Sky 3D TV kicks off, and we were there

Sky 3D TV kicks off, and we were there

As we first reported on Thursday last week, Sky here in the UK today made television history today with the world's first live screening of a major sporting event in 3D.

The match they chose was a tense top of the Premier League affair between Arsenal and Manchester United, at Arsenal's Emirates home in North London.

Your correspondent was, of course, there, resplendent in 3D glasses and the obligatory thick jacket and woollen overcoat.

If you ever wondered what the London technology press looks like with 3D glasses on, I hope this picture answers your question.

As for the coverage itself, well, for a first attempt you've got to say it was impressive.

Sky craftily uses graphics to tweak the images into 3D life, with its 3D logo contstantly coming at you out of the screen.

The demo was done using passive 3D technology with polarising lenses rather than the more expensive active glasses favoured by the likes of Panasonic. Sky's 3D programming will support both active and passive systems.

First impressions are that the active system, which uses lenses that open and close in sync with the signal at speeds invisible to the human eye, provides a smoother feeling overall than the one on display today.

As a spectacle wearer, my eyes itch when I first put the passive glasses on, though the feeling subsides after 5 minutes or so. The 3D glasses themselves are less of a barrier than I'd feared. Since everyone was wearing them, no one felt stupid, and there wasn't even any pointing and laughing.

Coverage of the match itself I will leave to our impeccable sports department, but I will say this.

What's noticeable about the coverage is how much lower to the pitch the camera needs to be to produce the full HD effect.

When we swoop away for the traditional top down view, you'd hardly know you were watching in 3D.

Standout moments come with the likes of corners and goalkicks. Here, with the ball static and the player approaching the camera, it's hard not to ooh in admiration at the feeling of presence, being there that the lower camera angle produces.

In the 13th minute, when Andrei Arshavin shaved the post with a shot, it looked to be coming right at you on the instant reply. I suspect that Sky's directors will have to work hard to switch cameras to try and make those moments happen live as much as they can.

On balance, though, this experiment was a success. Though nothing can ever replicate the feeling of being in a stadium, this – with the lights off and a huge TV screen – comes close.

Oh, and the added dimension does not make Wayne Rooney any prettier, beautiful though his goal may have been.