Gordon Smith, USTA executive director/COO, says the 3D efforts this weekend are the latest example of ways the US Open has advanced the state not only of tennis but of technology as well.

“We were the first to have equal prize money for both men and women, and it wasn’t only five years ago but in 1973,” he points out. “And we were the first to have instant replay, in 2006. The 3D broadcasts show we continue to lead in technical innovation as we look for new ways to engage fans in dynamic ways.”

Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, CTO of Panasonic North America, says that Panasonic’s sponsorship of the 3D broadcasts, available on DirecTV, will bring the fans closer than ever to the sport. “Sports are about grit, determination, and ultimately about lifting the human spirit. With 3D, that emotion can be transported to the home better than ever.”

Helping transport those emotions more cost-effectively will be products like the AG-3DA1 professional 3D camcorder, which is priced about $20,000 and began shipping last week. And Panasonic and Bexel also announced that Bexel will outfit six 3D rigs, four from 3ality Digital and two from Parallax, with Panasonic cameras.

“Bexel also has a 53-ft. mobile trailer available for 3D productions,” says John Baisley, president of Media and Production Services for Panasonic Solutions Co. “And with a Bexel flypack, 3D can be shot on location.”

He adds that the AG-HMX100 mixer, the first live switcher for 3D event production, is also available for multiple-camera productions.

Shiro Kitajima, president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., adds that rigs like the ones offered by Bexel will play a key role in the development of 3D. But other options — such as the AG-3DA1, which records 3D to SD memory cards and is extremely portable — will play an important role as well. And the HDC-SDT75, a 3D consumer camcorder priced at $1,399, will also help introduce consumers to 3D.

An introduction to 3D, however, is only the first step in convincing consumers that the 3D experience is rock solid. The amount of content being produced in 3D must be quickly expanded.

To help ensure that such expansion occurs with minimal industry confusion, Panasonic also announced plans to open a 3D Innovations Center this fall. “The mission will be pursue best practices and create a forum for ongoing communication in all industries [related to 3D],” says Kitajima.

Panasonic will also partner with Createasphere to produce a series of 3D-production workshops across the country.

The deals with Bexel, Createasphere, and others point to Panasonic’s belief that education will play a major part in making 3D become a true force in the industry.

“By supporting training,” says Baisley, “we are creating a new wave [of opportunity] that is focused on transforming business practices and reducing cost while improving workflows and business outcomes.”

3D-production company PACE is on hand and will be working alongside CBS Sports staffers in NEP SuperShooter 9 and the PACE 3D truck.

Ken Aagaard, EVP of engineering, operations, and production for CBS Sports, says Arthur Ashe Stadium provides an optimal environment for a top-notch 3D experience.

“We have an opportunity here to cover a smaller area [than at some previous events], and what makes 3D effective are low camera positions, where you don’t need to cut as much,” he explains. “The tougher part is finding a place for camera positions.”

The best camera positions for tennis coverage, at low midcourt and two spots next to the court opposite the umpire chair, simply don’t have room for the additional cameras and operators that have been required for 3D productions. ShadowD solves that problem.

“There is a housing around the 2D camera, and then the 3D cameras are mounted on top of that housing,” says Aagaard. “Whenever the operator operates the 2D camera, the 3D cameras automatically go to the proper position.”

Along with the ShadowD rigs, 3D cameras will be located at the slash position, in the corner of the court, and in the camera dugout opposite the camera in the corner.

“They will offer beautiful 3D views of tennis,” says Aagaard.

A Panasonic AG-3DA1 3D camcorder will also be used to get shots of crowds in the concourse as well as talking-head shots. That camera was successfully deployed during MLB All-Star Game weekend by Fox Sports and ESPN.

DirecTV SVP Stephen Roberts notes that the Panasonic camcorder embodies the kind of technical advances that are revolutionizing the 3D-production process. “We are using those cameras on a week-by-week basis, and, until it was introduced, there was not an affordable choice to create and produce content at a great price and quality.”

Roberts says the coverage will be viewable by all DirecTV subscribers who have a 3DTV set, regardless of which manufacturer made the set. Adding the US Open to the DirecTV lineup this weekend and then next weekend for coverage of the men’s semifinal and women’s and men’s finals, he points out, continues DirecTV’s commitment to innovation at the event.

