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ESPN Public Editor Examines Use Of Virtual 3 Technology During NBA Broadcasts

ESPN's use of tech on broadcasts is examined by Public Editor Jim Brady under the header "When Adding Technology To Broadcasts, ESPN Aims For Addition, Not Distraction." ESPN Senior VP/Production Innovation Jed Drake is charged with "working across departments to develop new technologies to give viewers a better understanding of what's happening on their screens." ESPN "debuted what the network calls 'Virtual 3'" on its Jan. 30. broadcast of a Cavaliers-Spurs game. When a player "attempts a 3-point shot, the line lights up." If the shot misses, the "illumination ends immediately." If the shot goes in, the line "remains illuminated until the opposing team begins its subsequent possession." If only "building out the technology was that simple." To create Virtual 3, the ESPN technical team "had to deal with complex operational challenges, ranging from uniform colors to arena lighting to equipment transportation." Public reviews of Virtual 3 "were generally positive, if not wildly enthusiastic." The Virtual 3 feature "imparted useful information in a relatively simple fashion, automatically answering the frequent 'Was that a 3-pointer?' question." However the 3-point shot "doesn’t come into play on every possession, and Virtual 3 is truly only valuable on shots close to the 3-point line." Unfortunately for ESPN, Virtual 3’s inaugural season "ended earlier than anticipated, as the network chose not to use it for the NBA playoffs because of an audio delay issue that caused a slight disconnect between the announcers’ calls and the illuminating of the line." Drake said that the audio "wasn’t a problem on ESPN broadcasts, but proved a nagging issue for ABC broadcasts." Drake: "I am fairly confident that the system will be back next season, albeit with faster processing, which will reduce the audio delay" (ESPN.com, 6/23).

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