Orlando, Florida may not seem the likeliest spot for 3D technology innovation.
Even less likely is a spot situated between several baseball fields. But that is where some of the most aggressive development and experimentation in 3D TV is happening, at the new Innovation Lab at the newly re-branded ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex (formerly ABC) at Walt Disney World Resort (all owned by the Walt Disney Co).
ESPN‘s top executives offered the media a preview of the complex and the lab during ceremonies Feb. 25, and invitedmedia to attend the taping of a special Harlem Globetrotters basketball game shot in 3D.
3DHollywood enjoyed some fairly extensive conversations with Chuck Pagano, ESPN’s executive vp technology, about the companies myriad 3D initiatives, the first of which will be seen commercially with the June 11 launch of the ESPN 3D TV network commencing with the broadcast of a couple dozen World Cup soccer games and 85 events during the year. Pagano made it clear that ESPN 3D will not initially be a 24/7 channel, but only specific events broadcast when they happen.
Highlights of the tour of the complex, the explosive ceremonies featuring a Super Bowl kicker and fireworks, a close-up look at the cameras and the producers in the truck during the Harlem Globetrotters game, and the thoughts and explanations of Pagano on many aspects of 3D, and a brief portion of the interview with 3D industry guru Vince Pace Vince Pace can be seen in the 4-minute video below.
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(In addition to the video above, you can view the full 2 1/2-minute interview with Vince Pace here.)
— By Scott Hettrick