The RaceBuddy3D service is an online broadcast of special camera angles from the Coke Zero 400 race that requires you have a 3D computer, NVIDIA 3D glasses, IE7 or newer browser, Silverlight plugin-in, and at least 3.5mbps of bandwidth. Check out the full requirements on NASCAR’s website.

The production will consist of two 3D feeds, one that focuses on different camera angles around the track and another that focuses on pit crew action.  The event starts at 7:30 P.M. Eastern Time on July 3rd.  So if you happen to have the nVidia 3D shutter glasses for your PC, it is definitely worth checking out for free.

Some of the high points and low points from the article:

“The 3D coverage was compelling, particularly from the overhead cameras mounted on the backboards and from a “slash” camera located about twenty rows behind the basket, which seemed to place the viewer amid a sea of waving Butler fans.

One particularly memorable shot was a replay from the overhead camera that showed Butler miss two closely-contested layups and then finally score on a tip-in. The graphics were also dynamic without being overwhelming. During breaks in the action, CBS placed a “Final Four” logo that seemed to float in space to the left and in front of a scoreboard graphic that appeared just above the crowd’s heads at the bottom of the screen.”

“There were some technical glitches, however. The game started out with a lip-synch problem with announcers Steve Lappas and Dave Ryan, which was subsequently fixed. Some of the shots from the traditional “cover” camera located near midcourt seemed a bit blurry, though Aagaard said the production team had changed the framing of the camera between Saturday and Monday night to address that problem.

More significant were about a half-dozen instances throughout the game where coverage was disrupted by a loud buzzing noise and a loss of viewable picture, as the live feed turned into a mess of picture artifacts. In one case, this mishap occurred as a Butler playing was driving to the basket, eliciting a groan from the crowd.”

Also, those attending the games will be able to view the game in 3D.  I know, that sounds a little obvious, since watching the game in person is three-dimensional by definition, but LG will have stereoscopic screens set up all over Lucas Oil Stadium.  It’s more of an marketing tool than useful in that situation, but it will still be fun and interesting.

Lets face it, pretty much everyone knows that if you are going to be in a non-fixed entertainment setting (pretty much anything outside of a Movie with no commercials) that glasses don’t seem like an appealing option. Of course soccer is one of the rare sports that don’t have commercial breaks every 5 minutes. However people are considerably more social in a pub environment. Often times people are not close enough to the TV for the 3D experience to be of any real value.  What all of this means is that the glasses are just going to be a burden to deal with, unless you are seated at the perfect spot in front of a high quality projector screen.

In my opinion, the current non-passive 3D experiences will be successful in dedicated movie and gaming settings where the screen size take up a fair amount of a person’s direct point of view. This may seem obvious to most people, however in their excitement to promote new products I have a feeling 3D media companies could be shooting themselves in the foot by getting bad press for these staged events that don’t represent an environment where today’s 3D technologies really shine.

Once passive 3D screens start rolling out over the next 3 to 5 years, 3D will start to really take on a different meaning.  An autostereo screen in a bar will look more like viewing the game through a window.  Depth is key here, and as you may know already, depth is something we cannot emphasize more. 3D on a television really should be compared to looking through a window, with only a slight effect of “things coming out at you”.

So my basic point here is, the smaller the screen is in front of you, and the more social distractions around you, the greater the chance that you will be taking off your 3D glasses and asking the pub owner if there is a non-3D TV that you can view.

“Our sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup allows us to leverage our cutting-edge 3D technology and premier products with dazzling content to produce a unique and totally compelling viewing experience,” said Sir Howard Stringer, chairman/CEO/president of Sony Corporation.

“This propels the football fan into a whole new viewing dimension and marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “We are proud that the FIFA World Cup can serve as a platform for advancing technology and the viewing experience, and are truly fortunate to have Sony as a partner in this endeavour.”

It should be interesting to see how ESPN  utilizes 3D or if they will sub out some of their broadcasting rights to networks who will have 3D in place.