The Masters to Screen in 3D

15 Mar, 2010 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Tiger Woods is returning to golf — in 3D.

Four months after a Thanksgiving auto accident exploded into a tabloid-sodden tale of extramarital missteps and self-imposed exile, golf’s No. 1 player March 16 said, in a statement, that he is returning to the sport’s preeminent event, The Masters.

Comcast Corp. March 15 said it would broadcast live professional golf’s premiere event, The Masters Tournament, for the first time in 3D resolution April 7-11 from Augusta, Ga.

The 3D broadcast, available to consumers with a 3D-compatible television, will be the first of a major sporting event this year on TV and the Internet in the once gimmicky format.

The Philadelphia-based cable operator is using its nascent fiber-optics network to carry the production feed, which will be disseminated via backend technologies from Sony and IBM, according to an online post by Derek Harrar, SVP GM, media & entertainment with Comcast.

The 3D feeds, which run about two hours daily on a dedicated channel, will showcase alternative angles and player perspectives along the gold course.

Live 3D streams also will be available at www.masters.com on a PC, using a 3D media player, 3D monitor and 3D glasses.

Traditional 2D Masters Tournament coverage will be available in high-definition on CBS and ESPN, with highlights on demand and online.

“This historic broadcast will be a glimpse at the future of entertainment,” Harrar wrote, regarding test transmissions from Augusta over the past few weeks. “The challenges to the players represented by the varied contours of the course come alive. I particularly liked one shot where the sand flew from the bunker.”
 
Comcast, which is in the early stages of acquiring regulatory approval of a $30 billion majority stake in NBC Universal, has broadcast select movies on demand in 3D.

ESPN and Fox Sports have said they plan to bow 3D-related programming and channels some time this year.

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