Image if you will an arena filled with wild fans, all cheering for their local team and buying concessions. However, this is an away game, the fans are cheering for simulcast broadcast of their team projected onto the court using 3d projectors, creating a holographic experience. At the same time the team can hear their fans cheering via microphones, speakers, and a reverse broadcast. Now, I am not going to say that this would be as good as being there, but for some it's about being with the crowd, drinking beer with fellow fans, and knowing that the team can hear you scream.
Beyond the doubling of fans and increase in the excitement of (almost) being there, there is the revenue aspect, being able to double the number of seats at an event, or more depending on the level of the game, say a World Series, Superbowl, or World Cup. Concessions would easily double, as well as the parking fees. All of which could go to pay for this crazy idea. Now, I realize this sounds like a pipe dream or science fiction, but this is a blog about ideas, and possible ways to make new things happen. So, how do we make this work?
First we'll start with the easiest and most obvious: The audio system. The audio system would consist of two sets of microphone and speakers. A set of microphones would be wired to record at Stadium A and broadcast at Stadium B. Careful timing and subtraction would be used to remove feedback from the local microphones picking up the remote cheering. I would suspect that all that is needed is to place the microphones where the current sound systems exist. Or possibly properly place with the stadium to maximize the surround sound experience.
Second problem with the system is the video and projection of the teams playing from afar. Well, turns out this has kind of been solved in multiple ways. One of the more simplitic ways of using multiple camera systems and multiple projectors onto a dome in the middle of the playing area. This would take a bit of modifications to systems like: HemiStar or iDome and I am sure there are many others. There is also Musion which uses a special screen to create the holograms. Or perhaps a combination of the two would to well. There are many other methods. But they appear to be rather aimed a bit low, military, games, one shot stage setups, demos, etc. The real money would be sports, once it got past the gimmicky factor the potential is high to place them everywhere.
Well, the last problem is that of synchronization and bandwidth. If we consider the amount of data transmission and synchronization required to make this look right. Well let's do some math. An HD stream (like you'd find from netflix) is going to require about 2Mb/s. And we are going to need a few streams. Assume a football field of 100 yards + 2 end zones, about 140 yards worth needing to be watched. If we can use one camera/projector combo per 20 yards we'd need about 14-21 projectors per side (14-21 for creating various angles) plus another 6-9 for per end. or 40 - 60 projectors and cameras to completely cover everything, and I feel that this number might be a bit low. So what does this work out to in terms of bandwidth? About 80-120Mb/s. Actually that does not seem that difficult considering current fiber technologies can get 150 Mb/s and that's Version FiOS, nothing like real Gb/s fiber networks. So, the bandwidth is there to pull this off, so long as someone's willing to make it happen. Synchronizing the sound and visual for a true 'you are there' experience might be difficult given speed of light delay limitations, but we could get close.
Alright, why has this not happened yet? Technically this is completely possible, the 3D screen and projection is there, the audio recording and playback is there, and there is more than enough bandwidth for the video channels. Now, it would be costly to build, but if implemented for a large enough game, one commercial break could pay for the first installation and could easily spread from that. So, I plead to you rich sports owners, why not virtually double your income, and make this a reality?
Maybe this has not been done, because it's just another Useless Thought.
Beyond the doubling of fans and increase in the excitement of (almost) being there, there is the revenue aspect, being able to double the number of seats at an event, or more depending on the level of the game, say a World Series, Superbowl, or World Cup. Concessions would easily double, as well as the parking fees. All of which could go to pay for this crazy idea. Now, I realize this sounds like a pipe dream or science fiction, but this is a blog about ideas, and possible ways to make new things happen. So, how do we make this work?
First we'll start with the easiest and most obvious: The audio system. The audio system would consist of two sets of microphone and speakers. A set of microphones would be wired to record at Stadium A and broadcast at Stadium B. Careful timing and subtraction would be used to remove feedback from the local microphones picking up the remote cheering. I would suspect that all that is needed is to place the microphones where the current sound systems exist. Or possibly properly place with the stadium to maximize the surround sound experience.
Second problem with the system is the video and projection of the teams playing from afar. Well, turns out this has kind of been solved in multiple ways. One of the more simplitic ways of using multiple camera systems and multiple projectors onto a dome in the middle of the playing area. This would take a bit of modifications to systems like: HemiStar or iDome and I am sure there are many others. There is also Musion which uses a special screen to create the holograms. Or perhaps a combination of the two would to well. There are many other methods. But they appear to be rather aimed a bit low, military, games, one shot stage setups, demos, etc. The real money would be sports, once it got past the gimmicky factor the potential is high to place them everywhere.
Well, the last problem is that of synchronization and bandwidth. If we consider the amount of data transmission and synchronization required to make this look right. Well let's do some math. An HD stream (like you'd find from netflix) is going to require about 2Mb/s. And we are going to need a few streams. Assume a football field of 100 yards + 2 end zones, about 140 yards worth needing to be watched. If we can use one camera/projector combo per 20 yards we'd need about 14-21 projectors per side (14-21 for creating various angles) plus another 6-9 for per end. or 40 - 60 projectors and cameras to completely cover everything, and I feel that this number might be a bit low. So what does this work out to in terms of bandwidth? About 80-120Mb/s. Actually that does not seem that difficult considering current fiber technologies can get 150 Mb/s and that's Version FiOS, nothing like real Gb/s fiber networks. So, the bandwidth is there to pull this off, so long as someone's willing to make it happen. Synchronizing the sound and visual for a true 'you are there' experience might be difficult given speed of light delay limitations, but we could get close.
Alright, why has this not happened yet? Technically this is completely possible, the 3D screen and projection is there, the audio recording and playback is there, and there is more than enough bandwidth for the video channels. Now, it would be costly to build, but if implemented for a large enough game, one commercial break could pay for the first installation and could easily spread from that. So, I plead to you rich sports owners, why not virtually double your income, and make this a reality?
Maybe this has not been done, because it's just another Useless Thought.
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