Has The BBC Missed a Trick?

The BBC recently announced its plans for 3D coverage of the London 2012 games with the projected features looking somewhat sparse. Have the BBC missed a trick here when they could be showcasing the advances in 3D viewing technology? Surely there can be no bigger stage upon which this could be demonstrated, not only to gain acclaim for their own technologies but also to promote 3D viewing as a whole?

Let’s take a look at what they have announced they will be broadcasting in 3D;

• The opening ceremony
• The live final of the men’s 100m
• Nightly highlights in 3D
• The final closing ceremony

Given the broad and diverse spectrum of sporting and athletic events which are due to commence, this really does little to help capture the imagination. OK, so a lot of us like to watch the highlights and will be able to pickup on some key moments in 3D but there really isn’t anything like witnessing an event as it happens, and the magic which 3D can, if used correctly, inject into this is something that really should have been taken full advantage of.

The BBC have talked about how they believe it is right for them to go ahead with this “3D experiment” during the summer games to give them data to access the use of 3D. This beggars the question of why then are they putting out such a small sample? Surely the application of a temporary 3D channel which showed the games in 3D throughout would give them a far larger and more reliable set of data to work with.

To say that this is missing an opportunity to help bring entertainment into the next level is a real understatement. Had the BBC planned to show the Olympics as we suggested above then there would undoubtedly have been a real surge in 3D TV sales and a new buzz created which may have helped to reignite the passion for 3D which is unfortunately lacking at present.

What do you think? Feel free to leave your thoughts below . . . . . . . . .