Portugal's ZON Goes for 3D

Portuguese pay-TV operator ZON is following the trend of Europe's main pay-TV operators by testing 3D transmissions. A 3D-dedicated channel will be broadcast in True 3D. A test channel screening movie trailers is already available to the operator's clients but only those equipped with the Zon Box terminal are able to get 3D. Film trailers and soccer by Sport TV will be the first content offered on the test channel.

Over the next few months the operator's pay-per-view service Videoclube will also offer premium 3D-TV contents. According to Luis Lopez, the operator's CEO: "Our 3D test channel allows a true new 3D experience similar to that of the movie theatres' offering 3D images."

ZON has signed a strategic agreement with technology provider Quantel for the provision of equipment for the post-production of contents so 3D implementation speeds up as much as possible.

Finally ZON announced its 2009 economic results with a total of 1,6 million subscribers. Out of this total 414,000 clients subscribe to the operator's satellite package, 648,000 took the top Funtastic package. Out of 545,000 homes connected to the Zon Box terminal, 270,000 take the PVR version.

By Iñaki Ferreras, Rapid TV News