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Special to the Director's Cut BogBy Edward C. Baig, USA Today
Three-dimensional TV is a kick. At least, I think so after watching World Cup soccer in 3D. I felt like I was inside the Durban soccer stadium, where Germany routed Australia, though South Africa is halfway around the world from ESPN's Bristol, Conn., headquarters, where I watched on an off-the-shelf 46-inch Samsung LED 3D TV.
Especially on close-ups and replays, the 3D broadcast added depth and perspective that's impossible to duplicate on the two-dimensional TVs we've watched for years, even high definition.
But obstacles remain before 3D goes primetime in homes, starting with the fact that new 3D TVs aren't cheap. The Samsung 8000 series 3D TV I watched on costs about $2,400. Moreover, you - and anyone who wants to watch with you - must don a pricey pair of 3D glasses.
The 3D TVs were all the rage at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. TV makers trumpeted 3D for the home with more buzz than a swarm of South African vuvuzelas. Sets from Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, Sharp, Vizio and Mitsubishi have either hit stores or are making their way.
But folks aren't going to spend for 3D TVs without compelling entertainment. And there are few 3D flicks to watch on nascent 3D Blu-ray players.
Live sports may prove to be a salvation. Of course, the World Cup notwithstanding, there haven't been a lot of sporting events to watch in 3D either, though that's changing.
With the World Cup on now, ESPN launched its 3D channel. But the channel won't air when there's no actual live sporting event taking place. ESPN has previously produced Masters Golf, a Harlem Globetrotters game, and a 2009 USC vs. Ohio State college football game in 3D.
Next month, the YES Network, FSN Northwest and DirecTV will produce a New York Yankees-Seattle Mariners baseball game in 3D. A few days later, Major League Baseball's All-Star game will be broadcast in 3D.
Even if you have a 3D TV, you'll have to subscribe to a TV provider that's on board. To watch ESPN 3D, you need DirecTV, AT&T's U-verse or Comcast cable, which collectively cover about 45 million homes. In some cases you may have to swap a set-top box. U-verse subscribers pay a $10 monthly premium for 3D.
MORE ON 3D VIEWING:
- Wearing glasses. The Samsung 3D TV I watched on was connected via a standard HDMI cable. The shades were drawn, the room dimly lit.
I donned 3D "active shutter" glasses; they alternatively block the right and left lens so that each eye gets the staggered view that makes the 3D illusion possible. Glasses with regular batteries cost $150 a pair; specs with rechargeable batteries cost $200. Samsung sells a starter kit, with two pairs of glasses plus the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Blu-ray disc for $350. At these prices, you probably won't be inviting a lot of friends over to watch. And glasses that work on one TV may not work on another.
I was initially conscious of wearing glasses, which fit over regular glasses. You get over it pretty quickly. I removed them at halftime and briefly here and there to check e-mail. I otherwise kept them on for the entire match, without headaches or eye fatigue.
- Finding a sweet spot. ESPN tech guru Chuck Pagano recommends sitting at a distance of about three to four times the height of the picture, which in my case meant about 51/2 to 71/2 feet away. On the Samsung, anyway, you lose some of the 3D dazzle if you're off to the side.
At times, ESPN's 3D feed is identical to the pictures 2D viewers saw, though often 3D viewers are treated to a unique shot. (The 3D audience also hears their own set of announcers.) On high wide-angle shots, the effect isn’t all that different from a 2D experience, kind of like watching from the stands. The rich perspective of 3D came through on sideline views, corner kicks, and during a replay from behind the net showing the Australian goalie practically walking right up to the TV viewer after a German kick narrowly missed the mark.
I sometimes felt that an object on the edges of the screen - a fan waving a flag, for example - seemed out of proportion. Occasionally, I noticed faint artifacts from a previous image on the screen.
The use of 3D graphics during the match is subtle, without the gimmicky effects evident in 3D movies. That kind of stuff is reserved for some clever 3D commercials for Sony, Gillette, Toy Story 3 and ESPN.
Watching the World Cup in 3D was mostly a pleasure. But it will take a lot more sports, and other 3D programs, for viewers and everyone else with a stake in 3D to reach their ultimate goal.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
3D TV (Based on experience watching World Cup soccer via ESPN 3D on 46-inch Samsung 8000 series LED TV).
$2,400, plus at least $150 for glasses.
Pro: The extra dimension of 3D adds a unique perspective and sizzle to live sports.
Con: Still limited 3D programming. Not all cable, satellite and telephone company TV providers are on board. 3D TVs and glasses required to watch them are expensive.
