F1
It seems certain that Formula 1 will be seen in 3D fairly soon, possibly in cinemas only though. Daniel Webber, MD of SuperVision Media who nabbed the rights to show the World Cup in 3D recently told 3D Radar: "We think there's tremendous opportunities with sport and 3D on the big screen. It lends itself so well. We're now actively looking for other sports to trial, including F1." The scope for excitement is endless with cameras placed trackside, in the pits and on the cars. Overtaking manoeuvres could look sensational as you get to witness the thrills and fear of being an F1 driver for yourself from the safety of your sofa.
3D rating: 5/5
Horse racing
The drama of the Grand National magnified ten-fold. That would be the result of a 3D day at Aintree with some clever camera placement and a herd (yes, that is the right collective noun) of horses hurdling the famous fences at a hundred miles an hour. An angled tracking shot in the home straight with the animals in full pelt and the jockey going bananas to get your 80-1 sweepstake across the line would be pretty stunning too.
3D rating: 4/5
Hockey and Ice Hockey
We could even include polo with this pair - essentially two teams using sticks to hit a ball or puck. Similar rules apply as with watching football and rugby where too much side-on action wouldn't do a lot to excite the old 3D specs. There's also the problem of a rapidly moving small object that would be very hard to follow in 3D as the brain needs more time to process what's happening.
3D rating: 2/5
Luge
In some respects this could be the most exciting 3D experience of the lot. Imagine the sled smashing through the screen, scattering ice all over the living room carpet as you cower behind the sofa. Trouble is the damn things move so quickly that your eyes wouldn't be able to handle the dimensional journey - however if it was processed so that the sled travelled away from the screen into the TV or came from within, moving towards the plane of the screen the visual experience would be a lot easier to handle.
3D rating: 4/5
Rowing
The problem with rowing is that you really need to be alongside the boats to appreciate the relative positions of each crew and this view wouldn't do a lot for the 3D experience.
3D rating: 1/5
Rugby
Sky's already taken up the 3D mantle with live broadcasts to pubs and cinemas and plans to feature rugby on its 3D channel in the autumn. Like football, the best scenes work when the camera isn't side-on but placed at the ends with players coming towards your point of view. You also get some tasty scrum action that almost leaves you feeling winded whilst line-outs are great fun too.
3D rating: 4/5
Sailing
The big problem with sailing is that if you take away the commentators' voices it just looks like a few boats pootling around on the sea. Adding a third dimension won't do a lot to change that, especially with the broad overview shots that will still look flat but shooting plenty of close-up action with on-board cameras would transform the experience.
3D rating: 2/5
Skiing and ski jumping
Downhill skiing would be tremendously exciting in 3D but there may be problems if cameras are zoomed in too close to the skiers. Ski jumping offers great 3D potential as the jumpers move at a relatively slow speed and you could be offered a bird-eye view of the jumper's trajectory.
3D rating: 4/5
Snooker
The largely static nature and naturally deep viewpoint of snooker lends itself perfectly to 3D. Seeing the table stretch away in to the screen with the the potter's shoulder or elbow coming out of the screen would make a nice composition. It would be fun to see the balls heading towards your coffee table. There would be some good opportunities for crowd views too, recreating the atmosphere of the crucible in your home.
3D rating: 5/5
Squash
The ball is small and moves fast in squash, which makes it unsuited to 3D. However the placement of cameras in front and behind the players and their relatively fixed positions would create the on-court experience nicely.
3D rating: 2/5
Swimming
Swimming, like rowing, is best appreciated from the side of the pool, which isn't the best angle for 3D. The underwater shots of tumble turns and those that track the swimmers would be interesting if possibly a bit weird. Crowd shots would on the other hand be good as you really get to notice the individuals.
3D rating: 1/5
Table tennis
One of the best fits for 3D. The size of the table and the natural viewpoint behind the player's arm make an ideal basis for 3D. The producers could experiment with placing the net at the screen's plane so that half the table projected in to the TV and half out. Good crowd shot potential and great fun to be had with slow-mo close-ups of serves and returns.
3D rating: 5/5
Tennis
The French Open this year was shown in 3D by Eurosport. The strange thing about watching tennis in 3D when everything projects in to the screen is that although it's quite compelling you feel like you're Gulliver watching miniature people.
The ball and players move too quickly for the cameras to show outward-projecting action without giving you an unbelievable headache.
3D rating: 2/5
Wrestling
Pro wrestling, be it the WWE or TNA, have enormous potential for 3D broadcasting. The cameras could really convey the ring-side experience. A careening Hulk Hogan would threaten to leave an ugly orange smudge on your carpet and you'd virtually feel the bone-crunching effects of a John Cena 'attitude adjustment'. Ouch.
3D rating: 4/5
