ESPN 3D
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ESPN 3D switches from part-time to full-time on February 14th
Any old school HD fanboy remembers the 24 hour PBS HD loop in the early days of the format as the go-to-channel even though it was pretty much the exact same content showed over and over again 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So it warms our heart to learn that ESPN will take its part time 3D channel full time even if it doesn't necessarily mean any more live 3D events. The 24 hour repeat of previously aired 3D content will start to flow to ESPN 3D customers starting February 14th. In the meantime 3D fans can look forward to closing out the first 3D College Football season with a bang with the National Championship game in 3D on Monday, with a special edition of College Football Live broadcast in 3D from the CES show floor. UPDATE: Additional 3D live broadcasts listed and other details now available in the full press release below.
Retailer's 3D Demo Days, new Pirates movie trailer highlight ESPN 3D's first NBA game
We're just a few hours away from the first NBA game on ESPN 3D when the Heat face the Knicks at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden, and now ESPN has announced it will have the "television premiere" of the 3D trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides during the broadcast. While we wonder if that will become a trend for the network to show off 3D trailers for the slew of movies coming to theaters in the future, those who haven't bought a 3D capable TV but do want to see how the broadcast looks may want to check out one of the retailers (Best Buy, among others) participating in the CEA's Demo Days, coming back this weekend just in time for the game. Of course, that may mean choosing between Lebron vs. Amare and The Engadget Show tonight, but we're sure you'll make the right decision.
ESPN 3D schedules three more NBA games, including one on Christmas Day
ESPN 3D will broadcast its first NBA game this Friday night with Heat/Knicks, but it's already adding three new dates to the previously announced 14 game schedule. One is a Bulls/Knicks matchup on Christmas day, while the suns get two Friday night games in January against New York and Portland. Jon Barry and Mark Jones will have the call on the 17th, with Jones scheduled to do play-by-play for ESPN3D all season, so if you're unwrapping a new set and glasses, just make sure you've got everything plugged in by noon so you can catch the game.
Final ESPN 3D NCAAF games announced with a Tostitos Fiesta Bowl surprise
Mad you missed ESPN's previous 3D college football broadcasts and worried it might not come back? Then get your DVRs and calendars at the ready, because the network has announced its remaining 3D college football broadcasts will follow the Boise State Broncos as they play the University of Hawaii on Saturday, November 6th at 3:30PM ET and Idaho on Friday, November 22th at 9PM ET. Combined with the first ESPN 3D NCAAF game, this means the heavily debated Broncos will at least temporarily hold the record for most 3D appearances in college football history. Sadly, it won't enhance their bid for the biggest 3D game of the season -- you know, the Tostitos BCS Championship on January 10th. But even if the blue turf's weak schedule woes keep them from the title, at least one of their records could still improve by returning to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl -- which ESPN also shared will be aired in 3D. Obviously waiting is no fun, but unless you jacked Adam Sandler's DVR from Click, reading our college football kickoff review can help pass the time until game day arrives.
ESPN 3D still searching for ROI to determine feasibility of second year
It is easy for us enthusiasts to forget that for our favorite companies this is all about business. We've followed ESPN 3D since it was announced and until now haven't considered the fact that it might not be here to stay. Nope, in fact it is currently almost half way through a one year trial and according to ESPN Senior Director of Technology, Jonathan Pannaman, "we're still not sure what makes sense for 3DTV and we don't yet see a proven ROI." This has to be a concern for 3DTV manufacturers as its obvious that Hollywood doesn't care too much about helping them sell 3DTVs. We still have until next Summer for this all to shake out, but we're afraid this might turn out like the first season Monday Night Football was in HD, unless ESPN figures out a way to bring down the costs of 3D sports productions.
ESPN 3D hits the west coast for Oregon/UCLA game tonight
So far, ESPN 3D's college football coverage has been all Eastern and Midwest games, but tonight we'll see some Pac-10 action as the top ranked (depending on which poll you consider to be valid) Oregon ducks take on UCLA at 9 p.m. It's also the first Thursday night broadcast for the channel, before it features Michigan State/Northwestern on Saturday. Two events in one week something to celebrate? That's the way it is for now in 3D. BTW, if you're in Portland and 3DTV-less, check out a Sony-sponsored tweetup for 3DTVs, Google TV and most importantly, a tailgate with food and beer.
