Down in games in the finals of the championship of the National Basketball Association this week, Cleveland Cavaliers fans may be feeling a bit too close to the action on the court, but last Sunday's second loss prompted thousands of fans to show up at Cleveland's arena to see their team in Fusion 3D HD for free.
Spurs fans, however, are not being afforded the same viewing experience at AT&T Center in San Antonio when the finals shifted to Cleveland this week, according to the San Antonio News-Express.
The Fusion 3D cameras, co-developed by Vince Pace of Pace Inc. and film director James Cameron, were first demonstrated at NAB2006 and later used for a VIP showing of the NBA All-Star game in Las Vegas a few months ago. Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of "Titanic," currently is using Fusion 3D technology to make a science fiction motion picture, "Avatar," set for release in early 2009.
Last Sunday's game in Cleveland was projected onto four 3D HD (40-by-23 foot) screens situated around the court. Texas Instruments provided eight projectors to display images. Three specialized HD cameras were used courtside, with a fourth camera placed high overhead.
Rather than the sudden pop-out characteristics of the older form of 3D used briefly a few decades ago in movie theaters, the Fusion technology provides a more realistic presence for viewers, according to those who have seen it. According to a photo that appeared earlier this week in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the arena crowd wore bright red glasses.
