Some of the viewers who watched the FIFA World Cup 2010 in 3D in the ESPN lab study have reported eye strain along with headaches. According to the Network, as stated on Thursday, these effects were reduced once they took short breaks between watching the matches for an extended period of time.

Duane Varan, executive director of the Disney Media and Advertising Lab has stated that taking breaks during watching 3D TV is a good practice. The viewers get mostly affected on the very first day of watching 3D TV. But the effect is reduced gradually as the days pass and the eyes get adjusted to 3D TV viewing.

ESPN has conducted experimental tests on candidate with electrodes attached to them to measure all parameters ranging from heart rates to rates of arousal. They carried on the test for 2700 hours in a laboratory in Austin, Texas. They also kept track of the differences in the approach of the eyes while watching 3D gameplay during the match and 2D advertisements with the help of cameras and infrared technology.

The network has stated that a wide range of 3D TVs were used, including passive and active 3D TVs to conduct the study. The active 3D TVs which are more costly than the passive 3D TVs consisted of heavier and battery operated shutter lenses in comparison to the passive 3D TVs. There were no differences in the way the viewers enjoyed the games on both the televisions, according to Varan. But quite surprisingly, viewers reported that the passive 3D glasses were much more comfortable and user friendly than the active ones.

Most of the complaints about headache came from the viewers watching active 3D television. Most people watching passive 3D TVs were almost not affected.

Varan further stated that the passive 3D TV viewing was much more pleasant owing to the viewers being able to interact with other people watching in the room due to the lighter set of 3D glasses they were wearing.

ESPN on the other hand have broadcasted the opening match of the FIFA world cup in 3D on June 11 on its part time 3D channel. ESPN is all set to telecast their 38th 3D program on Saturday when they shoot an inter college football match between Boise State and Hawaii colleges.

Bryan Burns, the vice president of business and strategic development of the channel has stated that the channel has planned to telecast 16 NCAA basketball matches of this season in 3D. He further stated that they were negative about telecasting the “Monday Night Football” matches in 3D as the channel does not currently have the telecasting rights of NFL games. He concluded saying that the deals with the rights holders is a bit on the complex side.

Other highlights of the study by ESPN include:

>> People having very strong vision are unlikely to notice any difference between  the 2D and 3D TVs. Varan has stated that people with a poor perception of real-world depth will have a better experience watching 3D television.

>> According to Varan, advertising for products in 3D is much more effective. The desire to buy a product that has been advertised in 3D format has increased from 49 to 83 percent compared to an advertisement in 2D.

>> With the 3D TV experience, viewers have stated that it provided more involvement in the game and better realization of the in game movements. They all stated that 3D TV viewing was much better than 2D hands down.

>> Viewers have also stated that the experience in watching a video shot in 3D and a 2D video converted to 3D were different with the native 3D being better. Varan stated that though 3D viewing was better than 2D, the native 3D version is the best amongst the three.

via lightreading

Sovan Mandal  (446 Posts)

Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com and 3D Specialist. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email