(July 17, 2010) On July 12, 2010 DirecTV nationally broadcast the Major League Baseball (MLB) All Star Game in 3D. Fox Network produced the program for exclusive telecast on the N3D channel 103. The format used was 720p side-by-side. Fox’s production was excellent, adding another dimension to America’s favorite pastime.

Unlike last week’s Yankees-Mariners game reviewed here, the All Star game came off with hardly a hitch. There were many close-up shots which emphasized the 3D effect, no quick cuts (which can cause eye fatigue), many shots made in the technically superior field level camera position, limiting overhead views to the minimum necessary for a proper production.

We never saw the wandering camera focus that was present on the Yankees game. We observed the game on the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 plasma and the Samsung UN55C8000 LED, recording it on the DirecTV’s HR22 and HR24 DVRs so we may use it as source material in our upcoming review of Sony’s KDL-52HX909.

The Panasonic displayed the game with virtually no ghosting (crosstalk) while the Samsung revealed some occasionally, usually limited to shots of the stands and outfield players. Overall both displays were acceptable with much less crosstalk then occurred in the Yankee game.

Out of sync audio was the only problem observed, with the 3D cameras shooting the announcers or booth commentator Will Ferrell. He made comic quips and announced the starting lineups. It’s funny how an audio problem that was solved decades ago cropped up, while the tough technical challenges of live 3D came off so well.

Our favorite scenes were the shots behind the hitter during the pitches and assorted close-ups of the field during plays. Fox also treated us to superb slow-mo 3D replays.

You really need to experience MLB in 3D to appreciate it. To date, baseball and golf are the sports best suited for 3D. Props to Fox Sports for its outstanding first effort, they obviously tested, retested and rehearsed their new production techniques prior to airtime and it showed.

3D Quality A

Content A

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