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The age of 3D TV has arrived

While there are no certainties in the world of audio visual entertainment, the consumer electronic landscape being littered with failed formats and products, big TV companies such as Sky and major manufacturers such as Panasonic feel confident enough in its potential to have made huge investments in 3D technology.

Of course, what the big corporations have to rely on is consumer adoption and while Sky's new 3D channel operates through their existing Sky+ HD Box, the general public will still need to make a considerable investment in display hardware. The experience will be stunning, but it will come at a cost.

TV manufacturers, faced with the technical challenge of adapting 3D for the small screen originally adopted the 'active shutter' 3D system. While implementations vary considerably, almost all use expensive (approx £100) active shutter glasses.

LG dropped something of a bombshell recently however, announcing that the majority of their 3D enabled 2011 TVs would feature an alternative 'Passive' system.

Along with smaller production costs, LG are also citing a reduction in the impact of current bug bears related to active shutter implementations, 'crosstalk' and 'flicker'. Passive glasses are lighter, much cheaper, and perhaps most controversially; LG have reopened the debate over health concerns related to active shutter glasses.

Supporters of the 'Active Shutter' system say that health concerns are over exaggerated and will point out that it allows for the delivery of full color and picture information as both images are not being overlayed onto one.

Sky leads the way with broadcast 3D TV

Sky previewed their 3D channel in pubs across the UK in April 2010 and launched their domestic version in October of the same year.

Sky describe their 3D TV technology as a 'side-by-side half resolution system compatible with both polarising and active shutter based TV's ( see 3D Technology section). Although resolution is effectively halved (the requirement to broadcast two images simultaneously) demos of Sky's 3D channel have been very impressive.

Using purpose built equipment, Sky now film a range of material in 3D. Specially built 'rigs' have two cameras attached side-by-side, capturing slightly different left and right images.

Broadcaster such as Sky and Virgin Media have realised that their existing infrastructure makes it relatively easy for them to broadcast 3D TV. Using their existing Sky+HD set-top box, subscribers can now watch a fully fledged 3D TV channel on Sky.

On 2nd April 2009 Sky broadcast a performance by the pop group Keane live from Abbey Road Studios through the company’s satellite network to a Sky⁺HD set-top box and 3D Ready TV.

Sky are filming sporting events in 3D

Over a million UK homes (currently subscribing to Sky HD) can now upgrade to 3D without the need for a new set-top box. Whether 3D TV in the UK becomes established or becomes a passing gimmick depends to a degree on just how many of these 1m homes choose to invest in a 3D compatible display.

Sky have concentrated their 3D filming largely on football, rugby, live music and boxing. With the arrival of Avatar in 3D, Sky are fulfilling their promise to bring some big Hollywood 3D blockbusters to their 3D channel.

Hardware manufacturers are supporting the 3D revolution

The investment in 3D hardware by likes of Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, LG and Philips suggests that 3D TV is being taken very seriously. Samsung in particular is betting big on the format with almost half of its 2010 LCD TV's becoming 3D ready.

Although the 3D format in the home got off to a sluggish start in 2010, the big manufacturers are maintaining their investment in a technology which they aim to establish in the majority of UK households.

Owners of Sony's PS3 games console may be interested to know that it can be converted into a 3D Blu-ray player with a firmware update. We could well see the PS3 playing a pivotal role in the adoption of 3D in the same way that its built-in Blu-ray player gave a boost to High Definition DVD.

Based in Universal City, Panasonic's new 3D labs are working towards establishing a 3D Full HD (3D FHD) Blu-ray format along with the regular introduction of a range of 3D products including TV's, Blu-ray players and Home Cinema systems.

In the same way that we have seen standard format films converted to High Definition (HD) we may also see the conversion of existing films to 3D. Blu-ray already has the capacity to store a 3D version of a movie.

If 3D takes of, expect to see new 3D movie releases on Blu-ray, of classic blockbusters like Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.

Some manufacturers including LG and Philips have demonstrated 3D systems that use existing Blu-ray players. We are already seeing the release of some films on 3D using the older Anaglyph (red and blue glasses) 3D format.

The BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) has recently ratified a 3D Blu-ray standard with the prospect of 3D film releases on the High Definition format. Monsters v Aliens was the first 3D Blu-ray disc to be announced and will be bundled with a pair of Samsung's 3D glasses.

'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' will be the first Blu-ray 3D release from Sony while Disney has announced that 'A Christmas Carol' will become generally available in 3D format towards the end of 2010. Many expected 'Avatar' to arrive in 3D late 2010 to give the format a significant boost; unfortunately, 20th Century Fox have indicated that its release is unlikely before 2011.

Is there going to be a 3D format war

Quite Possibly, Keisuke Suetsugi, Manager of Panasonic's Development Center, recently commented: "There are so many 3D systems proposals it could kill 3D itself".

There are so many prototype systems vying for worldwide adoption that there is bound to be some kind of clear out in the future, if not a full blown 3D format war.

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