Sky Italia 3D prepares for first live 3D tests

Italy: Just over a month after launching, Sky Italia 3D is gearing up for its first live 3D tests at the SSC Napoli vs FC Bayern München Champion’s League match on Tuesday 18th. Napoli pitched Bayern out of the last 16 last year, so the German club is out for a certain amount of revenge. When they get to the Stadio San Paolo though they’ll find a 3D set-up that’s both oddly familiar across Europe, but with its own local flavour.

SBP – The Human Technologies is acting as OB provider for the match, with Rome’s DBW Communications providing its stereo 3D experience. Also providing experience on site is BSkyB’s 3D Development Manager, Robin Broomfield.

“They’re going to do it slightly differently to us in that SPB is putting in a separate small 3D convergence and 3D operations truck, in which will be housed the convergence operators and the 3D rig engineering side of the operation,” he says. “We have it all integrated into the one truck typically, though it’s the way we work at bigger events where we’ve outboarded convergence and the stereographers into another truck.”

Another departure for Broomfield will be the deployment of Stereotec rigs, the German company having established itself particularly in both its homeland and Italy as a viable alternative to the increasing 3Ality Technica hegemony.

“They’re working on a very similar format to us – Cameras One and Two are the main cameras and side by side rigs, while they’re using four mirror rigs on the quarters. We’ll also use some 2D cameras either as conversation through an MPE-200 or as a flat image put into positive z-space – we’ll decide that on the ground. Graphics will be by deltratre, who already have experience working with us on EPL football.”

Following the test, Sky Italia 3D is planning on broadcasting its first live match, again a Champion’s League fixture, when Barcelona visit Milan on 23 November.