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3D: Coming to a screen near you

Posted on 15 May 2009 at 16:04

As the images from the twin HD cameras are interlaced together and optimised, the resulting picture fits within a standard 18Mbits/sec broadcast stream, so rolling out channels in the future could be achieved without new equipment. Which leaves Sky with two tasks for 2009: to gauge consumer demand and figure out the best method of monetising 3D TV. It will require its own dedicated channels, so Sky will most likely charge a premium for access to 3D channels once enough content exists. As Lenz points out, with Sky being "both content producer and distribution platform", it's in a perfect position to dictate that itself.

The longer view

While 3D vision is undoubtedly a spectacle, it's the spectacles that manufacturers want to eliminate. Both Philips and LG have demonstrated TVs using lenticular autostereoscopic display technology that dispenses with the need for glasses. Similar to hologram pictures that alter as you view them from different angles, a layer of lenticules over the LCD allows each eye to see a slightly different view of each pixel, reproducing the effect of the polarised glasses. There are major drawbacks, though. The technology causes nausea relatively quickly, limiting it to short-burst uses such as digital signage and advertising. The viewing angles are poor, and then there's the cost, which will remain far beyond the realms of consumer devices for years.

So an affordable, high-quality experience without glasses remains a long way off, but can 3D in its current incarnation really break into the home? The consensus among consumers seems to be that the glasses are the main deterrent, but Cameron believes this is more misunderstanding than genuine resistance. At the 3D Entertainment Summit, he argued that the practice of releasing 3D DVDs bundled with old-school anaglyphic glasses is "stunting 3D growth", when the industry should instead be demonstrating how far the technology has advanced.

His thoughts are echoed in a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which finds that interest in 3D increases as consumers experience it first-hand. Nearly 41 million US adults reported viewing a 3D movie at a cinema in the past year; of those, almost 40% would choose a 3D movie over its 2D equivalent, compared with only 23% of those who haven't yet experienced it. "When it comes to current 3D technology," said Shawn DuBravac, CEA's economist and director of research, "seeing truly is believing."

Getting people to see in the first place is the main objective for Nvidia, Sky and the world of cinema, led by visionaries such as Cameron. With Avatar due for release in December he's in the prime spot to do just that, but don't expect him to stop there - he's already planning 3D's next leap forward. "I'd love to have done Avatar at 48 frames [per second], but I have to fight these battles one at a time," he conceded. "Maybe on Avatar 2." By the time that rolls around he'll be filming not only for the cinema, but for our desktops and sofas too.

Author: David Bayon