Nation’s first Live 3D television broadcast from Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament
3D Demonstrations Held at Certain Cox Retail Stores -
Cox Virginia customers in Hampton Roads, Roanoke and Northern Virginia will have exclusive access to the innovative 3D coverage of the Masters Tournament this week from Augusta National Golf Club. Beginning on April 7, Masters 3D programming can be viewed on 3D-capable television sets and will be available on Cox Channel 895 in all market areas and at no additional cost.
Live 3D coverage will take place starting Wednesday, April 7, 3 to 5 pm ET, with the Par 3 Contest and continue with the Masters Tournament Thursday, April 8 through Sunday, April 11 with two hours each day; live tournament coverage starts at either 4 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. ET each day. In addition to the 3D channel, customers can access Masters content via the On DEMAND library on Channel 1.
The same live 3D coverage will be available on Masters.com and available to those with 3D capable computers.
Multiple 3D cameras will be placed strategically throughout the course at Augusta National, with a focus on the second nine. Viewers will be better able to depict the many subtleties and elevation changes of the course’s grounds.
“Cox is excited to offer our customers access to this innovative television event, bringing our customers the latest in video technology,” said Gary McCollum, Senior Vice President and General Manager Cox Virginia.
Cox customers will need Cox Advanced TV service, HD or HD/DVR receiver rental, HD service and HDMI cable connected to 3DTV to access the 3D programming; this must be HDMI 1.4 compliant with compatible 3D glasses. Masters 3D content is not accessible on CableCARD devices. The TV manufacturer’s specified 3D glasses also will be required to view the content in 3D. Those customers will then be required to tune to channel 895, and change the setting on their 3DTV to 3D format or 3D mode.
Cox Advanced TV service is required to access On DEMAND programming. Content includes:
– Two-hour blocks of 3D content – replays of every day’s 3D telecast aggregated on VOD
– Daily highlights in 3D available the day after live exhibition
– Masters Moments – See golfing greats at the Masters from the 1950s through the 2000s
– 2009 Masters Film – 60 min film chronicling last year’s tournament
– 2009 Par-3 Contest – replay of the Par 3 Contest held during the 2009 Masters Tournament
– BBC Masters Anthology – 60 min unreleased anthology of the Masters
Cox has offered 3D programming to its customers previously, and plans to offer more 3D content in the near future. More information can be found at www.Cox.com/3D.
For customers without the necessary HD and 3D equipment to view the Master’s, the following Cox retail stores will have demonstrations of 3D TV starting April 7 during normal business hours. Each site will have 10 pairs of glasses for customer viewing:
– Hampton Roads: Chesapeake, 725 Eden Way; Suite 708
– Hampton Roads: Kiln Creek, York County, 209 Village Ave; Suite GH
– Northern Virginia: Herndon, 3080 Centreville Road, Herndon
– Roanoke: 5400 Fallowater Lane, Roanoke
Cowboys Stadium and HDlogix team up to premiere Live 3D Broadcast on the world’s largest high definition television
First-Ever 3D Stadium Experience during Sporting Event Fans Watch Live 3D Action on 11,520-Square-Foot Screen
The first live 3D broadcast ever to be shown on giant video screens at a major sporting event was unveiled at Cowboys Stadium, electrifying over 80,000 fans who were given 3D glasses upon entering the stadium. Beginning with the second half kickoff of the Dallas Cowboys-San Diego Chargers football game, the enormous center-hung display in the spectacular new stadium was converted from high definition 2D, enabling fans to view both live action and instant replays in 3D.
Measuring 160 feet in length and 72 feet in height on the sideline boards–the largest video board installation in the world–the four board video cluster, suspended 90 feet directly over the center of the playing surface, stretches from the 20-yard line to the 20-yard line. Its massive size allowed fans on all levels in the stadium to view the game in crisp, clear 3D images during the second half.
The technology that made the conversion from 2D to 3D possible was created by HDlogix of Edison, NJ, a leader in imaging and video-based products for the world’s consumers, entertainment companies and service providers. In addition to its technology for large public venues, the company’s new ImageIQ 3D(TM) technology–which will be shown to the public for the first time at 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next month–will enable for the first time real-time conversion of any HDTV signal to 3D on any 3D-ready display.
