
The future of virtual reality for sports was the focus of a panel discussion at the 2016 LiveTV:LA conference in Los Angeles, and the panelists called for patience from the industry and consumers as the format has a chance to mature and become compelling for sports-content experience, training, marketing, and monetization.
Tailspin Chief Content Officer Stephen Fromkin noted the depth of ways in which VR can be applied to sport. There are the obvious and most popular ways - setting up a VR system at an event, a company like Visa's using it to create a branded experience, streaming to viewers - but then there are companies like Strivr, which is involved with athlete training for football players.
[NFL quarterbacks] Tom Brady and Carson Palmer and others use it to watch practice and review defensive sets, said Fromkin. It is a different cognitive experience using a head-mounted display that changes the way things are remembered because it uses different neural pathways.
Ted Kenney, director, field and technical operations, Fox Sports, said his company is currently big on combining 360 video with stereoscopic imaging to increase emotional impact. Gimmicks like a short VR clip of a roller-coaster ride provides entertainment value for two or three minutes but won't lead to truly engaged viewers.
The industry needs a bit of patience with respect to VR, Fromkin added, because the technology and production techniques are still very much in the embryonic phase.
That's why we have people producing 360-degree videos that aren't that great and are the equivalent of cat videos during the early days of YouTube, he explained. But that will clear itself up when the professionals are doing it rather than hobbyists. We need to encourage patience from the industry and know that it will eventually organize itself as it evolves.
Production decisions include not only composing the shot (such as whether it should be a 180-degree or 360-degree shot) but also the resolution and the frame rate and then whether to shoot it in stereoscopic 3D. Also important is the use of augmented reality, which layers informational graphic images within the video.
We are seeing a lot more use cases for AR within VR, he noted. That is a big part of where we're going.
And the future of VR is about more than just better production values. There is also the issue of the consumer devices themselves. High-quality VR goggles require serious computing power, which can mean an outlay of more than $1,500; game stations like the Sony PS4 will provide a slightly more affordable way for consumers to experience VR. But most VR consumers rely on their smartphones, and the demands of high-quality VR exceed the current capabilities of those devices. Better phones with faster processing and increased screen resolution will go a long way toward helping the VR market mature.
One key thing to remember, said Alx Klive, founder/CEO, 360 Designs, is that history shows that people don't want interactive TV experiences where they choose camera angles, audio tracks, etc.
Fundamentally, people want to relax and have a passive experience, and it has been that way for 70 years, he said. You can't change people's habits overnight. TV has worked for this long for a reason, and the reason it works is that the most people want to do is change the channel or the volume. The same applies to VR.
Where is VR headed? Klive envisions a day 10 years from now when every event that has an audience will also be available live in VR and people will have the choice of choosing among several seats in the house.
People love live [content], he noted, adding, While the average TV experience doesn't really distinguish between live and taped, live VR will be massive when it is a teleportation experience.
While the industry waits for the consumer devices to mature, the production-equipment market is moving forward. Tarif Sayed, director, business development, live VR and player, Nokia, said that the value proposition of Nokia's VR OZO camera system is that the production team sets up and calibrates the camera and it works.
The production team likes that, he pointed out. Other VR rigs can be problematic, and you can't easily preview what is being shot in real time.
The camera can also shoot at higher frame rates, which is important because content shot at 30 fps can often cause eye strain.
All the panelists agreed that it is still very early days for VR and that the next two years will see a lot of shakeout in the industry.
VR is a new industry, and everyone wants to find their place in it, so they are producing content, said Sayed. But then it gets to the consumer, [who is] disappointed and [decides] they don't like VR. When you take that approach, it puts the industry at risk. But right now, there are many names of VR companies and producers that we may not see in a couple of years.
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...