‘CourtVision’ Review: We tested Steve Ballmer’s attempt to transform the NBA viewing experience
Can augmented reality provide anything so indispensable that NBA fans would howl in protest if it were taken away?
Not yet. But the technology is impressive, and the potential is there.
That’s my takeaway after trying out Clippers CourtVision for two games. The experience was unveiled this week by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his NBA team, the L.A. Clippers.
In “Coach” mode, for example, when Clippers center Boban Marjanović set a screen and cut to the basket for a pass, the system put his name and number over his head to identify him as the player with the ball, diagrammed the play in real-time on the floor (below), and showed his point total above his head after he scored.
It all happens automatically, without human intervention, which is no small technological feat. The stream is currently delayed by two minutes from the live action, to allow time for the required processing, but that’s down significantly from earlier testing, and Ballmer and Second Spectrum say the time gap will get even shorter over time.
One feature of the CourtVision app is the ability to switch the audio away from the game commentators to “Sneaker Squeaks” mode. Unfortunately, this silences only the broadcasters, not the incessant music and sound effects that plague NBA games (and other professional sports). For this basketball purist, at least, the ability to take away that modern “advance” would make the technology truly indispensable.
In the meantime, CourtVision is an impressive technological accomplishment with useful features for basketball fans, and the potential to become even more valuable as it evolves over time.
See the full story here: https://www.geekwire.com/2018/courtvision-review-tested-steve-ballmers-attempt-transform-nba-viewing-experience/