Verizon, Disney deal means ESPN on tablets, ESPN 3D and Goal Line channel for FiOS
Verizon FiOS subscribers can expect a few new channels in the lineup now that it's reached an agreement with Disney for ESPN content across a variety of channels and even devices. While ESPN 3D isn't scheduled for launch until 2011 (maybe in time for the BCS National Championship game, but too late to catch LeBron, Dwyane, Chris and those other guys take on the Knicks) ESPN Goal Line will go live on the 9th for Extreme HD and Ultimate HD package subscribers (except for D.C. and Harrisburg, PA) giving live look ins at all the college football games on Saturday. Playing further into Verizon's tablet plans, the agreement also means customers can watch ESPN live channels directly on PCs or other authenticated devices, mirroring an earlier agreement between ESPN and Time Warner. Beyond that there's a new Disney Junior channel on the way in 2010 plus Disney XD and ABC Family content coming to V Cast but we pretty much tuned out once we got past the sports part. Check the entire press release out after the break.
ESPN 3D will broadcast 14 NBA games this year starting with Heat/Knicks December 17
While ESPN 3D's NCAA football plans are still leaking out in dribs and drabs (Ohio State is featured in the next two broadcasts, hosting Indiana on September 9 and at Wisconsin on the 16th) it has finally released its plans for the NBA season. Basketball fans can look forward to 14 planned broadcasts this season, with eight regular season matchups and six games in the playoffs, including three in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron, Dwyane, Chris and the rest of the Heat kick things off with a visit to Madison Square Garden against the Knicks December 17, with plenty of highlight matches among those that follow. Check the full schedule after the break, with so few on the slate you'll want to make sure you're free.
ESPN 3D's fourth college football broadcast is Auburn/South Carolina
ESPN 3D will keep things rolling in week four of the college football season by featuring Auburn, again, as it hosts Steve Spurrier and South Carolina on September 25. That of course makes Auburn the first repeat on the schedule, after this weeks matchup with Clemson. Now that that's announced, we have two questions: Will all of ESPN 3D's games be on the eastern half of the country, and with an abundance of SEC speed on the field from both teams, can 3D cameras possibly hope to keep up with the action before busting into flames?
ESPN 3D review: college football kickoff
The 2009 BCS National Championship game showed us the potential of 3D sports broadcasts but now it's 2010 so while Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow have taken their game to the NFL, ESPN 3D has made it a reality for viewers at home. Last night's Boise St./Virginia Tech matchup was the first of 13 the network plans to air including the next BCS Championship game so we didn't waste any time plugging in a 3DTV and taking a look. Check after the break for our impressions and a bit more explanation on 3D technology (Still not up to speed? Check out our post-CES breakdown of 3D tech for the home right here.)
New Time Warner Cable deal brings ESPN to mobile devices and PCs
Here you were worried that you wouldn't be able to watch ESPN this weekend when the current agreement expires, only to find out that not only did the deal get done, but it brings lots of cool new ESPN products to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks customers. The most notable is that, in addition to ESPN3.com, customers will be able to stream linear programing from the most well known ESPN networks to your PC and other mobile devices. The deal also includes the addition of ESPN 3D, the new Disney Junior, more ESPN VOD content than we can cover, and a new channel called ESPN Goal Line (essentially The RedZone channel for college football). No hard dates on when any of this will go live, but certainly a great deal for sports fans, and for everyone else, thanks for paying extra so we can get our fix.
CEA's Demo Days brings ESPN 3D to retailers for one weekend in September
Despite 3DTVs showing up for sale everywhere, there's just not much content to watch on them yet. We've come out in support of football and sports in general as selling points for 3D more than once, but since ESPN 3D only broadcasts live events and most stores don't have access to the channel, the only way to see it is to buy one. That will change between September 10-12, when ESPN 3D carries the Miami/Ohio State college football game live and teams up with the CEA to bring demos to participating retailers (read: Best Buy, Fry's, ABT and some specialty A/V shops.) Don't worry if you can't run by the store during the game, ESPN 3D is apparently providing highlights from the World Cup, X Games and Boise State/Virginia Tech all weekend. Enough to clear up all the questions and issues with 3D? Probably not, but ultimately the new tech is something that can only sell if people see it, and this will definitely be the widest reaching simultaneous exhibition to date.
Sony Style stores to air X Games 16 in 3D tonight, Saturday
Don't have a 3DTV setup yet, but still want to get a piece of ESPN 3D's X Games 16 production? Grab a map and find the nearest Sony Style -- and hope it's open past 8 tonight, past 7 Saturday -- since they will be displaying the broadcasts during store hours. Tonight's featured event is Moto X Freestyle, while Saturday the rally cars and their in-car 3D cameras take center stage. If you get a chance to check it out, let us know what you think, or if any other retailers are taking advantage of some new 3D content to try and get customers in the door.
ESPN 3D schedules 13 college football broadcasts this season; Va. Tech / Boise St. is first
After unveiling the standard college football schedule, ESPN has seen fit to reveal the first three of the 13 games it plans to broadcast in 3D this season. Boise State will face Virginia Tech on September 6, a Monday night, while Ohio State and Miami will do battle September 11, before Clemson and Auburn have their ACC/SEC grudge match September 18. The plan is to have a college football game on ESPN 3D "almost" every week of the season, with the last being the BCS National Championship game January 10. Announcements regarding NBA, college basketball and Winter X Games 15 scheduling are on deck, but this weekend it's all about the Summer X Games 16.
