ESPN's 3D presentation of the 2010 World Cup had a certain "presence."
That was one of the key findings of a comprehensive study by ESPN Research + Analytics, which compiled results, spanning over 700 measures, from more than 1,000 testing sessions and 2,700 hours of participants watching live or nearly live matches at the Disney Media and Ad Lab in Austin, Texas, last June and July.
Speaking at the "3DTV 2011 What's Next?" conference, presented by B&C/Multichannel News and other NewBay Media brands, Thursday afternoon in NYC, Artie Bulgrin, senior vice president of ESPN Research + Analytics, said that while there weren't significant differences among viewers checking out the contests in 2D versus 3D relative to enjoyment and involvement levels, there was a major uptick in the "presence" quotient.
The research showed that 42% of respondents indicated that they felt like they were in the stadium during 2D presentations of the World Cup games. That percentage jumped to 69% for those watching in 3D. Bulgrin said viewers described that it "felt like really being there" of their 3D World Cup viewing experiences.
Similarly, data about presence grew from 42% for 2D viewing, to 52% for 2D to 3D conversion of the match images, and 69% for the matches delivered in native HD.
