Rugby Football Union scores 3D first
England vs Wales match to be beamed into cinemas
Next month’s rugby match between England and Wales looks set to go down in history as Blighty’s first live sports event broadcast in 3D.
England team sponsor O2 said 40 cinemas across the country will show the 6 February Twickenham match live in 3D.
Paul Vaughan, Operations Director for the Rugby Football Union, said: “I hope rugby fans will pack cinemas across the country to support the team and mark this milestone.”
O2 customers can book priority tickets for the event by texting ‘3D’ to 2020 from 25 January. General tickets will go on sale from 29 January, with adult seats priced at £12.50.
The network provider also plans to broadcast the 27 February rugby match between England and Ireland into UK cinemas in 3D.
Neither match will be the first time O2 has taken over cinemas in order to pedal the benefits of 3D, however.
Back in July, 20 UK-based Vue cinemas ran an interactive videogame before screenings that let punters control a spaceship using their body movements while also being ‘hit’ by 3D asteroids. ®
COMMENTS
England - Wales match, but not in Wales?
Doesn't seem that there's any cinemas in Wales listed as covering this match. That's a pity - and a potential loss of business for O2. Rugby is highly popular in Wales, and the England match is a cult event!
I don't hear any discussion about the technology (where's the IT angle?).
Like, what resolution super-HD signal are they expecting to distribute? How many cameras are they running at Twickers? Do you get a simulated pitch-side centreline seat to watch the match from, or will the view cut and pan around the place as happens on TV?
If the latter, better have the barf bags handy!
Steve
Event venue link
I love that you trakced it down, but still didn't post a link! It's here
http://www.o2blueroom.co.uk/3drugbylive
(Mind you i'll probably now find that the Reg commenting system removes links automatically and you actually did....)
Formula 1 in 3D?
Oh, I don't know... it might be pretty cool, if only for the perverse thrill of thinking "holy shit, that car's coming _right_at_me_!!"
Rugby in 3D
We don't get to see much rugby here in the States, but I have seen enough to know that the thought of seeing rugby played on a movie-theater screen in 3D sounds positively terrifying... especially since they don't serve beer at the theater.
MadMonkOfFunk's got it right. Screw the funny glasses; go watch the game at a nice cozy bar where you can drink beer while you watch.
clearly not a first...
...as a simple web search for "bbc 3d rugby" should prove.
Maybe the satellite broadcast on the 8th March 2008 (RBS Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and England) wasn't for a general public audience, but that is a minor detail that hasn't got anything to do with the technical achievement.
