to be one of the first to air a 3D commercial for their products.

As far as the World Cup goes, ESPN 3D has actually increased the number of events being covered from 85 to about 100.

So if you want to see the games in 3D - check out the various solutions available at your nearest electronics store. I was in BestBuy yesterday and loved their Samsung set up which was showing MONSTERS VS. ALIENS. Solutions are also available through Amazon.com.

Yankees - Mariners Games And All Star Game To Be Aired In 3D This Year!

Jim here. If you are in the New York (DirecTV) or Seattle (FSN Northwest) areas, have a new S3DHD TV and love baseball, mark July 10 and 11 on your calendar! The YES Network is producing back to back MLB games in 3D between the Yankees and the Mariners.

Further, Fox Sports and DirecTV will be carrying the MLB All-Star Game in 3D with ESPN covering the home run derby in 3D.

Ed Delaney, YES’s vice president for operations, agreed that 3-D had worked best so far when the cameras were lowest and closest to the action. But, he said, he was pleased that the Anaheim rehearsal showed that the distant center-field camera “showed the depth of the guy on second, the pitcher and the batter.” He said the traditional high home-plate camera would have to shoot through netting, which he did not think would be a serious distraction.

Great news for you new S3DHD TV owners! The more 3D sporting events the better and after having The Masters and an NHL hockey game broadcast in 3D recently, it is great to see it being applied to multiple sports.

Source: NYTimes

Recent Sony 4K Projector Installations Pushing Not Only 3D Movies, But 3D Sports, Concerts and Gaming!

Jim here. Here is an update on how Sony is doing with their 4K digital projector installations and associated RealD 3D deployments. Muvico Theaters, Uptown Entertainment and Wildwood theaters have installed the systems and couldn't be more thrilled. Each are looking for premium entertainment experiences for their customers and it seems that Sony has fit the need. And as you'll read, it is not only about the movies:

Muvico Theaters (whose motto is "Drink, Dine and Watch") now has 89 screens outfitted with Sony 4K projectors, of which 17 are RealD enabled for 3D. Further, Muvico has partnered with Sony for alternative content programs which I have been a huge advocate of since day one - especially for S3D). We are talking in-theater gaming with Sony's PlayStation and special live broadcast events like concerts. Muvico Theaters has reserved seating for patrons 21 years and older with complementary popcorn, and a restaurant / bar to utilize during your night out.

Uptown Entertainment (owned by the Ilitch family of Little Caesar's and Detroit Tigers fame) has moved to Sony 4K on an initial 19 screens of which several will be upgraded to Real D 3D. Again they are not only into movies, but also sporting events or music concerts.

Wildwood Theaters is going Sony 4K digital almost across the board, albeit with a smaller number of screens. 20 of their 26 screens are now Sony 4K of which 4 will be RealD 3D.

Sony has what's called their Digital Cinema Solutions and Services group that will work with theater owners on the integration, installation, maintenance and service support for its 4K conversion, providing the exhibitor with a complete turn-key solution for converting to digital technology. The solution covers not only movies, but the all important alternative programming discussed earlier.

Sony 4K projectors offer 8.8 million pixels and are the industry leaders for digital projection from what I have seen. The difference between 2K and 4K is staggering and you really do need the extra resolution for 3D movies and events. You can tell the difference immediately.

Alternative programming should allow theater owners to reduce screen downtime dramatically. With creative local managers, these facilities should be raking in revenue morning, afternoon and night.

Digital projection is the future of cinema and Sony has a heckuva offering. I will have more notable developments in the digital 3D projection world as they happen.

The French Open Will Be Shown In 3D! In Europe Anyway...

Jim here. Panasonic is partnering with France's Federation Franchaise de Tennis, Eurosport and Orange to provide The French Open in glorious 3D. Specifically center court games.

The 3D action will take place between May 23 and June 6, 2010 on Panasonic S3DHD TVs in selected retail outlets. France will enjoy much more coverage at the retail level and if you happen to live there, Orange will be broadcasting the 3D event to their own TV channel.

Eurosport is assisting by taking the Orange S3D feed and delivering it to 3000 retail stores in 58 European countries outside of France on Panasonic's VT20 S3DHD Plasma TVs.

I am impressed with the collaboration of these large corporations in delivering the goods. Everyone loves a good tennis match and I think 3D is a perfect way to show it off. Would have love to have seen Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe battle it out again this way! Hmmm... Converting classic sports moments in 3D? :-) Let's get on it!

And get that French Open 3D broadcast over to North America!

Tiger Woods And The Masters Will Be On April 7-11: Find Out How To See It In 3D!

Jim here. Maybe you have heard that The Masters will be broadcast live on Comcast in stereoscopic 3D and wondered how will you be able to see it? Let's get to the bottom of it!

SFGate has a nice article on how to get up and running:
If you are one of the few thousand people who have an HDTV with 3D capability, you will be able to access a specific channel devoted to the event in 3-D. It will also be available on Video On Demand.

The Par 3 Tournament will be broadcast live on Wednesday, April 7 from 3-5 p.m. ET. Holes 14, 16, and 18, with rotating coverage of holes 10-13 and 17, will air live from 4-6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, and 5-8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Bonus: no commercials will air during these broadcasts.

Holding off on buying anything 3D? Several Best Buy and Sony stores will be showing the Masters footage on their 3D TV samples. You can also record it on your HD-DVR, and watch when you purchase a 3D TV.

If you have a computer with 3D capability (you need to buy a 3D-enabled computer monitor), visit Masters.com to watch. A 3D monitor (and glasses) is sufficient for watching, but you have to download a plug-in and watch. It will be available on Masters.com.

I am lucky enough to have a 3D Vision setup and the Samsung 2233RZ 120Hz monitor so I will be definitely checking it out! Let me know if you are watching it in 3D on a S3DHD TV - I am curious about your end user experience...

The Masters Will Be Swinging Into Homes This April!!

Jim here. Wow. S3D sports is really starting to explode! Next up is golf and the PGA Masters tournament in 3D April 7 to 11.

There will be plenty of firsts in this broadcast namely: The first live next-generation 3D broadcast of a major sporting event on TV, the first live simulcast of a next-gen 3D event online, and the industry's first live multi-camera next-gen 3D production.

From Comcast's blog: To make the experience possible, Comcast will use our fiber network to carry a 3D production feed provided to the Comcast Media Center where we will package it for distribution to our systems and the Masters website. Sony and IBM are playing critical roles in working with us and the Masters to make this 3D broadcast available to consumers.

As our industry experiments with new ways to deliver live 3D content to the home, consumer electronics manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic and Samsung are beginning to make 3D-enabled TV sets available at retail. If you're one of those early adopters who had to get your hands on an HDTV set in the late 1990s and like to try every new device first, then this is your chance to watch the next big thing. You will also be able to play the live 3D stream at www.masters.com on your PC, using a 3D media player, 3D monitor and 3D glasses. Traditional Masters Tournament coverage will continue to be available in HD on CBS and ESPN with highlights On Demand and online.

What are you waiting for? Get one of these S3DHD TVs and soak this stuff up in the comfort of your own home! :-) Any word of Tiger playing in that tourny?

Original photo courtesy of Getty Images