/ 03.03.2010 12:00AM
CBS and Sony Open 3D Consumer Research Center
LAS VEGAS: Sony and CBS have joined
forces on a 3DTV research center, the pair said this week. This new “Sony 3D
Experience” will be located within the expanded CBS Television City research
facility at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Beverly Hills,
Calif.-based RealD is providing its 3D filters and eyewear.
“This new extension of our research facility in Las Vegas was designed to provide
visitors with hands-on access to the most cutting-edge home entertainment
technology available and while doing so, offer content and technology providers
continuous user-feedback and research,” said David Poltrack, chief research officer
and president of CBS Vision.
The collaboration is significant in that CBS hasn’t been aggressive about 3D,
particularly compared to Fox, for example, with its forays with sporting events
starting in 2008. CBS dipped its toe into 3DTV last month when it did the
Michael Jackson tribute during the Grammys in anaglyph 3D. (See “Grammys Get Big Numbers”)
The other notable 3D initiative at CBS Corp. is from within the signage
division, CBS Outdoor, which unveiled a 3D HD billboard in New York’s Grand Central
Station last month.
The research center in Vegas has areas dedicated to 3D theater and 3D in the
home. The home zone comprises 3d-capable HDTVs, Sony’s PlayStation3 systems,
and it’s recently announced 3D Blu-ray players. (See “Sony
Unveils $200 3D Blu-ray Player”) The center will also provide
information about the upcoming launch of the 3D channels from ESPN and
Discovery.
“3D is a reality, as shown by the success of 3D movies and alternative
programming like live events and sports, and we expect more 3D content and
delivery options to emerge,” said Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics’ executive vice
president and chief marketing officer.
CBS Television City at MGM Grand is described as a “well-established research
facility that incorporates traditional qualitative and quantitative methods
like focus groups and surveys, as well as advanced bio-metric techniques such
as eye-tracking and brain scanning using NeuroFocus technology, in a
transparent research environment.”
More than 1.1 million people visit the center each year, according to Sony and
CBS, “representing a geographic, demographic and psychographic cross-section of
the U.S. consumer population.”
The Sony 3D Experience is the second such project for the company in the
Western U.S. The company also has a new 3D Technology Center on the Sony
Pictures Entertainment lot in Culver City, Calif., targeting entertainment industry
professionals regarding the techniques and equipment for 3D production and
content creation.
(Image of MGM Grand by Batara)