BBC plans 3D and hi-vision for Olympics
August 30, 2011
The BBC is considering plans to broadcast the 100 metres final of the London Olympics in 3D, as well as trying out a new technology that delivers picture quality said to be 16 times better than HDTV.
Roger Mosey, the BBC executive in charge of the corporation’s London 2012 coverage, told reporters at the Edinburgh international television festival that 3D coverage for the 100 metre and other events was “certainly on the agenda”, as part of a “limited experiment”.
The BBC will also test “super hi-vision”, a new broadcasting technology so advanced it is not expected to be in homes for a decade. Three 15 metre (50ft) high screens will be erected around the country so that the public have a chance of seeing the imagery that Mosey said was so good it would match up with the experience of watching from the stands.
“When you sit and watch it you really get the experience of being in seat D5 in the stadium,” he said. “Super hi-vision might be a better long-term prospect than 3D in some ways as it gives you the feel of being in the stadium. People are knocked out by it.”
Super hi-vision screens will be erected at the BBC’s Pacific Quay building in Glasgow, Broadcasting House in London and, subject to negotiations, the National Media Museum in Bradford.
The BBC is also likely to broadcast the Olympic opening ceremony using the technology, which employs a single camera to capture a wide shot.