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Google will predict Final Four performance based on in-game data (updated)
Google has been working closely with the NCAA during this year's tournament, but now, during the Final Four, the company will be using predictive analytics to make predictions about second half performance. The wrinkle here is that the team will use data from the first half of the game to come up with their prediction during halftime. They'll then create an ad right in the Alamodome, which will air before the beginning of the second half of the game.
Twitter will host Final Four 'watch parties' with live analysis
Twitter's sports offerings have grown quite a bit over the last couple of years. Between game coverage, 24/7 streams and analysis shows, Twitter keeps expanding its sports content, and this weekend, Variety reports, it's adding March Madness Watch Parties to its slate. In partnership with Turner Sports, CBS Sports and the NCAA, Twitter will host a "live social-viewing experience" during both Men's Final Four games this weekend as well as the National Championship game on Monday. The Watch Parties will consist of analyst commentary, highlights and even some special guests.
Recommended Reading: The internet can't handle streaming big TV events
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Internet's Clearly Not Ready to Stream Big TV Events by Brian Barrett Wired Last weekend's NCAA Final Four provided some of the most-watched college basketball matchups in years -- unless, of course, your Sling TV stream didn't work. The newfangled internet TV service buckled under the weight of a wave of new subscribers looking to opt in for the big games. It was just the latest in a line of live-event-related issues web streamers encountered, and it shows that maybe major television events aren't ready to be viewed on the web. So, Sunday's Game of Thrones premiere should be... interesting.
Sling TV is sorry for messing up your Final Four basketball stream
Dish's Sling TV streaming service got its first big stress test during the NCAA's Final Four games this weekend... and, well, it didn't cope gracefully. The company has apologized after Sling TV buckled during the college basketball semifinals, producing errors and otherwise keeping many people from following the action. Reportedly, a combo of "extreme sign-ups and streaming" triggered the meltdown -- Dish wasn't prepared for the flood of new customers, and had to juggle the load across its networking partners to get things back to normal. That's an auspicious sign for Sling TV's future (there's clearly a lot of demand for live sports online), but let's hope that it's better prepared for the next big wave of cord cutters. [Image credit: Chris Steppig/Getty Images]
Final Four basketball in 3D is the closest thing to being there
What a difference a year can make. The first time we got our eyes on 3D sports, we saw a lot of promise during the 2009 BCS Championship -- but it was marred by technical glitches and a lack of onscreen information during the game. This weekend we settled into a local movie theater to check out a presentation of semifinal round games from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in our lengthiest experience with 3D yet. Not a lot has changed in the theater with the same passive RealD glasses, but the quality of what's on screen has gone way, way up. For basketball, most of the camera angles were similar to a videogame, mostly using sideline shots that seemed lower than we're used to on HDTV broadcasts. For the price of a $25 ticket for both games, it was a reasonable approximation of seats 10-15 rows up in Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium that would have cost considerably more. Other angles included a skycam view that we probably liked the best, which was supplemented by cameramen positioned under each basket for a front-row view of the action and a couple of views from over each basket and behind the student section that varied in quality depending on what was going on in the game. The picture was sharp and the motion was easy to keep track of, though there were still a few times when it seemed to lose focus, especially during the first game. We've never had a problem keeping track of the ball during a match, but spying passing lanes and the aim of long jump shots was far easier than viewing in 2D. There's no mistake about it, 3D brought us closer to the action -- even from hundreds of miles away -- than we were previously used to.
CBS Sports to present the Final Four in 100 3D theaters
There's no bigger sport in March than College Basketball and CBS is once again stepping up its coverage of March Madness by covering the last three games in 3D. With some help from Cinedigm Digital Cineman Corp, 100 movie theaters throughout the nation will present the games in 3D for your viewing pleasure, but If you don't live near a theater -- or just want to find content for your new 3DTV -- you might be in luck as CBS is also reaching out to cable and satellite providers about sharing the love. This is yet another live 3D broadcast to add to the others this year, which will hopefully be just the beginning of live 3D sports for years to come.
HDTV Listings for April 2, 2006
What we're watching: Crash, the Academy Award Winner for Best Picture premieres tonight at 8 on Showtime. It's got plenty of competition however, with new episodes of Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Sopranos and Cold Case all at the same time. We'll probably be checking out even more Final Four action as the women go at it tonight on ESPN-HD.Of course, you can always check out the second part of Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime on Discovery. So many choices, so few tuners on the DVR.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
