BSkyB bullish about 3D

IBC - e Daily BSkyB bullish about 3D

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Sunday, 13 September 2009

BSkyB will launch its dedicated 3D channel next year, and Gerry O'Sullivan, Sky's director of strategic product development, asked delegates to IBC to stop reading about TV and to start watching it, writes Chris Forrester. BSkyB will launch its dedicated 3D channel next year, and Gerry O'Sullivan urged delegates to see the special BSkyB demo, which showcases opera, ballet, and more modern music as well as documentary, movies and sport. "But let me immediately dispel a few urban myths that have been thrown up about 3D," he said, during the 'Who pays? Winners and losers in the new broadcast economy' session. "You don't have to stand on your head, or be exactly 1.2 metres away from the screen. Nor is it the old Hollywood movies of 30 or 40 years ago. It does not give you a headache. Our HD transmissions require no new technology. The SKY+HD infrastructure carries the signal end-to-end, and we simply piggyback 3D onto our HD investment. Stop reading about 3D, and start watching." The winners in this business are those who invest in content and continue to invest in innovation," he continued. "The only way you can do both is to have a sustainable business model. If you don't have a sustainable model and you cannot fund innovation then you are going to find life can be very difficult." O'Sullivan says that 2009, despite all the doom and gloom, would see UK pay-TV subscribers top the 50% (of all TV homes) mark. "Remember the sceptics who said pay-TV wouldn't last. Well, to get to 12.5 million pay-TV viewers in the UK is a massive achievement. Subscription revenues are now larger than the total TV advertising revenues. That tells a story on its own. The problem is with broadcasters who are totally reliant on advertising income, and they undoubtedly have some challenges ahead." O'Sullivan said that for pay-TV broadcasters it was crucial to have a one-to-one relationship with the customer. "We are not a broadcaster who simply sends signals out. We have very direct relationships with our viewer. We have millions of conversations with them every year, and they have a very good way of telling us whether they are satisfied with us or not!"

• TECHNOLOGY
• SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

New Set-Top Box Promises To Bring 3D to Television

By SARAH MCBRIDE

3D technology is coming one step closer to home with the development of a new set-top box system that will allow consumers to browse through and access 3D offerings from their cable or satellite TV company.

The prototype, developed by digital content security company Nagravision SA, based in Cheseaux, Switzerland, and 3D company 3ality Digital LLC, Burbank, Calif., will be shown at the 3D Entertainment Summit this week in Los Angeles. It's called the Nagra Media Guide for 3D.

Although no cable company has yet committed to the set-top technology, the prototype offers a window into the evolution of 3D home technology, which is getting much closer to what is available in movie theaters. Consumers will be able to access 3D programming using today's set-top boxes, but the Nagra Media version will show the information using 3D graphics.

Television companies have raced to develop TVs that are 3D compatible, and a handful of such televisions have been sold in the U.S. But they are mostly used for games, says David Naranjo, director of product development for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America.

The problem is that there is a dearth of 3D programming on television. The creators of the prototype hope advances like their set-top box will help prompt producers to create 3D programming. Earlier this year, NBC aired an episode of "Chuck" in 3D, available on analog TVs, but requiring special anaglyph glasses.

The 3D televisions rolling out now mostly require glasses, but they are a step up from anaglyph versions and provide crisper and more realistic pictures.