ESPN Goes 24/7 With 3-D TV

[Satellite TODAY Insider 01-06-11] ESPN is ramping up efforts for its 3-D TV platform with plans to start airing content 24 hours a day, the broadcaster announced Jan. 5.
Since launching the network in June with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, ESPN has aired nearly 60 events and is on target to broadcast 85 events in the first year of operation. Beginning Feb. 14, the network will show replays of previously televised ESPN 3-D events when not showing a live event.
    ESPN has been one of the early movers into 3-D and announced in late 2010 that it had completed a comprehensive research study looking at the early impact of 3-D. The study confirmed that there appeared “to be an acclimation effect whereby participants adjust to 3-D over time under normal use.”
    ESPN’s announcement comes a day after U.S. research firm DisplaySearch released a report saying that shipments of 3-D TVs had made “steady, although slightly disappointing progress” in 2010.
    ESPN’s focus, however, will continue to refine the viewer experience. Artie Bulgrin, senior vice president of research and sales development for ESPN Research and Analytics, recently told Satellite News, “We need to explore to see whether there are different variations by event. We will study very carefully how we shoot things — different camera angles, different camera locations, graphics, etc. We are in the early phases of this. The research program is really just beginning. The World Cup was a perfect opportunity for us. It was very convenient as they were events going on all the time. All we know right now is the impact of 3-D soccer. We have to see if there are any differences by sport. That is our main concern right now.”

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