Wimbledon in 3D: Will audiences watch tennis in theaters?

Sony plans to beam the prestigious tournament's finals to cinemas equipped for high-definition 3D — whether or not anyone shows up

Will Roger Federer's game be even better in 3D? Sony sure hopes so, given its plans to live stream the Wimbledon finals to 3D-equipped cinemas.
(Image credit: Corbis)

The finals of this summer's Wimbledon tennis championship will be filmed in high-definition 3D and screened live, as the matches unfold, in 3D-equipped cinemas around the world. The streaming video, produced by Sony and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, will also be available for 3D TV broadcasts. Will Wimbledon really be better in 3D — and will fans shell out for tickets at the cineplex?

This experiment is doomed: What an "absurd" idea, says Lindsay Mannering at The Stir. The technology just "isn't that great" yet. "Tennis is a super fast sport with jarring angles and lightning speed movements." The matches will "look like a green and purple mess with streaky shots and blurred forehands."

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