Brazil TV to Go 3D this Year

Last week Brazil celebrated ‘Fat Tuesday’ in traditional carnival fashion, except this time the event was covered by 3D cameras. You can be sure the colourful Rio de Janeiro carnival celebration will show up on the world’s 3D transmissions once receivers are distributed.

Test transmissions were made last week by Brazil’s Globo TV and Embratel's cable operator, NET Servicios. They carried out the first trials of live 3D TV transmitters in the nation with the broadcasting of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

NET installed special equipment in the lobby of the Fasano Ipanema Hotel where guests and the press were able to see the technology. The idea is to launch the service commercially before the end of this year. NET Servicos says it will invest $107.4m in 3D TV, Digital TV and HD, according to NexTV Latam.

The Director of Services and Products of NET Servicos, Marcio Carvalho, pointed out that TV set manufacturers needed to start their commercialization of 3D equipment. "All our HD decoders can receive 3D signals but the consumer needs a suitable TV set," the executive explained to the Brazilian bulletin Teletime.

In January this year, 3D broadcasting was the star at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. "The beginning of manufacturing of TV sets that can receive 3D images and the incipient availability of contents in such format, such as the recent success of the movie Avatar, will encourage the creation of some kind of fever about the issue," Carvalho said.

By Chris Forrester, Rapid TV News