Hockey Night in Canada to show select games in 3D

[leaffan1967]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stor...panasonic.html


Hockey Night in Canada offers games in 3D
CBC, Panasonic Canada team to bring enhanced viewing experience
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | 10:02 AM ET
By Doug Harrison, CBC Sports

Listen up, hockey fans and electronics aficionados: Hockey Night in Canada is going 3D.

And the best news is, you have time to search the market for a 3D television that will suit your needs.

The CBC and Panasonic Canada announced Wednesday they will bring the first 3D broadcast of HNIC to Canadian homes on Dec. 11 when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens.

The second 3D broadcast available during the 2010-11 NHL season is scheduled for Feb. 20 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary when the Flames host the Canadiens in the Heritage Classic.

"We are very pleased to partner with Panasonic on this unique and ground-breaking initiative," Scott Moore, executive director for CBC Sports, said in a statement. "Together, we will be bringing an experience to Canadian hockey fans that has never been done before.

"This is a Canadian first and a very exciting time for television and hockey in Canada."
1st slate of games coming

Starting in October, Panasonic will be the official 3D and HD TV sponsor of HNIC.

Having worked closely with Hollywood to develop full HD 3D technology, Panasonic will help bring a new dimension to the HNIC broadcast.

"Panasonic is at the forefront of 3D innovation, leading the charge on developing technology for both industry professionals and everyday Canadians," said Ian Kilvert, general manager, corporate brand management for Panasonic Canada Inc.

"With our expertise and cutting-edge products, it makes sense to partner with the CBC to help bring the first-ever 3D hockey viewing experience into Canadian living rooms."

The first HNIC broadcast of the regular season is Oct. 7, featuring Montreal at Toronto at 7 p.m. ET and Calgary at Edmonton at 10 p.m. ET.

What channel can I watch the 3D broadcasts on?

Bell TV on channel 1933 (Satellite TV) and 1208 (Fibe TV)
www.bell.ca/tv

Shaw Direct on channel 233/ 333 (Classic/Advanced)
www.shawdirect.ca

TELUS Optik TV™ subscribers on channel 656, TELUS Satellite TV® subscribers on channel 1933
www.telus.com/tv

Vidéotron channel 800
www.videotron.com/service/tv

Contact your local television service provider for more information.

[ChipDouglas]

That sounds crazy! I can't wait to see a fight in 3D.

[hugh]

I don't get this. To me this means it will air on Conventional CBC which I find very difficult to believe.

It would mean that 99% (all those without 3DTVs) of the population would not be able to watch the game.

[Classof83]

Won't the providers provide a separate CBC 3D channel like in the past for other events?

[hugh]

Yeah I would imagine. The press release and article suggest it will be on the CBC which obviously it wouldn't

[leaffan1967]

This won't be the same cheap 3D that they showed The Queen in... This will be with a specially fitted 3D truck, presumably using Panasonic equipment for it.

[99gecko]

Scott Moore was on the Bill Watters show last week on AM640 (Toronto). He indicated that 3D production was very, very, expensive. Currently there are only three 3D mobile production units in all of North America, and jokingly (although I suppose he wasn't actually joking) stated that bidding wars are erupting for the units.

There is no way that CBC would not provided a distinctive feed for this event. Those two games are huge draws without 3D. It's up to the BDU's to distribute it to their customers as they see fit. OTA users would be out-of-luck for the 3D obviously (I'm not sure if any ATSC tuners even support it).

Edit: podcast with Scott Moore available here:
http://www.640toronto.com/HostsandSh...ers/Audio.aspx

[leaffan1967]

The 3D trucks are basically just modified HD trucks, with 3D cameras of course, I watched a feature about MSG doing an Isles/Rangers game in 3D last year, and it showed them switching some monitors out in a normal HD truck and putting some extra 3D gear in, because when you think about it, the only difference between the two is that with 3D you are sending two slightly different HD images as opposed to one.

[99gecko]

because when you think about it, the only difference between the two is that with 3D you are sending two slightly different HD images as opposed to one

That depends on whether the broadcast truck is also providing a 2D feed using the same cameras. Likely it is. If it is, they also have to extract the 2D content out of the 3D content, and then encode the 3D layers MPEG-2/4/7 over the base 2D MPEG-2 layer if they are providing the providers one feed.

I can't see all that happening with standard HD equipment. That is likely why Scott Moore stated that there were only three 3D trucks in N.A.

Perhaps what you saw was for a 3D-only presentation?

And the best news is, you have time to search the market for a 3D television that will suit your needs.

Anyway, this is certainly not enough for myself (and I'm sure millions of others), to rush out and upgrade a TV set. Likely years away for my household.

[NB Josh]

Its a nice idea, but considering that we are talking about a publicly funded network, I don't agree with it. I think that the money could be much better used to offer more Canadiens and Senators regional games in HD. Airing the World Cup Final in 3D (where they could just pick up a FIFA produced feed) was one thing, but this seems like a waste of money.

[ontherooftop]

CBC in HD is going to be playing 3d with the old school glasses hockey and other content with the red and cyan glasses so thats a plus for us who have OTA and non 3d HDTV's. I see everytime there is a 3d broadcast over the air it always requires the red and cyan 3 dollar glasses, so it seems like their is no point to get those crazy expensive 3d tv's with expensive glasses and 4 3d movies. When Hockey night on CBC on my 1080p plasma will require the 3 dollar glasses that are old school it should still be a cool effect without spending so much on the other 3d. Also I ordered 4 3d analygraph glasses that are plastic for 20 bucks, and since lots of 3d content is still analygraph and not the other expensive 3d for OTA we get it free and the TV's and glasses are cheaper.

Also you think maybe the superbowl may be in analograph 3d this season for OTA, that would be epic.

[skeena1]

Originally Posted by NB Josh

Its a nice idea, but considering that we are talking about a publicly funded network, I don't agree with it. I think that the money could be much better used to offer more Canadiens and Senators regional games in HD. Airing the World Cup Final in 3D (where they could just pick up a FIFA produced feed) was one thing, but this seems like a waste of money.

Are there Habs and Sens games on Saturday that are not on HNIC? If so, I agree with you.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by ontherooftop

CBC in HD is going to be playing 3d with the old school glasses hockey and other content with the red and cyan glasses so thats a plus for us who have OTA and non 3d HDTV's.

Where did you hear that that they will be using Complementary color anaglyphs? The articles I have read say the games will be sponsored by Panasonic to "get more 3D content for its eager early-adopter viewers," and "give a boost to the 3D TV industry." Also, it won't be available OTA as it will be shown on a separate channel from the regular HD broadcast.

see Hockey Night in Canada goes 3D for details.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by NB Josh

Its a nice idea, but considering that we are talking about a publicly funded network, I don't agree with it. I think that the money could be much better used to offer more Canadiens and Senators regional games in HD.

According to Hockey Night in Canada goes 3D , Panasonic is sponsoring the games by providing equipment and expertise to "get more 3D content for its eager early-adopter viewers," and "give a boost to the 3D TV industry, which still doesn't have a lot of content to help sell units," so the cost to the CBC should be minimal.

[NB Josh]

Originally Posted by skeena1

Are there Habs and Sens games on Saturday that are not on HNIC? If so, I agree with you.

All of them are broadcast, but my point is that they aren't all in HD. I'd like to see all of them in HD before too many are in 3D. I'd expect that there are more people in Montreal, Ottawa and with Bell that have HD than have 3D in the whole country (although I may be wrong on this).