3D television
Encyclopedia
A 3D television is a television set
that employs techniques of 3D
presentation, such as stereoscopic
capture, multi-view
capture, or 2D-plus-depth
, and a 3D display
– a special viewing device to project a television
program into a realistic three-dimensional field.
filed a patent for a 3-D movie process. When viewed stereoscopically, it showed that the two images are combined by the brain to produce 3-D depth perception. On June 10, 1915, Edwin S. Porter and William E. Waddell presented tests to an audience at the Astor Theater in New York City. In red-green anaglyph, the audience was presented three reels of tests, which included rural scenes, test shots of Marie Doro, a segment of John Mason playing a number of passages from Jim the Penman (a film released by Famous Players-Lasky that year, but not in 3-D), Oriental dancers, and a reel of footage of Niagara Falls.[19] However, according to Adolph Zukor in his 1953 autobiography The Public Is Never Wrong: My 50 Years in the Motion Picture Industry, nothing was produced in this process after these tests.
The stereoscope was improved by Louis Jules Duboscq, and a famous picture of Queen Victoria was displayed at The Great Exhibition
in 1851. In 1855 the Kinematoscope
was invented, i.e., the stereo animation camera. The first anaglyph
(use of red-and-blue glasses, invented by L.D. DuHauron) movie was produced in 1915 and in 1922 the first public 3D movie was displayed. Stereoscopic 3D television was demonstrated for the first time on August 10, 1928, by John Logie Baird
in his company's premises at 133 Long Acre, London. Baird pioneered a variety of 3D television systems using electro-mechanical and cathode-ray tube techniques. In 1935 the first 3D color movie was produced. By the Second World War
, stereoscopic 3D still camera
s for personal use were already fairly common.
In the 1950s, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3D movies were produced. The first such movie was Bwana Devil
from United Artists
that could be seen all across the US in 1952. One year later, in 1953, came the 3D movie House of Wax
which also featured stereophonic sound. Alfred Hitchcock
produced his film Dial M for Murder
in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits the movie was released in 2D because not all cinemas were able to display 3D films. The Soviet Union
also developed 3D films, with Robinzon Kruzo being its first full-length 3D movie, in 1946.
technology for projecting stereoscopic image pairs to the viewer include:
In a CEATEC
2011 exhibition, Hitachi
released glasses-free 3D projection systems that use a set of 24 projectors, lenses, and translucent half mirrors to superimpose 3D images with an horizontal viewing angle of 60 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of 30 degrees. Besides Hitachi, Sony
is working on similar technologies.
Single-view displays project only one stereo pair at a time. Multi-view displays either use head tracking to change the view depending on the viewing angle, or simultaneously project multiple independent views of a scene for multiple viewers (automultiscopic); such multiple views can be created on the fly using the 2D plus depth format.
Various other display techniques have been described, such as holography
, volumetric display
and the Pulfrich effect
, which was used by Doctor Who
for Dimensions in Time
in 1993, by 3rd Rock From The Sun
in 1997, and by the Discovery Channel
's Shark Week
in 2000, among others.
Stereoscopy is the most widely accepted method for capturing and delivering 3D video. It involves capturing stereo pairs in a two-view setup, with cameras mounted side by side, separated by the same distance as between a person's pupils. If we imagine projecting an object point in a scene along the line-of-sight (for each eye, in turn) to a flat background screen, we may describe the location of this point mathematically using simple algebra. In rectangular coordinates with the screen lying in the Y-Z plane (the Z axis upward and the Y axis to the right) and the viewer centered along the X axis, we find that the screen coordinates are simply the sum of two terms, one accounting for perspective and the other for binocular shift. Perspective modifies the Z and Y coordinates of the object point by a factor of D/(D-x), while binocular shift contributes an additional term (to the Y coordinate only) of s*x/(2*(D-x)), where D is the distance from the selected system origin to the viewer (right between the eyes), s is the eye separation (about 7 centimeters), and x is the true x coordinate of the object point. The binocular shift is positive for the left-eye-view and negative for the right-eye-view. For very distant object points, it is obvious that the eyes will be looking along essentially the same line of sight. For very near objects, the eyes may become excessively "cross-eyed". However, for scenes in the greater portion of the field of view, a realistic image is readily achieved by superposition of the left and right images (using the polarization method or synchronized shutter-lens method) provided the viewer is not too near the screen and the left and right images are correctly positioned on the screen. Digital technology has largely eliminated inaccurate superposition that was a common problem during the era of traditional stereoscopic films.