“The HDlogix 3D technology experienced by the Dallas Cowboys fans today at Cowboys Stadium will soon be enjoyed by television viewers around the world,” said Jim Spinella, President and CEO of HDlogix. “Our new ImageIQ 3D(TM) technology will make it possible for anyone to enjoy 3D video of sporting events, feature movies and television shows whether they were produced in 3D or not. We believe it is the next significant evolution in television viewing.”
Source: HDlogix
Jillian Michaels, America’s Toughest Trainer, announces new QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System
Jillian Michaels, New York Times bestselling author and renowned wellness coach from NBC’s The Biggest Loser, announces her first ever line of weight-control supplements in partnership with ThinCare(TM) International, LLC. The line launches today in GNC and will roll out in smarter retailers nationwide over the next month. The flagship product of the new Jillian Michaels line is the QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System(TM) offered at a special introductory price.
“I have always been an advocate of supplements for boosting metabolic function and supporting weight loss,” says Michaels, “but I could never find a product that was effective and made with natural ingredients. So I took matters into my own hands! My new QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System is designed to help you overcome the two greatest obstacles to successful weight loss — appetite control and fat burning.”
“We are extremely happy to be working with Jillian Michaels,” says Gina Daines, spokesperson for ThinCare(TM) International, LLC. “Jillian is a true icon and this product line is the biggest thing to hit the diet shelves in years.”
“Our partnership with ThinCare(TM) allows Empowered Media to further develop our ongoing strategy to expand the Jillian Michaels brand,” says Empowered Media CEO, Giancarlo Chersich. “We want to provide our customers with total life solutions and this partnership helps us round out our platform. Together, we have developed healthy and innovative natural products that will help consumers manage their weight-loss goals. Since the products are natural, they represent the kind of health and wellness lifestyle that Jillian always promotes. We are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
The entire Jillian Michaels supplement line contains the following: Maximum Strength Calorie Control(TM), Maximum Strength Fat Burner(TM), Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse Plus Probiotic Replenishment(TM) and QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System, which contains both the Fat Burner and the Calorie Control at a special introductory price.
Jillian Michaels’ products will be sold at GNC, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, Target and most chain grocery stores. For more information visit, www.jillianmichaelsweightloss.com.
Baltimore Orioles Go 3-D – Virtual Birdland enables fans to virtually view Camden Yards and surrounding areas
Fans planning to visit the Baltimore Orioles’ famed Oriole Park at Camden Yards can now take a realistic virtual 3-D tour of the area – including the ballpark, surrounding attractions, traffic routes and parking options – from the comfort of their own homes. The Orioles are the first professional baseball team to employ this new virtual 3-D geospatial visualization technology to enhance their fans’ experience.
Harris Corporation , an international communications and information technology company, created multiple 3-D flyover videos of the Camden Yards vicinity, which are now available on the Orioles’ Virtual Birdland web site (www.orioles.com/virtualbirdland). The videos provide visitors with realistic views of the ballpark and surrounding areas, which are visited annually by millions of fans. The 3-D videos allow anyone with a computer and Internet connection to ‘virtually’ fly over the park, adjacent parking lots, entrance roadways, and the nearby Inner Harbor.
“Virtual Birdland provides Orioles fans with a clear view of what they will see prior to arriving at Oriole Park, and helps familiarize them with traffic patterns, ample parking options, and other area attractions surrounding the ballpark,” said Greg Bader, Orioles Director of Communications. “This is especially convenient for first-time visitors who are unfamiliar with the area and want to become more comfortable with where they are going, and how to get there. We are confident that Virtual Birdland will demonstrate the ease and convenience of attending a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and we’re very excited to offer this capability to our fans.”
