Among the technical highlights here at the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in Glendale, AZ, is the first-ever live virtual-reality production of the Final Four. Turner Sports, CBS Sports, and the NCAA have teamed with the Intel Sports Group to offer Intel True VR as part of a new NCAA March Madness Live VR app available in the Oculus Store.
An Intel True VR pod features 12 cameras to acquire six stereoscopic images that are then stitched together to create a single 180-degree view of the action.
Intel, which acquired VOKE VR last November and rebranded the offering as Intel True VR, has deployed seven pods throughout the bowl inside University of Phoenix Stadium, providing various views of game action, in addition to offering peeks at unique elements of the event, including the student sections.
An Intel True VR pod comprises 12 cameras to acquire six stereoscopic images, which are stitched together to create a single 180-degree view of the action.
What's nice is that there is no distortion all the way from left to right, says Intel Sports Group's Shaun Carrigan, who is serving as executive producer on the project. As you look at the cameras up close, you'll notice that they have natural eye separation with the lenses near each other. That's to replicate your actual human vision. The cameras are built to replicate exactly what it's like to be there in many ways.
Within the experience, viewers are given the opportunity to watch a produced feed of the VR telecast, featured camera-angle changes, and custom commentators and graphics. They are also given the option to select from the available camera angles and watch only from that angle.
The thing we need to remind people is, this is not broadcast, says Carrigan. The VR experience is a mix of the production as well as the product. There's the application, and there's the produced feed that we are giving. Those two things come together for an experience, and that's what makes this so different.
A look at what the 180-degree VR view looks like within a VR headset
VOKE VR was a major player and an innovator in the VR space for many years, but its technology has received a significant boost since the Intel acquisition.
We have made tremendous progress over the past four months, says Sankar Jay Jayaram, co-founder and former CEO of VOKE VR, who now helps oversee the VR efforts for Intel Sports Group. We had a very good core technology, but there were so many things that we knew we could do and wanted to do but didn't have the resources. When you find a home at Intel, where they have really good vision of where sports needs to go with the digitization and the personalization of sports, the doors just open up for us to grow the [VR] experience.
Intel's offering at this Final Four is a 180-degree view - not a 360-degree one - by design. Technologically, it's currently impractical to transmit a 360-degree image of a live VR production, given the tremendous amount of data to be sent to the cloud for distribution. Intel is certainly capable of it but finds that many of the angles offered by the pods are in a position where a 360-degree view isn't needed.
We think the 180 experience actually works pretty well, says Jayaram. Plus, it allows you to push a higher-quality stream.
Fans watching at home are presented two viewing options: the Gold ticket and the Silver ticket. With the Gold ticket ($2.99 per game), users will receive all viewing options and dedicated game commentary featuring Spero Dedes with analyst Steve Smith and reporter Lisa Byington, who will call the game from the perspective of fans watching the live coverage in VR. With the Silver ticket, fans can experience VR through a single courtside-camera presentation (180-degree live stream) along with the commentary of the CBS televised broadcast.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
Among the technical highlights here at the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in Glendale, AZ, is the first-ever live virtual-reality production of the Final Four. Turner Sports, CBS Sports, and the NCAA have teamed with the Intel Sports Group to offer Intel True VR as part of a new NCAA March Madness Live VR app available in the Oculus Store.
