3D-TV Absolutely Not a Fad

What a week for 3D-TV. BSkyB says it will buy 15,000 3D sets from LG to install in pubs and clubs. Comcast says it will be telecasting live 3D coverage of the US Masters, while the CBS network says it wants to bring 3D coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament into homes (it will go initially into theatres). The overwhelming view of a high-profile 3D panel at this week’s Satellite 2010 gabfest was that 3D-TV is no fad.

While they agreed that 3D screenings of movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland had helped drive mass-market appeal, the rush to 3D started earlier. Brian McGuirk, SVP/Media Services at SES World Skies, said that this past January’s giant CES technology show – and the exposure of 3D – started a chain reaction. “The Consumer Electronics industry has jumped in.”

Nicolas Routhier (president/CEO at 3D technology specialists SENSIO), said the industry was seeing “a perfect storm. What is new is the interest from the content industry.”

However, a word of caution came from Chuck Pagano, EVP/Technology at ESPN. His enthusiasm for 3D-TV was clear, but he said ESPN was looking at 3D as something of a science experiment. “We want to be ready to serve our viewers, but we are experimenting and it is still an experiment.” He explained that ESPN would cover around 85 dedicated 3D events this year within a stand-alone 3D channel. “It will not be full time. The channel will not be a simulcast of the normal HDTV channel, but will have different camera angles and production values.”

McGuirk said that SES already had an experimental 3D channel on air, and had recently held a discussion forum, attended by about 50 major customers and suppliers, each looking to learn more. “But 3D is not a fad. Our experience with HDTV was a proxy for 3D, but 3D is going to happen much speedier than HD. ESPN and Discovery led the way in HD, and I see them doing the same in 3D.”

Pagano admitted that by this time next year the industry would have learnt a lot. “We will screw up a few things, and learn from our mistakes. But we really do need to make those experiments.”

By Chris Forrester, Rapid TV News