At the recent NBA All-Star Weekend Intel delivered an immersive 3-D viewing experience to fans watching on TV and online that provided a taste of what’s to come. The NBA All-Star Weekend experience showcased “free dimensional” or freeD video from Replay Technologies, optimized for 6th Generation Intel Core processors and Intel server technology. The freeD technology created a seamless 3-D video rendering of the court using 28 UHD cameras positioned around the arena and connected to Intel-based servers. This system allowed broadcasters to give fans a 360-degree view of key plays – providing thrilling replays and highlight reels that let fans see the slam dunks, blocks and steals from almost every conceivable angle.

Intel has been collaborating with Replay since 2013 to optimize their interactive, immersive video content on Intel platforms. As part of Intel, the team will focus on growing their existing business and advancing their technology with Intel to deliver faster freeD processing and new features like the ability to manipulate and edit personalized content.

Intel plans to scale this new category for sports entertainment dubbed 'immersive sports', which is attracting the attention of leagues, venues, broadcasters and fans. Immersive sports requires high-performance computing and it’s also data driven – fueling the continued build out of the cloud. For athletes, coaches, broadcasters and fans, the ability to capture, analyze and share data adds compelling new dimensions to the game.