3-D Offers Vision for Bullish Eutelsat

Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications believes that three-dimensional broadcasting could play an important role in its future growth, building on the fast-growing market for high-definition television. Announcing its third-quarter results last week, Eutelsat stressed its “longstanding commitment to innovation” and highlighted the emerging format.

Eutelsat has been running a test 3-D channel on its Eurobird 9A satellite and in March demonstrated a live music performance in 3-D that was shown both on a cinema screen and on prototype models of 3-D television sets.

The company sees deployment of 3-D broadcasting via its satellites as taking place in two phases. Signals would first be delivered to cinemas, with direct-to-home satellite distribution to 3-D television sets, which are only just coming onto the market, happening later. In both cases, viewers would need to wear special spectacles in order to experience the 3-D effects.

Walter Murani, general director of OpenSky said that attempts at creating 3-D television without the need for such spectacles had failed to deliver satisfactory quality. He added that full 3-D channels were unlikely and that it was more probable that broadcasters would include 3-D events within their HDTV channels.

By Paul Davies