Spotlight: Wimbledon in 3D 2011

Arqiva

BBC

Can Communicate

Brainstorm Multimedia

Element Technica

EVS

GlobeCast

HBS (Host Broadcasting Services)

Information & Display Systems

NEP Visions

Quantel

RealD

Sony

SuperVision Media

Wimbledon

BBC: The 3D Wimbledon experiment – your reactions
People found the 3D very different from watching in 2D – and it provoked a mixed response: a lot of them loved it, and some loathed it. On Twitter, people said “it’s like you are there as a line judge”, “much better lower angle dynamic shots”, “looks awesome… probably as close to courtside view as I can get”, but there were also reports that “my head went fuzzy”, and a certain frustration that because the cameras offered a courtside seat, it wasn’t always possible to track the ball right across the court and see exactly where it landed. 60% of people said that their expectations were either met or exceeded, and a third of those who had never seen 3D before gave the experience 10 out of 10.

Daily Mail: The Wimbledon 3D revolution: It’s just like Jaws, but without the big fish
Just when the couch potato set thought it was safe to reach for the remote, along comes a technological revolution that turns Wimbledon line judges into the sort of scary monsters that haven’t been seen since the shark in Jaws. Saturday’s ladies’ final at Wimbledon was the first to be broadcast in 3D – 44 years since the All England Club introduced colour television to the world and just four since the advent of High Definition coverage.

Los Angeles Daily News: In 3D, Wimbledon comes into focus
Already a bit frazzled by an erratic performance in a first-set loss, and now acting frantic in the face of a 2-1 deficit in the second set of the Wimbledon women’s final, Maria Sharapova stood rigid at the baseline, her back to the net, and tried to regroup.

Which: BBC 3D Wimbledon a success says Which?
This weekend saw the BBC’s first national live 3D broadcasts via Freeview. The Wimbledon tennis singles finals were shown in 3D on the BBC HD channel. Which?’s technology experts cast their critical eye over the transmissions and were impressed by what they saw.

HDWars: Wimbledon Tennis Finals in 3D Review
You really can’t over-estimate just how potentially important the weekend of July 2-3 2011 could be to the future of AV. For it’s been over this weekend that the BBC has thrown itself surprisingly wholeheartedly into the controversial world of 3D by broadcasting both the men’s and women’s finals from this year’s Wimbledon Tennis tournament in 3D.

BBC: 3D or not 3D
There was a small piece of broadcasting history this weekend when the Wimbledon finals were shown in 3D on the BBC’s HD channel: the first time the BBC has broadcast a live sport event in 3D on television and a first for the world’s greatest tennis tournament too.

BBC: Gearing up to deliver Wimbledon 3D
As you’ve heard by now we are planning to transmit the Wimbledon finals in 3D this year! It’s part of the remit we have to try out and test new technologies where we can and as the main tennis coverage has moved to BBC One HD this year, we have the chance to try something new.

BBC: 3D for Wimbledon – the future of TV?
Like most of us I’ve never been lucky enough to sit and watch a finals match on Centre Court. But this year – the Wimbledon Championships’ 125th anniversary – I’ve been working with others inside and outside the BBC to try to bring you the next best thing – the Wimbledon Singles’ Finals, in 3D.

Sky: Wimbledon in 3D – and why it matters
It was announced this morning that the BBC will be screening the Men’s and Ladies’ finals from Wimbledon this year live in 3D. It marks the BBC’s first ever 3D TV broadcast, and coverage of the matches will be available on the BBC HD channel, which you can find on Sky channel 169.

Sony: Pioneering alternative content
Bringing Wimbledon 2011 in High Definition 3D to cinemas throughout the world is the latest high profile alternative content event from Sony. Providing cinema owners with exciting new sources of revenue, and heightening audience engagement with stunning Sony 4K resolution, alternative content is revolutionising the cinema experience.

Sony: Wimbledon 3D workflow
For our live 3D coverage of Wimbledon 2011, we are using the Gemini 1 and 2 trucks from the Visions production company. We are installing a 3D layer, including convergence positions, 3D switchers, extra monitors and our famous 3D box – the MPE-200 – to accommodate the needs of 3D live production.

Sony: A world first
The 2011 Wimbledon Championships will see Sony and key partners bring a live HD 3D feed of Men’s Singles Semi-Finals and the Ladies and Men’s Singles Final to 3D-to-3D capable cinemas and homes around the world, bringing the magic of Centre Court to a global audience for the first time.

Sony Professional: Facebook page

Sony Professional: YouTube channel

Quantel: Wimbledon 3D – a UK broadcast first
We spoke to Duncan Humphreys (Can Communicate’s Creative Director); Mark Grinyer (Sony Professional’s Head of Business Development for 3D & Sports); and Richard Hingley (lead stereographer and post-production consultant) about building collaborations, choosing partners and managing technical challenges.

3D Focus: Nagler – “Wimbledon Tennis 3D Exceeded My Expectations”
An estimated 18,000 3DTV viewers watched the semi-finals and finals of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 3D on the BBC HD channel this weekend and, although that might not sound alot, feedback from Journalists and consumers has been very positive, proving that 3D is still compelling to audiences when the content has value.

Live Production: 3D Production – Wimbledon 2011
The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) 125th Wimbledon Championships were the first to feature 3D coverage. The project was the result of the AELTC’s three year partnership with Sony, a partnership that continues the history of both companies at the forefront of broadcast innovation. Four matches were covered this year. The Men’s Singles Semi-Finals, The Women’s Final, and the Men’s Final. All matches took place on Centre Court.

TVB Europe: Wimbledon 3D – finishing touches
The finishing touches are being put to the live 3D production for Wimbledon’s final matches by Can Communicate and Sony on behalf of the AELTC and the BBC. A shortage of HDCAMSR tape has meant that Sony’s initial plans to cover the bulk of second week centre court matches in 3D for archive have had to be curtailed a touch. Elements of the quarter finals were recorded live in 3D and all of both semi-finals and finals will be covered in entirety as planned.

SVG Europe: Wimbledon ready for debut in 3D
The 3D efforts undertaken at Wimbledon get their first public viewing today, ending a week of technical tests and trials that Mervyn Hall, director of broadcast operations for the All England Lawn Tennis Club says have gone well.

SVG Europe: Inside the game – Wimbledon 3D debrief
According to CAN Communicate’s Duncan Humphreys, the broadcast of Wimbledon in 3D around the globe this past weekend was deemed a success for all those involved as a week of trials and practice allowed the team to get used to the new format, new camera angles, and a new way of telling the story of arguably one of the most prestigious events in all of sport.