The NBA this weekend "will be capturing the All-Star game, along with the 3-point shooting, slam-dunk contest and slam-dunk practices, in virtual reality -- promising hoops fans with the proper equipment an immersive 360-degree viewing experience," according to Edward Baig of USA TODAY. Texas-based BigLook360 "will be doing the shooting" for the events. The NBA has been "experimenting with VR for a while" -- after Facebook acquired Oculus last year, the league "teamed up with NextVR to record a springtime game" between the Nuggets and Warriors. The league's "full-court press into virtual reality continues Friday with a VR showroom to be held at an annual NBA All-Star Technology Summit." Invited guests "will be able to check out an October pre-season match in Rio de Janeiro" between the Heat and Cavaliers that was "produced in VR and shot by NextVR." Baig writes he "got to watch some Cavs-Heat footage, and while the VR picture was pixelated, you can certainly see past that and imagine the possibilities." Baig: "Beyond lingering technological hurdles, it's difficult to imagine watching an entire NBA game wearing the headsets. There is that comfort thing over an extended period. The experience is isolating. You want to be able to high-five the pal sitting next to you" (USA TODAY, 2/13).
CAMERA TRICKS: WIRED's Tim Moynihan notes while other companies have "conducted their own live VR-broadcast tests, this All-Star weekend footage won’t be streamed live." NBA VP/Global Media Distribution Jeff Marsilio said that the footage "will be available through the Samsung Milk VR store in a few weeks’ time -- for free." He added that the camera crews "are still experimenting with different rig locations for each event -- front-row seats for the game itself, a scorers’ table view for the dunk competition, and a baseline setup for the three-point contest, for example." However, the goal is to "provide a realistic immersive experience." Moynihan notes there are no plans to "release the full unedited video of each event." The best moments "will be compiled into 360-degree highlight reels," though the league "still isn’t sure exactly what a highlight reel will look like" (
WIRED.com, 2/13).
