Eutelsat
Satellites
Beam
2010
Fifa
World
Cup
in
3D
to
Cinemas
Across
Europe
6 July 2010
The
experience
of
live
3D
in
cinemas
is
one
of
the
key
technology
highlights
of
the
2010
FIFA
World
Cup.
By
offering
sports
fans
a
new
layer
of
excitement
for
viewing
sports
on a
big
screen
in a
collective
environment,
3D
projections
in
cinemas
are
a
fast
emerging
product
Europewide
in
the
vibrant
market
for
digital
services.
As
the
FIFA
World
Cup™
moves
into
its
final
phase,
Eutelsat
Communications
(Euronext
Paris:
ETL)
is
getting
high
positive
return
on
consumer
appetite
for
satellite-delivered
world-class
events
in
cinemas
and
public
venues.
Working
with
key
players
in
3D
development,
including
Sony,
Eutelsat
has
optimised
the
FIFA
World
Cup™
as a
commercial
platform
for
3D
viewing
in
out-of-home
venues.
Seventeen
of
the
60
matches
played
so
far
in
South
Africa
have
been
transmitted
in
3D
across
Europe
through
Eutelsat
satellites
and
shown
on
50-foot
cinema
screens
in
19
countries,
including
France,
Germany,
Italy,
Spain,
Russia,
Poland,
Nordic
countries
and
the
Baltics.
The
four
semi-final
and
final
matches
will
also
be
broadcast
in
3D,
with
cinemas
in
additional
countries,
such
as
the
Netherlands,
taking
the
signal,
underscoring
the
scalability
of a
satellite-based
network.
Eutelsat
calculates
that
over
250
hours
of
3D
transmissions
will
have
been
transported
by
its
satellites
by
the
time
the
FIFA
World
Cup™
ends
on
July
11.
Signals
are
broadcast
in
Europe
through
its
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3
and
W7
satellites,
using
40
Mbps
of
throughput
to
ensure
both
the
quality
and
the
robustness
of
each
transmission.
Eutelsat
is
running
five
feeds:
four
configured
for
cinemas,
with
English,
Italian,
French,
Russian
commentary,
and
one
TV
signal
operated
by
the
French
broadcaster
TF1,
which
is
available
in
France
in
the
FRANSAT
digital
platform.
The
FIFA
World
Cup™
production
in
3D
is
managed
by
the
event's
appointed
host
broadcaster,
HBS,
using
Sony
technology.
The
content
is
delivered
by
GlobeCast
via
W2A
to
Eutelsat's
teleport
near
Paris,
where
it
is
retransmitted
to
ATLANTIC
BIRD™
3
for
Western
and
Central
Europe.
A
second
teleport
in
Moscow
ensures
distribution
via
W7
in
Russia.
Over
200
of
an
expanding
network
of
more
than
400
digital
cinemas
are
enabled
to
receive
the
live
3D
signals
using
equipment
provided,
installed
and
managed
in
real
time
by
Eutelsat
in
collaboration
with
OpenSky.
The
equipment
comprises
a
1.5
metre
receive
antenna
and
a
professional
IDC
receiver
with
Sensio
decoding
and
BISS
decryption.
Carsten
Schuffert,
CEO
of
BEWEGTE
BILDER
Medien
AG,
Eutelsat's
network
management
partner
for
digital
cinemas
in
Germany,
Austria
and
Switzerland
commented:
"We
have
been
closely
monitoring
consumer
response
to
viewing
World
Cup
matches
direct
from
South
Africa
in
cinemas,
and
are
simply
amazed
by
the
enthusiasm.
The
3D
experience
on a
cinema
screen
is
the
closest
that
technology
has
brought
us
so
far
to
actually
being
in a
stadium.
It
combines
the
pleasure
of
sharing
live
sport
with
the
thrill
of
enjoying
every
graphic
detail
of a
world-class
sport
event."
Andrew
Wallace,
Eutelsat
Commercial
Director
added:
"Eutelsat
has
been
working
intensively
with
partners
on
3D
since
2008
to
support
the
creation
of
this
new
consumer
experience
for
both
television
and
out-of-home
viewing.
3D
is
an
exacting
and
bandwidth-hungry
application,
requiring
up
to
40
Mbps
of
capacity
for
out-of-home
venues,
and
the
highest
levels
of
collaboration
between
all
players
in
the
transmission
chain.
After
many
months
of
demonstrations,
testing
and
analysis,
we
have
an
exceptional
platform
with
the
FIFA
World
Cup™
to
go
to
the
next
stage
and
offer
consumers
the
opportunity
of
full
immersion
in a
sporting
event
taking
place
thousands
of
miles
from
Europe.
3D
is
without
doubt
the
technology
achievement
of
this
year's
World
Cup."
