The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games — including the opening ceremonies — will be shown for the first time in 3-D at Panasonic’s Olympic Pavilion at David Lam Park.
The company’s U.S.-based chief technology officer for North America joked at the unveiling of two HD 3-D theatres at LiveCity Yaletown that he hears people in Vancouver like hockey.
“It’ll be as if you’re there in the second or third row,” Eisuke Tsuyuzaki said.
The stunning, realistic stereoscopic images are created by alternately reproducing at 60 frames per second for each eye a total of 120 frames per second. When these images are viewed through special glasses that synchronize the video they appear as though they’re jumping out of the screen.
Takumi Kajisha, Panasonic’s managing executive officer, said 3-D televisions will start being sold in North America sometime this spring. The company is launching a marketing campaign featuring Sarah Brightman, the world’s best-selling soprano of all time, to popularize the technology.
The 3-D theatres will be open Feb. 12 to 28 showing a three-dimensional video of the opening ceremonies as well as highlights footage of the 2010 Games.
