3D-TV and March Madness: The Greatest Sports Viewing Experience You Still Can't Get at Home

(MoneyWatch)  March Madness. More basketball than is humanly possible to absorb. With all the 3D televisions hitting the market, imagine the excitement and spectacle. Even better, you don't have to attend the Final Four, because CBS plans to broadcast those games in 3D. Only, there are a few catches. (Disclosure: BNET is part of CBS Interactive.)

With the success of movies like Avatar, the high tech and entertainment industries have embraced 3D imaging, not only in theaters, but in homes as well through 3D television. Mitsubishi and Samsung already sell 3D-ready televisions, and a number of other vendors -- including Sony (SNE), Panasonic, and LG -- will introduce their versions later this year.

But put off the trip to the local consumer electronics boutique. If you want to see the Final Four in 3D, it's not going to be in the comfort of your living room. That broadcast will still be in 2D. CBS is only providing the 3D feed to 100 digital cinemas. It has to double the size of its normal crew and radically change camera angles to get footage that emphasizes the special effects.

It will take broadcasters time to figure out how to best pull off 3D programming -- particularly in fast-action sports -- to get the specialized equipment necessary to create the image and figure out how to deliver 3D entertainment while still satisfying the majority of people who will still use 2D sets. Comcast has promised 3D coverage of the Masters tournament and the return to professional golf of Tiger Woods. It should be a more predictable venue for the technical crew ... assuming that Woods doesn't give his wife a reason to start chasing him with her own club again. But then again, that'd look great in 3D.

Image: RGBStock.com user Ambroz and lusi, site standard license; photo manipulation, Erik Sherman.