Intel Streams One MLB Game a Week in Virtual Reality A look at behind the scenes at a recent Met-Diamondbacks game By Troy Dreier, Contributor, Streaming & Digital
Monday, August 28, 2017 - 2:29 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Fans have an opportunity to experience baseball in a whole new way: through a virtual-reality headset. Under a three-year agreement with MLB, beginning in June, Intel is streaming one weekly Tuesday-night game live in VR. Last week, Intel invited several journalists to Citi Field in Queens to watch the Mets fall to the Diamondbacks and to see how Intel is bringing unusual angles and a new level of personalization to the great American pastime.
To watch the VR streams, fans need a Samsung phone and a Gear VR headset and need to visit the Oculus app store to download the free Intel True VR app. The Tuesday-night games are free to view, although they're streamed on delay in the local markets. (Games are also supposed to be available for on-demand postgame viewing, although the Mets-Diamondbacks game was always listed as Coming Soon in our testing, a situation that Intel PR was unable to explain.)
Under a deal between MLB and Intel, one VR game will be produced weekly over the next three years.
Intel's VR experience starts with the camera placement at the park. The company sets up three VR cameras capable of 180-degree recording around the bases. At the Mets game, Intel was able to put one low behind home plate for an unusual view of the action. The others were at first and third. Viewers could watch any of the cameras, but most likely chose a fourth option called VR Cast, a lean-back experience that offers commentary and producer-controlled camera changes.
Intel started experimenting with sports last year, creating 360-degree video replays at MLB All-Star Week and NBA All-Star Weekend. But it needed better equipment to deliver better results, so, in November 2016, Intel Capital, the venture arm of the company, acquired VR startup Voke.
Intel and Intel Capital have a 30-year history of finding the best and brightest technologies out there, and we scoured the world for the best VR partner, says Howard Wright, appointed VP, business development, Intel. We look for defensible IP, we look for scalability, and we look for somebody that could actually transition and pull this stream into any flat 2D device, not just a head-mounted display. Head-mounted display is a wonderful, cool niche in our business. but the idea is to bring this to any flat screen that exists.
That scouring led to Intel's acquisition of VR startup Voke, and now Voke's VR cameras are rebranded as Intel True VR. That's what the company uses for its Tuesday-night games. Wright hopes to see them made smaller and smaller, until they're the size of a grapefruit. Getting them that size would let Intel put dozens around a stadium without obstructing any views or getting in the players' way. This is a year of experimentation for Intel, learning what angles work best and soliciting feedback from the teams, the league, and especially the viewers.
The recorded video is piped to Intel's mobile VR command center, a van and trailer parked behind the stadium. A team of eight or so produce the feed. Two play-by-play announcers sit in the trailer and call the action, a more challenging task than for broadcast since there are no commercials. They add produced segments to some between-inning breaks. Producers select angles for VR Cast, while others constantly feather the multiple VR images together for a seamless view, a necessity given to changing light conditions as daylight turns to dusk.
Video recorded on the Intel camera rigs is piped to Intel's mobile VR command center: a van and trailer parked behind the stadium (seen here at Citi Field last week).
Moving from town to town working in different stadiums, Intel's team has learned how to create a rich experience for fans.
We've learned that each stadium, especially for baseball, gives us a greater appreciation for the beauty of the sport and provokes us to have a higher IQ as to how we build immersive experiences in the years to come, Wright says. This is just the tip of the tip of the iceberg; being able to walk on these fields and see this immaculate canvas gives us an idea of how we want to spend our R&D dollars towards the betterment of MLB and all the partners we have all around the world.
For its part, MLB gains a way to appeal to millennials, crucial for a sport whose average audience is aging. The league has been aggressive in appealing to younger fans, Wright says. And Intel knows it has to act like a nimble startup to appeal to young people raised on on-demand video.
The focus for us is not just shoving the linear feed into a head-mounted display, he explains. It's to bring you into the life of one of the players or one of the fans and give you the ability to jump around the stadium just a little bit.
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...
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....
03/05/2024
Nielsen said that actors' union SAG-AFTRA has selected Nielsen as its third-party provider of streaming content measurement....
03/05/2024
Cineverse said it has released a public beta version of cineSearch, its artificial intelligence-based system designed to help users find content to watch....
03/05/2024
Court TV said that its series Accomplice to Murder with Vinnie Politan is returning for a second season beginning May 5....
03/05/2024
Paramount Advertising said it is working with Mastercard and research and analytics company EDO to measure the impact of advertising campaigns and improve their...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON The panel The Growth of Local Programming happened at The Busines...
03/05/2024
Katz Media Group said that Craig Broitman will become president of the company, succeeding Leo MacCourtney, who announced that he is retiring effective July 1....
Intel Streams One MLB Game a Week in Virtual Reality A look at behind the scenes at a recent Met-Diamondbacks game By Troy Dreier, Contributor, Streaming & Digital 
