The game will be shot using five 3ality Digital camera rigs and Game Creek Video will provide a separate HD mobile video production unit for the game for the production. Harris NetVX encoders and signal processing gear will be used to help get signals out to cable subscribers while in the Theater at Madison Square Garden, RealD’s 3D stereoscopic Cinema Processing System will enable the audience to view the game in 3D via eyewear, screen and filtering technology.

The Rangers will host a special viewing party of this historic telecast at the Theater at Madison Square Garden that will include appearances by popular Rangers alumni Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Ron Greschner, Dan Blackburn and others, as well as fan contests and giveaways. Tickets to the 3D screening are $20 and available at newyorkrangers.com via Ticketmaster. MSG HD subscribers with 3D compatible televisions will be able to watch the telecast on a separate channel offered by Cablevision, and MSG is in discussions with other providers. For more information please visit msg.com/3D.

MSG is planning a renovation that will be a comprehensive top-to-bottom transformation of the arena that will enhance the experience for customers, athletes, entertainers, fans, and marketing partners. The state-of-the-art facility will also include the most up-to-date technology throughout the arena for fans attending events.

Longtime Rangers voice Kenny Albert will call the play-by-play, former Ranger Dave Maloney will serve as analyst, and Al Trautwig will serve as television host for the evening.

The HPA Tech Retreat continues to be one of the top think-tank events in the industry covering literally hundreds of topics over five days (Schubin’s complete over view will be available next week at the Schubin Cafe). The event in New York City was the second in a series of “Schubin Cafe” presentations that are open to SVG members, sponsors, and invited guests.

Highlights of this year’s event include the introduction of the Arri Alexa camera, the first broadcast grade camera from Arri. “It looks like a digital cinema camera but it’s shoulder mounted and has an operator control screen,” says Schubin. Resolution is 3.5K and it also has resolution overscan of 10% outside the frame.

Other demo highlights included the Imartis AG “Swissrig” beam splitter 3D rig with the vertical camera below the beam splitter. “They claim that has faster adjustment for convergence,” adds Schubin.

Also related to 3D was a prototype of Panasonic’s integrated 3D camcorder and Dolby 3D delivered in a 7.5 Mbps stream, and a demonstration by Miranda of why 3D graphics need to be in front of everything else on the screen. Adobe also wowed attendees with a demonstration of a 3D image stabilization process.

“It delivered super-smooth moves and was spectacular,” says Schubin. “It looked like it was shot on a dolly.”

In non-3D demos Dolby LCD reference monitors proved memorable. “The blacks were so black you had to ask if it was on,” says Schubin.

In terms of topics one of the more interesting was micro stereopsis in which single lens optics (but two camera imagers) are used to capture 3D images with very little disparity between the two images. The advantage is there is no need for a convergence operator or a stereographer. Schubin said Sony demonstrated such a system and while it doesn’t offer the dramatic 3D effect possible with dual lens systems it does deliver the sensation of 3D.

The hottest discussions, however, centered around presentations by UC Berkley Professor Marty Banks. He dove into the issue of convergence accommodation issues which is where the muscles in the eye that focus on a TV or movie screen converge with the muscles that the stereographer is telling your eyes to focus on as a 3D object of interest. How those two muscles interact can mean the difference between an enjoyable 3D experience and a painful one.

“People come to HPA because they want to get exposure to new issues and learn,” adds Schubin.

The question now is, what’s in store for HPA Tech Retreat in 2011?

Imagestore-Modular+ offers channel branding capabilities, including clip/animation playout for advanced graphics effects. This HD/SD processor can provide up to 80 minutes of clip playout for partial or full frame branding and promo graphics. It uses a space and energy efficient, dual card design, with up to four channels housed in a single 3RU Densite frame.

The processor is designed for pre-rendered graphics, and can provide up to five layers of keying. Three layers can be fed by internally stored stills/animations, one layer is for clips, and one layer is for external graphics devices with fill/key outputs. Graphics capabilities include automated character generation and EAS insertion, as well as clock and temperature insertion. Other features include AB video mixing with 16-channel audio mixing, and 8-channel voice-overs with audio clip playback.

The Imagestore-Modular+ package includes Miranda’s Vertigo After Effects plug-in and Vertigo Xplorer graphics automation tools, which offer easy to use, and highly productive graphics generation, asset management and publishing. By using Adobe After Effects for graphics creation, the system offers a familiar workflow, and the ability to create world-class graphics. It also provides highly streamlined batch rendering and easy quality control.

The Imagestore-Modular variant is similar but does not include the integrated clip playout. It’s a single card, 3Gbps/HD/SD processor, with up to 10 channels of master control switching and channel branding in a 3RU Densité frame.

Master control features include AB video/audio mixing (16 channels) plus voice-overs. Designed for pre-rendered graphics, it can provide five layers of keying (using three internal stores), character generation and EAS, as well as clock and temperature insertion.

Imagestore-Modular can be controlled via automation using the widely adopted Oxtel protocol, and by manual control using the PresStation master control panel or the compact Branding Panel.

“Working with I-MOVIX allows Vision Research to continue to focus on what we do best, building digital high-speed cameras,” says Rick Robinson, vice president of marketing, Vision Research. “Over the past few years, these cameras have seen growing use in ultra-slow-motion applications for broadcast. We’ve added some features to the cameras to make them more appealing in the broadcast market, but rely upon partners like I-MOVIX to help provide a true ‘broadcast ready’ solution.”

Specially designed for live broadcast use, SprintCam Vvs HD can be specified in a standard camera version or optimized for shoulder-mounted portable shooting, providing an outstanding level of convenience and creativity in ultra-slow-motion action.

