With the prospect that a number of 3D demos will be display at CES 2009 in a couple of weeks in Las Vegas (Jan. 8-11), satellite firm BSkyB said it is currently underway with some of the first tests in Europe of 3D television in the home. They’re using a series of sporting events such as English rugby matches, boxing, soccer games and other fast-action content captured in HD over the past few months.
The DBS provider said although the experimental 3D imagery is being fed to a standard Sky HD set-top box, viewing the multi-dimensional content also requires 3D glasses and specially modified TV monitors ( in this instance by Hyundai).
Such 3D tests by others beyond satellite firms are nothing new in the United Kingdom. Last spring, the taxpayer-funded BBC provided coverage of a major rugby championship series in 3D in a co-op venture with Orange Labs of France Telecom, with the French lab also conducting a similar demo using content from the French Open Tennis championships.
Beyond Britain, various 3D TV tests also are underway on the continent, notably in the Czech Republic.
While a growing list of potential 3D solutions for television will be on display at CES, several computer-animated 3D motion pictures from SKG DreamWorks, Pixar and others will be produced in 2009 and beyond.
On Jan. 8, college football’s championship game will be aired in 3D in a special screening at CES. In February, the NBA All-Star game will also be presented in 3D in theaters around the country.
Also, read more about 3D, including the NFL's latest efforts, in the Jan. 7, 2009, issue of TV Technology.
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