“In 2006, we launched interactive applications with live stats,” he says. “We are proud to be partners with Panasonic, the US Open, and CBS Sports, and to bring this unbelievable video experience to subscribers is an honor.”

Here are some direct links:

Good News: I See 3D

Sony Developing 3-D TV Without Glasses

UK Consumers Unlikely to Buy 3D TV

Japan Develops ‘Touchable’ 3D TV Technology

James Cameron Discusses the 3D Backlash

The event will be held in Hauppauge, N.Y. and will be highlighted by a keynote from Mark Schubin (SMPTE Fellow and host of the Schubin Cafe located here) as well as a golf outing or deep sea fishing trip for the true duffers).

Paul Scardino, Globecomm, vice president of sales and marketing, says the event is opened to qualified attendees and those interested in learning more should email Fred Dugourd at Fdugourd@globecommsystems.com.

The event begins with a reception on Sunday, October 3, with social activities slated for October 4 and the main event on Tuesday, October 5. Two tracks (a media track and mobile track) take place in the morning before afternoon sessions dive into Mobile IPTV. Also expect an overview of Globecomm’s Hauppauge-based facilities which include transmission and playout facilities for Showtime, international networks, and a variety of government services and networks.

“Our focus is on dynamic, real-time ad insertion and delivery, and our software-development kit does everything the HTML player does and more,” says mDialog President/CEO Greg Philpott. For example, he says, while the ad is loading during pre-roll, it is impossible for the user to skip the ad.

“It also has the ability to do multiple midrolls and interactive overlays,” he adds. “What Apple iAds is to immersive banners we are to streaming.”

There are two ways the system can be deployed for sports content. When coupled with the Spinnaker system, the mDialog platform detects the commercial break within the linear program feed that Spinnaker delivers in various bitrates and formats to the Internet. The mDialog platform then inserts ads that have been sold by the broadcast sales team.

“It plays out really nicely and can replace the commercials in the linear stream with local, targeted in-stream ads that are measurable,” says Philpott.

The system can also be used for live events, where it is unknown when the commercial breaks will take place. A management console can be located on-site in the production truck or venue or also at the master-control facility in the broadcast plant. Philpott says the console allows the user to manage a collection of “ad pods,” cue them up, and hit play so it delivers the ad into the next available slot.

He points out that mDialog is not an ad-delivery network, with spots already sold. Instead, the system allows a sales-and-traffic team to log in and organize ad pods. The business model for mDialog involves charging an ad-delivery fee to deliver targeted, measurable ads.

For now, the system is available only on the iPhone and iPad platforms, but more platforms will be added in the future, including support of the Android 2.0 platform and Microsoft devices, Philpott says, noting, “Microsoft’s Smooth Streaming is very promising,”

He adds that the problem with the first Android platform is that video is delivered in a progressive download as opposed to Apple’s use of HTTP adaptive-bitrate specifications so that a live stream can be delivered consistently.

“We would love to see Android adopt that specification,” says Philpott. “It makes live streaming possible and compensates greatly for varying network connectivity. So, if you’re at a bus stop on a 3G network, it will stream even if the bitrates vary.”

Interactive graphic overlays are also important for sports broadcasters, he says. “It makes the ad come alive, and users can tap the screen and enter contests or vote. Or when a star or marquee player has the ball, the operator can overlay stats related to that player.”

While technology companies like mDialog have a clear vision for the future advertising landscape, many of the sales teams at the TV networks and even the advertising agencies themselves are still grappling with what new concepts like social media, content delivery to mobile devices, and more will mean to their advertising plans. And Philpott says that products like the iPad and similar tablet-size devices will hit a sweet spot in terms of usability and monetization with advertising.

“The iPad is in that magic spot of being usable as both a lay-back and lean-forward device: people are in their living room using the iPad while they simultaneously lean back and watch TV,” he explains. “Immersive, interactive TV has found a form factor in the form of a tablet.”

Will services like those offered by mDialog that can transform national ad buys into localized ad targeting based on a phone’s GPS data take off? Philpott cautions that transformative changes in the media landscape are never really a “big bang.” Any attempts to judge success or failure based on these early days of mobile platforms can be a fool’s errand.

“Apple didn’t come out with four screens,” he points out. “They came out with one screen, and, once the mobile screen was proved out, they came out with the next screen, and it’s pretty obvious that succeeded.”