Eutelsat Trials 3D

Eutelsat is helping promote 3D at an upcoming Italian conference. The complete end-to-end 3D broadcasting chain will be showcased at the Sat Expo Europe show in Rome from March 19-21 using capacity on Eutelsat's Eurobird 3 satellite. For the broadcast, a live 3D music performance is being filmed, transmitted and projected in stereo 3D-HD onto a cinema screen and prototype 3D-HD television sets.

Organised by Eutelsat, OpenSky and dBW, the demonstration is reproducing in full the conditions of a live 3D event. The three-dimensional shooting and production is managed by dBW, a Rome-based production company, while OpenSky, which specialises in transmitting digital content via satellite is managing the encoding, decoding and projection. The three companies have also agreed to combine their resources and expertise in order to be able to provide end-to-end 3D services in Europe, from filming to playout.

The full-scale Rome 3D demo is, says Eutelsat, “a prelude to a radically new way of experiencing cinema and television content. In addition to enabling an audience to share the same level of sensation as in a theatre for a live performance, stereo 3D-HD has the potential to enrich the entertainment offer in cinemas and theatres and transform them into innovative multimedia entertainment centres delivering premium content.”

Eurobird 9A satellite has been transmitting a test 3D channel over the last three months as a test-bed to analyse the performance of screens, encoders and decoders, and to gather experience on the use of 3D content in the home and public locations.

Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO said: "This new step towards 3D broadcasting continues Eutelsat's longstanding commitment to innovation that opens satellites to a new generation of applications. Early and close collaboration between all actors in the broadcasting chain will be a key success factor for this new broadcasting revolution and we are very pleased to be taking part in the first tests and end-to-end demonstrations in Europe".

By Chris Forrester, Rapid TV News