ESPN 3D goes international, brings X Games 16 to Australia's Foxtel and Austar
The debut of X Games 16 and its 8 hours of live 3D broadcast is nearly upon us, and for the first time in ESPN 3D's short history, viewers outside the US will be able to get a look at the action. The lucky country is Australia (already known for being ahead of the curve on 3D) and it appears that AUSTAR won't be content letting Foxtel take the lead like it did with HD, since both will have the network on channel 206 on Friday, July 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. AEST and Sunday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. AEST. All iQ2 and MyStar HD subs (with 3DTVs of course) should have access to the channel -- check the press release after the break for any other details and prepare for some morning extreme sports with your toast & baked beans.
ESPN lays out X Games 16 coverage via online, HD & 3D formats, including in-car 3D cams
We're just a couple of days away from the beginning of X Games 16 in Los Angeles, and beyond just the high flying acrobatic stunts, it should be also be a broadcasting technological showcase. Just two years removed from making its HD debut, this year's summer X will get 31 hours (up from 20 last year) of dedicated HD coverage on ESPN & ESPN2, 27 hours of simulcast coverage + 10 hours of exclusive video on ESPN3, 28 hours of live video on the ESPN Mobile platform, a YouTube channel plus daily updates on Facebook and Xbox Live. As for that newly launched 3D network? Expect eight hours of live coverage from 14 native 3D cameras (including the "3D Mega Mo" ultra slow motion camera) including men's and women's Super X racing, the Big Air Skateboard competition, and rally car events featuring the first live use of wireless 3D cameras mounted in the car. Even more details are in the press release after the break.
ESPN's Home Run Derby in 3D goes off without a hitch
We not only didn't get to make the trip to Anaheim for ESPN's first 3D broadcast that was produced in house, but we also couldn't watch it in 3D thanks to the fact that we don't subscribe to one of the three providers who's carrying ESPN 3D. We're sure we weren't alone watching it in HD, but we did appreciate ESPN showing a few shots of the 3D cameras and enjoyed reading Wired's impressions which seemed pretty positive. We'll be keeping an eye out for 3D that is available on our provider, but it really goes to show that at this point in time, the lack of 3D content is a very big concern. %Gallery-97446%
Could 3D bring the NHL back to ESPN?
Stop us if you've heard this one before (with HDTV as savior), but an editorial on Home Theater Review suggests an interesting theory -- that a need for 3D content could drive ESPN to once again open its arms to the NHL. Currently relegated to limited airings on NBC and Versus, post-lockout professional hockey has had a tough time regaining its former status, but a partnership with the sports leader (and its immense subscriber base) could turn that around. On its end, ESPN could potentially have a source for plenty of programming to fill its ESPN 3D schedule, and a partner willing to bend over backwards to accommodate the new technology and its need for closer, lower camera angles to increase the 3D effect. We're not huge hockey fans but we're sure a few of you are, even if you plan on sticking to 2D HDTV viewing of the on-ice action, are you ready for National Hockey Night to make a return?
Samsung 3DTVs put to the test with World Cup, Monsters vs. Aliens and... iCarly?
Of course we've talked 3D to death and back, and we've seen several reviews and previews, but Technologizer took some time out to grab a more "man on the street" impression of the technology. With a mini focus group intact they checked out the Samsung Experience in NYC, taking time to focus on the top of the line 55-inch C9000 LED LCD HDTV. With not much 3D content (the initial viewing was before the world Cup started) they checked out some regular 2D content converted by the display into 3D, while viewers were surprisingly receptive to The Daily Show and Transformers 2 that way, iCarly and American Idol didn't fare quite as well. Still, viewers seemed excited by the 3D Blu-ray movie pack-in, and a short time later, some German 3D fans were impressed by the World Cup presentation, though like our impressions the effect varied based on the camera angle. Ultimately, none of the people asked seemed ready to buy a 3DTV yet, citing lack of content and prices as their main reasons. click through for the full impressions, we'll wait a week or so and see if there's a followup when there's two or more 3D channels and Blu-ray 3D movies to watch.
Comcast adds TiVo Series 3, Premiere boxes to the 3D compatible list
Last week ESPN 3D launched, and Comcast's information indicated many users with older cable boxes wouldn't be able to get on the action without an upgrade. The good news for TiVo owners is that information has since been updated and now TiVo Series 3 / HD and TiVo Premiere units are on the approved list for 3DTV broadcasts. We're not sure exactly what the hangup might have been and how it was resolved, but if you've got one of those DVRs hooked up to a 3DTV and Comcast service, it's definitely time to get on the phone and have the channel activated so you can watch the World Cup properly.
