from Amber Dowling of The Hockey News,

Forget HD resolution or viewing parties on massive projector screens. It won’t be long until fans will feel as though they’re sitting front and center ice rather than lounging on their tired sofas, cold beers in hand. At least that’s the virtual future now being presented at conferences across North America, where participants are plunked right into the thick of the game via a headset and clever camera angles.

“4K resolution seems like the next move in camera coverage, although the Japanese I think are just going to go right to 8K – that’s what they’re planning on doing for the Olympics as the host broadcaster,” said John McGuinness, co-ordinating producer, Hockey on NBC and NBCSN. “Any time you can make it easier for the viewer to see, a sport like hockey could definitely benefit from it because of the old, ‘I can’t see the puck’ argument.”

The rapid transformation of the way viewers consume their hockey has been a long time coming. With Rogers taking over the NHL deal in Canada and working in tandem with NBC Sports and TVA, there have been many broadcast experiments with Q-balls, rail cams and even the ref cam. Online, a future where viewers pick which broadcast – home or away – to watch, complete with color from their favorite commentators and a view from their preferred camera angle is possible.

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