Did you know that the 2012 Olympic Games in London were broadcast in 3D by some cable providers? Apparently only a rare few were in on the secret, despite how visually stunning the opening ceremonies were in 3D. Were you one of them? You should be! Imagine just slipping on a pair of 3D Glasses and suddenly you’re right there in London, watching the torch be lit. This is the first time in history that you could experience the Olympics in 3D (besides being there, of course), so make sure you maximize the experience by getting the best possible 3D Glasses. Here’s an article that nicely summarizes my own thoughts on the subject.
OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONIES IN 3D
by Mel MartinWatching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in 3D
It’s finally come, and visually it is pretty exciting. I dipped in and out of the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics from London in 3D on DirecTV channel 103. Unlike the regular NBC broadcast, this was devoid of the endless and irritating commentary on the commercial broadcast.
In the portions I watched, amounting to about 2 hours worth, the only narration I heard was from the stadium announcers. The ceremonies were grand in spectacle, and 3D makes a big impression. The larger your display, the more impact it will have. I checked it out on a 46 inch LCD, and an 8 1/2 foot front projection screen and I can tell you, size matters.
Like any opening ceremonies, there are highs and lows. Some of the dance numbers were spectacular, especially with all the pyrotechnics, but watching the Andorra Olympic team stroll around a track and wave was less than entrancing.
Still, NBC and Panasonic are to be congratulated for offering more than 240 hours in 3D, and DirecTV and cable outlets for stepping up and providing the bandwidth. Some in the industry had hoped that the Olympics in 3D would be the ‘Avatar moment’ that sets off a mass of sales of TVs, but that very same industry has blown the opportunity by not promoting the coverage. I called a couple friends with 3D sets and asked what they thought of the coverage. Neither one knew the Olympics were on in 3D and had been watching the programming in HD on their regular local outlet. That’s pretty much criminal negligence and there should have been weeks of promotion before the event, and lots of in-store displays to attract shoppers. With the high profile of the Olympics, and the necessity for the technology to get in front of people to succeed, you have to wonder about the IQ ratings of the decision makers.
Nevertheless, if you have access to the broadcasts in 3D, be sure to get a look. It’s the first broadcasts of the Olympics in 3D, and hopefully not the last.
Article Courtesy of 3DTV.com
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? There’s a lot of 3D TVs out there, if you’ve got one and the right service for it I’d recommend catching the Olympics in 3D while it’s still going on. Invite some friends over so you can join the crowd, but make sure you have enough 3D Glasses, and especially the right kind.