Harris, which provides geospatial visualization technology and models to business, government and military customers, used its patented geospatial RealSite(R) solution to transform aerial data and ground-based imagery into an extremely accurate model and videos of the ballpark and neighboring downtown Baltimore area. Along with Camden Yards, Harris also recently produced 3-D virtual models and videos of Washington, DC, the Presidential Inauguration Parade route, the National Memorial Day Parade route, Arlington National Cemetery, and the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon route.
Built from ground, aerial and satellite imagery using technology developed for government customers, 3-D urban models like the one of Baltimore’s Camden Yards are geospatially accurate. Harris has developed nearly 500 global 3-D models during the past five years as a prime contractor for the U.S. government. These applications are used in a number of important areas:
- Mission Site Familiarization and Planning Regions that are difficult to access can be modeled and analyzed quickly and affordably, with minimal risk to personnel and resources.
- Facility and Event Security Planning and Monitoring Accurate, photo-realistic data provides the knowledge necessary for planning the location of security cameras, sensors, motorcade routes, and other vital security information.
- Disaster Mitigation Planning and Response Modeling and simulation can be used to forecast, simulate and prepare for events in advance. Complex situations can be evaluated using real- time data integration to promote a quick and comprehensive understanding of what is happening as events take place.
- Communications Network Planning and Monitoring Placement of satellite communications equipment can be preplanned, effectively lowering installation costs and reducing miscalculations.
Source: Harris Corporation
SIRIUS XM Radio to Broadcast 24 Hours of Le Mans Live June 13-14
SIRIUS XM to offer Radio Le Mans broadcast to U.S. listeners; Fans can hear every minute of the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance live from France
SIRIUS XM Radio announced that it will offer U.S. listeners live coverage of the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race on June 13-14 from the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.
SIRIUS and XM subscribers will hear uninterrupted Radio Le Mans coverage of the race, produced by Radio Show Limited, from the time the flag drops at 9:00 am ET on Saturday, June 13 through the finish at 9:00 am ET on Sunday, June 14 on SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 243. The coverage will also feature an hour of pre-race news and analysis starting at 8:00 am ET as well as an hour of post-race coverage following the finish, with the podium ceremony and interviews with the top finishers.
On Wednesday, June 10, SIRIUS XM will carry RadioLeMans.com Midweek Motorsport Le Mans Special on SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 243 from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET followed by live coverage of free practice from 11:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET on SIRIUS channels 113 and 126 and XM channel 243.
On Thursday, June 11, SIRIUS XM will air Legends qualifying from 10:00 am – 11:00 pm ET, immediately followed by live coverage of 24 Hours Qualifying on SIRIUS channels 113 and 126 and XM channel 243.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, is the world’s oldest endurance sports car race. Danish native Tom Kristensen has won a record eight races including last year’s and six-straight from 2000-2005. Kristensen and teammates, Rinaldo Capello from Italy and Allan McNish from Great Britain, will be racing the Audi R15 TDI for Audi Sport Team Joest. Kristensen has won six of his titles behind the wheel of an Audi.
“The 24 Hours is truly a one-of-a-kind event, testing both the high performance technology of the race cars and the endurance of the drivers and their teams,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM Radio’s President and Chief Content Officer. “With satellite radio, SIRIUS and XM listeners have the benefit of being able to hear every minute of the race anywhere, at home or on the go.”
“We have always enjoyed great support from U.S. based enthusiasts,” said Eve Hewitt, Managing Director of Radio Show Limited, the team behind Radio Le Mans. “Broadcasting our Le Mans programs through SIRIUS XM makes perfect sense.”
Radio Le Mans is the Official English language radio station at the 24 Hours.
SIRIUS XM airs every 2009 American Le Mans Series race, offering listeners on track action plus pre- and post-race coverage. The American Le Mans Series is North America’s premier sports car series, featuring high-tech cars from the most prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world – including Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari and Panoz – competing in a combination of endurance and sprint races on road racing tracks as well as street circuits in major urban markets.
In addition to American Le Mans Series coverage, SIRIUS XM Radio broadcasts every NASCAR race, IndyCar Series race and every Formula 1 race, giving motorsports fans around the country access to world class racing on oval tracks, road course tracks and street circuits.