New features include a dual output allowing the camera operator to shoot and record at the same time, segmented memory, a replay variable speed function (for setting up speed-ramps in playback to seamlessly transition from live action to super slow-motion and back), and integration of both live- and replay-view on the viewfinder.

Conventional wisdom was that golf in 3D would be one of the last events to make the leap because of the sheer number of cameras and cabling required for a TV production. But the production in Augusta is flipping that conceit on its head as golf will, in fact, become the first sporting event to reach consumer homes in 3D.

“Golf is pretty challenging, there is no question about it,” says Alec Shapiro, Sony Broadcast and Production Systems, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “It’s probably as challenging, if not more so, than a Super Bowl.”

ESPN will produce the 3D event with 12 camera positions covering the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th holes, collectively known as “Amen Corner.” NEP’s 3D truck will be used to produce the event and Vince Pace, founder of Pace and 3D expert, will also be involved with the production.

“We have a collaborative relationship with ESPN and they’ve done the lion’s share of the field testing,” says Shapiro.

Rob Willox, director in Sony’s Content Creation Division, says a combination of Sony HDC-1500 and HDCP1 cameras will be used. “The P1 is a lighter camera and can be used in over-under rigs wher as the 1500 is used in the side-by-side rigs,” he explains.

Willox says one of the keys to producing a 3D golf event is to get the angle of view down to the player level instead of above the course in a tower.

“You need more intimate coverage and a player’s perspective in order to show the undulation of the greens,” he explains.

Of course the big question for consumers is where will they be able to see the coverage in 3D? While Comcast subscribers will have the option to step out and buy a $3,000 3D set the remainder of the population will need to find a Sony Style Store that is within a Comcast viewing area.

“The interest is high in the consumer marketplace and content producers are reacting to that interest,” says Shaprio. “The industry is moving as quickly as we can to refine the production techniques and we’re still learning as we go. In many ways these are still experimental events.”

The goal, for all involved, is simple: “There is no government mandate for 3D,” says Willox. “So it has to be fantastic.”

Version 3.0 will be available to all existing and future CrossOvercustomers. The new high-quality multiviewer displays any combination of 10 internal or external inputs, with two large boxes at the top and two rows of four boxes along the bottom. Source names are displayed with high- resolution fonts as well as red and green tallies.

“We pride ourselves in listening to our customers, and continually

improving our product offerings,” says David Ross, CEO. “We expect many of our customers to be blown away by this incredible and unexpected free upgrade for CrossOver. They already had the most powerful compact HD switcher in the world, this just raises the bar that much higher.”

The CrossOver Series includes the CrossOver 6, 12, and 16. Highlights of all switchers include internal up/down conversion, animation stores, UltraChrome Chroma keying, internal reference generators, 2D DVEs, a standalone 2RU chassis, and AI Memory recalls. The CrossOver 16 adds Macros, mnemonic indicators, and more.

To bring the 3D content to TV viewers, Comcast will launch a dedicated 1080i channel in advance of the Tournament. As the television provider for the Augusta National campus, Comcast already has a team on the ground in Augusta, making the transmission and distribution process a bit simpler. The Augusta production team will hand the signal off to the Comcast team on site, which will format it for Internet and broadcast cable distribution utilizing the DOCSIS 3 network.

“We take the signal from Augusta across our national backbone to our production center in Denver where we do national distribution,” explains Mark Francisco, Comcast technology fellow. “The 3D signal has a lot of information in it because you’re putting both eyes in there, but it works really well on our DOCSIS 3 network, the highest high-speed data network. We put the appropriate formatting equipment on the golf course so that the left eye and right eye can be transmitted on a single channel.”

“Innovation has always been part of Masters tradition,” says Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Chairman Billy Payne. “Utilizing this technology marks another important milestone in allowing our at-home patrons to better experience the beauty of our course and excitement of our Tournament. We consider ourselves fortunate to be a leader in providing this technology, thanks in large part to our valuable partners who share in our commitment to deliver a meaningful and memorable viewing experience.”

Sony Electronics will support the effort not only as a sponsor of the 3D telecast, but also as an industry expert, along with supplying the latest advances in professional camera equipment and its 3D-capable televisions. Comcast will join in the production effort and provide the distribution channels necessary to deliver the content free to its households throughout the United States. Additionally, Comcast and IBM, the Tournament’s technology partner, will combine efforts to offer the 3D feed via www.masters.com.

Two hours of live afternoon 3D coverage will be available each day beginning during Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest on April 7 and continuing throughout the four Tournament rounds.

Additional reporting by Carolyn Braff

“We are proud that a major and leading sports channel, such as FOX Sports, chose RRsat  to expand its distribution of leading US sports into Europe and the Middle East,” comments Lior Rival, vice president, Sales and Marketing of RRsat. “We believe the fact that FOX Sport’s decision to expand their relationship with us, testifies their satisfaction with our existing services. We believe our expanding relationship with FOX could lead to significant additional business with FOX in the future. In addition, with this agreement, RRsat will be increasing the highly successful SD feed already being distributed to Israeli television operators with a parallel HD feed.”

“As one of the leading providers of sports coverage in the United States, we have a global audience and distribution is a key and an uncompromising undertaking for us,” says Julio R. Sobral, SVP Broadcast Operations of Fox International Channels. “In RRsat, we have found a partner that is more than capable, and our work with them so far has met and even exceeded our expectations. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with RRsat, as we continually build our global audience of sports enthusiasts through them.”