Spring may be bustin' out all over in Europe right now, but so is 3D, it seems. In fact, after lagging behind on its rampup of HD in recent years in favor of plain vanilla DTV (at least compared to North America), Europe appears to be taking the lead in making 3DTV in the home a reality.
Latest example: Canal+ is busy with some last-minute details for Poland's premiere 3D broadcast set for this Saturday (May 15).
Not surprisingly, the content of choice will be a sporting event — and also not surprisingly, that event will be a soccer match. The contest pitting Wisla Kraków with Odra Wodzislaw in the Polish Ekstraklasa football league is on tap for this weekend.
As in the U.K. and elsewhere in parts of Europe, since virtually no one has 3D-enabled HD sets yet, the 3D telecast will be featured "in select pubs" in Kraków, Poznan and Warsaw, according to Canal+. The match also will be carried at a cinema chain in the same three cities. (Prospective viewers will have to register online and be chosen by lottery for the free glimpse at 3D soccer.)
For that handful of applicable viewers at home, subs of Poland's Cyfra+ with 3D TV units and HD receivers will be able to view the match at home via satellite at no extra charge. The 3D transmission will be handled by Eutelsat and LG Electronics.
