Chyron’s HyperX2 graphic system played an instrumental role in providing HD 3-D graphics for the live broadcast of “NBA All-Star Saturday Night” Feb. 14 in conjunction with the NBA, TNT and Cinedigm Digital Cinema.
The event, broadcast from the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, represented the first commercially marketed deal to deliver an NBA sporting event in live 3-D nationwide.
Broadcast by satellite to more than 80 digitally-equipped theaters across the United States, the “NBA All-Star Saturday Night” in HD 3-D was a watershed in the appeal of 3-D productions. Powered by 3-D technology developed by PACE, Chyron worked closely with NBA engineers, Cinedigm and PACE to ensure that graphics used for the event were integral but not overwhelming for a 3-D production.
To make stereoscopic 3-D graphics that tracked with the live parallel video, Chyron modified a two-channel HyperX2 machine to generate left- and right-eye views. By using two cameras to provide a slightly offset view — mimicking the way a pair of human eyes are naturally spaced — a 3-D image can be created in the composition.