At Old Trafford on Saturday, Manchester United host Chelsea in one of this season’s most hotly anticipated Barclays Premier League fixtures, writes Claire Harmer.
With both sides vying for the title – and just six matches left to play – United sit top of the table with 72 points.
But, with one solitary point separating themselves and the Blues in second place, the result could go a long way to determining who picks up the coveted silverware on the final day of the season.
With the 75,000 seater stadium sure to be a sell out, what better way to watch the match than in one of the 1000 pubs and clubs throughout the country that will be screening this tantalising fixture in all its 3-dimensional glory?
start seeing
Darren Long, head of operations at Sky, believes fans of the Barclays Premier League can lose themselves in the action more easily than ever before.
“Fans watching 3D will feel more engrossed in the match,” he said. “They will be pulled in to events that they probably would have missed in 2D.
“You can start seeing other players, not just focus in on the one on the ball.
“The first difference I noticed the first time I saw it was the depth. With 3D you get a much better appreciation for the distances players have to cover and the angles they are working to.
“You can also see much more clearly how much ground defenders have to cover to catch up with an attacker.”
The technology used to create the 3D images is very similar to that currently in operation in the film industry.
Specially adapted cameras mimic the way a pair of human eyes work, capturing the same object from two slightly different perspectives. This image is then merged to create one on the screen. By wearing special glasses, which filter the correct image to each eye, a sense of depth is created in the merged image.
Long is confident that the steps Sky have taken to develop the newest channel in their network will see them enjoy the same success that many 3D films have in the last couple of years.
“One of the most interesting things has been witnessing how 3D has captured people’s imaginations – there is something about it that people seem to enjoy very much,” he explained.
“It has taken 22 months to get to this point, and it’s very exciting for us at Sky. In April 2008, we went to America and saw the first over-the-air transmission on to a domestic screen.
“We saw there was the potential for the Sky HD+ box to record this and play it back, and we came home and started a series of test screenings, the first of which being the Ricky Hatton fight in May 2008.
“The 3D cameras we have been using are quite large, and that has created its own challenges.
“We’ve been working on what is the best angle, trying to give the fan watching at home the same visual effects as someone who is sitting in the ground, with a few additions that you can’t get with your own eyes, like zooming in or panning.”
best angles
All in all, the advent of 3-dimensional broadcasting is set to give the football fan watching a match from the television a much improved viewing experience.
“Traditionally, when we have been broadcasting a Premier League game, we have 20 cameras around the ground, but with 3D will only use six, allowing people the chance to look around the frame and take in all the extra information,” Long revealed.
“With 3D, you can see things that you would normally have missed if you were watching in the flatter world of 2D. It is amazing what your eyes get drawn to – things you wouldn’t normally see unless you were at the actual venue.”
The new style broadcasting will also mean fewer aerial shots, and more close ups, giving the watching fan a greater sense of involvement.
“We are working with the Premier League at the moment to adjust where we position our cameras,” he continued.
“Over the last 17 years, we have made very few alterations to how we present a match – we follow a safe formula, goal, replay, slow-mo.
“But now we need to ask the clubs for much lower angles. Like with your eyes, our 3D cameras flatten out if they record something from a distance. The effect works much better closer up.
“We’ve added the infrastructure to Premier League grounds to ensure we get the best angles possible, but also being careful not to restrict the sight lines of supporters in the ground.”
The new 3D channel will be rolled out on a commercial basis first, and Sky hope it will be a success in the domestic market very soon, once specialist 3D televisions become more widely available. The broadcaster will screen a further five matches this season, one a week, with the fixtures yet to be confirmed.
“3D has captured imaginations – there is something about it that people enjoy” – Darren Long
Credits: PremierLeague.com
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