Chicago Sun Times: Players Exhibition Game On The Web

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

                        [Chicago Sun-Times Sports]
       
 
                        Evanston company nets some big-time NBA players

                        October 22, 1998

                        BY ELLIOTT HARRIS STAFF REPORTER

                        Off the mouse pad, off the monitor, into the printer.

                        Nothing but Internet.

                        A charity basketball game will be the focus of
                        Perceptual Robotics' attention Friday.

                        The Evanston-based company will provide images from
                        the 6:30 p.m. contest in Houston over the Internet
                        that Web surfers may turn into pictures. It may be
                        the closest anyone sees of an NBA game for a while.

                        ``The game on the Web is going to consist of six
                        tele-robotic digital video cameras that will be
                        accessible from the Perceptual Robotics Web site
                        [www.perceptualrobotics.com],'' said Kevin Convery,
                        vice president of sales. ``They will all be linked
                        together as a virtual Internet eyeball that will
                        allow you to look around the court and snap live
                        still photos from the court action, from the
                        sidelines, from the crowd, as if you were standing
                        right there with a center-court seat.

                        ``It is very different from the TV experience. The
                        images will be updated every time you click on your
                        computer. When you click your mouse in the picture,
                        what you're doing is you're steering the camera and
                        refreshing the camera to get a new still image.''

                        For those who want a more TV-like presentation,
                        broadcast.com will provide a delayed Webcast with
                        audio Sunday.

                        Among the players committed to play are Tim Duncan,
                        Michael Finley, Anfernee Hardaway, Antonio McDyess,
                        Stephon Marbury, David Robinson, Jerry Stackhouse,
                        Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace. No Bulls are on
                        the two 15-player teams, although Scottie Pippen may
                        show up to watch the event.