ESPN 3D to Go Dark On September 30

[Joey1986]

ESPN said that its 3D channel would go off the air for good by year's end, but had not announced a specific date. Now we have one: 20 days after this posting. Details here: http://www.tvpredictions.com/3d090913.htm

 

[crainbebo]

3DTV has failed. No one I know is going to pay thousands for a new TV just to see a soccer game in mind-blowing 3-D.

-crainbebo

 

[Mediafrog+]

The glasses were the major impediment to 3DTV; viewers simply didn't want to put up with them. And it is still too soon after most people have made an investment in HDTV. Also, lack of sufficient content on video providers.

3DTV is probably the video equivalent of Quadraphonic Sound in the 1970's: Not ready for prime time. However Quad resurfaced decades later as Surround Sound/5.1/7.1 for home theater setups, so perhaps 3DTV will reappear in a different form sometime in the future, perhaps involving holographic images for a true stage type display.

There has been some speculation that ESPN will use the abandoned 3D channel capacity for future programming in 4K UHDTV.

 

[SixtiesGuy]

There has been some speculation that ESPN will use the abandoned 3D channel capacity for future programming in 4K UHDTV.

That's very interesting. Is the soon-to-be-abandoned channel broader in bandwidth than a standard HD channel, to carry the extra data required for 3D? I imagine that 4K (or whatever it ends up being called) demands much greater bandwidth than a standard channel - and as it is, other than OTA broadcast, current delivery systems (cable and sat) don't/can't even handle true 1080p - so how the heck will they offer even a compromised version of 4K?

 

[JeeperOne]

There has been some speculation that ESPN will use the abandoned 3D channel capacity for future programming in 4K UHDTV.

Are they serious ??? There aren't any UHDTVs yet

What they REALLY need to do is reallocate the spectrum for HD feeds of ESPN Classic & ESPN Goal Line/Buzzer Beater as well as upping the screen resolutions of the other channels to full 1080i WITHOUT "Stretch-O-Vision" or whatever they call it

JMO.....

Cheers & 73

 

[JeeperOne]

current delivery systems (cable and sat) don't/can't even handle true 1080p - so how the heck will they offer even a compromised version of 4K?

You must be referring to small cable systems & cable systems in small towns. Larger ones like the Big 3 (Cox, Comcast & Time Warner) don't really have this problem (Even in many small towns). Neither do either of the satellite carriers for that matter

Cheers & 73

 

[Morgan Wick]

What they REALLY need to do is reallocate the spectrum for HD feeds of ESPN Classic & ESPN Goal Line/Buzzer Beater as well as upping the screen resolutions of the other channels to full 1080i WITHOUT "Stretch-O-Vision" or whatever they call it

Eh, there's not a lot of HD stuff for Classic to show, and I think ESPN might still be looking for something to replace it with. As for Goal Line/Buzzer Beater, do you know for a fact it doesn't have an HD feed? I think that might be Comcast being stingy with HD... certainly it's letterboxed and Classic isn't...

 

[Mediafrog+]

Are they serious ??? There aren't any UHDTVs yet

Yes there are. The Sony store in the Houston Galleria has them on display. Huge, stunning picture. Huge, stunning price.

Some other manufacturers have UHDTV's available or on the way.

Of course, finding UHD content is another matter.

 

[Neel]

Even Best Buy has the 4K Tvs on sale now. Just look at the Sunday ad.
In regards to 3D, I don't necessarily think its the price. Most newer TVs seems to come with it. My Samsung did. It might be lack of content and the glasses thing holding people back.
Although, I swear when my guests see it for the first time at my house, I always get the "oh wow, this is really cool" response

 

[Matt Galvin]

ESPN from 6am to 6pm Weekdays ESPN Radio TV 11pm or when Event is over Keith
ESPN2 Weekdays like NFL Live,PTI,NASCAR Now,MLB Live,Sports Game Shows if they add them,Around the Horn,OTL and so on. In the Evenings Baseball Tonight,NBA Tonight,MLB Coast to Coast if they add it like their NBA one.
ESPNEWS Sportscenters Live 24/7 with 7am to 9am being like GMA.
Also ESPN3D to like one of the Major Networks with Movies and TV Shows.

 

[p1ague]

3D bandwidth

That's very interesting. Is the soon-to-be-abandoned channel broader in bandwidth than a standard HD channel, to carry the extra data required for 3D? I imagine that 4K (or whatever it ends up being called) demands much greater bandwidth than a standard channel - and as it is, other than OTA broadcast, current delivery systems (cable and sat) don't/can't even handle true 1080p - so how the heck will they offer even a compromised version of 4K?

I can't speak with any authority of the situation at the head-end, but what we receive is not higher bandwidth at all; it's just a standard channel in "split-screen" with half for the left eye and half for the right eye, then your TV has to translate that into a 3d image, with half the original resolution for each eye. The resolution of the original "double" image is the same as any other channel. I assume that wanting to hide this silly-looking detail is why we had to call comcast and have them authorize our ability to view it, even though the channel itself was part of our package.