CBS goes 3-D for second U.S. Open tennis tournament
Sep 8, 2011 12:02 PM, By Michael Grotticelli
CBS Sports photographer Bill Tynan uses Panasonic’s new AG-3DP1 P2 (AVC-Intra) 3-D camcorder to capture images at the US Open in New York.
CBS Sports has teamed with the Cameron-Pace Group for another round of 3-D coverage of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY.
CBS Sports and the Cameron-Pace Group, which partnered with financial and technology support from Panasonic to cover last year’s tournament, won a technical Emmy for that stereo 3-D coverage. The team is back again this year. Even though Sony HD cameras are being used in Cameron-Pace beam splitter and side-by-side 3-D camera rigs, Panasonic is once again an official U.S. Open sponsor.
Panasonic has supplied a preproduction model of its AG-3DP1 P2 AVC-Intra 3-D camcorder to record interstitial shots during the tournament, which runs through Sept. 11. The new Panasonic camera will record exclusively to P2 AVC-Intra meaning there’s no standard definition, AVCCAM or DVCPRO HD option. It records only to a pair of P2 cards in a 10-bit 4:2:2 format, which removes the need for extensive external recorders.
CBS is using the same Cameron-Pace Group ShadowD rigs it used last year but has positioned them at lower angles at court level to capture more dramatic points. CBS is supporting the production with two separate 3-D production trucks.
The 3-D broadcasts include all the top-seed matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium, as well as key matches in the secondary Louis Armstrong Stadium. Panasonic has also installed in the tennis center three “Experience Amazing” 3-D exhibits. These combine the company’s VIERA 3D TVs with 3-D games and social media. The exhibits are located at the ground level of Louis Armstrong Stadium, in the SmashZone and in the South Plaza in front of Court 10.
CBS Sports will run its 3-D coverage of the tournament on DirecTV’s channel 103 and on Comcast’s Xfinity 3D service. The men’s and women’s finals, however, will be streamed live in 3-D on USOpen.org.
Comcast (cable), DirectTV (satellite) and Verizon FiOS (telco) all are broadcasting CBS Sports' 3-D coverage of the U.S. Open live from New York (Flushing, Queens), which ends Sunday, Sept. 11th.
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