Multi-view
capture uses arrays of many cameras to capture a 3D scene through multiple independent video streams. Plenoptic camera
s, which capture the light field
of a scene, can also be used to capture multiple views with a single main lens. Depending on the camera setup, the resulting views can either be displayed on multi-view displays, or passed along for further image processing.
After capture, stereo or multi-view image data can be processed to extract 2D plus depth information for each view, effectively creating a device-independent representation of the original 3D scene. These data can be used to aid inter-view image compression or to generate stereoscopic pairs for multiple different view angles and screen sizes.
2D plus depth processing can be used to recreate 3D scenes even from a single view and convert legacy film and video material to a 3D look, though a convincing effect is harder to achieve and the resulting image will likely look like a cardboard miniature.
, USB player and recorder
, Bluetooth
and USB Wi-Fi
.
. These TV sets usually support HDMI 1.4 and a minimum (input and output) refresh rate
of 120 Hz; glasses may be sold separately.
Philips
was developing 3D television sets that would be available for the consumer market by about 2011 without the need for special glasses (autostereoscopy
). However it was canceled due to the slow adoption of customers going from 2D to 3D.
In August 2010, Toshiba announced plans to bring a range of autosteroscopic TVs to market by the end of the year.
The Chinese manufacturer TCL Corporation
has developed a 42 inches (106.7 cm) LCD 3D TV called the TD-42F, which is currently available in China. This model uses a lenticular
system and does not require any special glasses (autostereoscopy). It is not as good as 3D active glasses. It currently sells for approximately $20,000.
Onida,LG, Samsung
, Sony, and Philips intend to increase their 3D TV offering with plans to make 3D TV sales account for over 50% of their respective TV distribution offering by 2012. It is expected that the screens will use a mixture of technologies until there is standardisation across the industry. Samsung offers the LED 7000, LCD 750, PDP 7000 TV sets and the Blu-ray 6900.
Full HD 3D (1920x1080p, this is, 2K x 1K; and 600 Hz) and Panasonic
Full HD 3D (1920x1080p, this is, 2K x 1K; and 600 Hz).
Toshiba
has shown 20 and 12 inch autostereoscopic (glasses-free) LCD 3D TV sets for commercial launch, with a 1280x720 resolution. By systematically aligning pixels and adopting a perpendicular lenticular sheet, Toshiba's LCD panel eliminates blurring or the vertical wave pattern (caused by interference in the display cycle) that plagues other autostereoscopic 3-D technologies. The viewing angle
is about 40°, doubling the previous approaches. Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV does suffer initial limitations such as viewing distance and cost, the 12 inch model will sell for roughly $1400. Toshiba are expected to deliver their glasses-free 3D TV on a global scale by 2015.
A September 2011 Cnet review touted Toshiba's 55ZL2 as "the future of television". Due to the demanding nature of auto-stereoscopic 3D technology, the display features a 3840x2160 display; however, there is no video content available at this resolution. That said, it utilizes a multi-core processor to provide excellent upscaling to the "4k2k" resolution. Using a directional lenticular lenslet filter, the display generates nine 3D views. This technology commonly creates deadspots, which Toshiba avoids by using an eye-tracking camera to adjust the image. The reviewers also note that the 3d resolution for a 1080p signal looks more similar to 720p and lacks parallax, which reduces immersion.
in high definition
to avoid judder, enhancing 3-D film
, televisions and broadcasting
, other unresolved standards are the type of 3D glasses (passive or active), including bandwidth
considerations, subtitles, recording format, and a Blu-ray standard. With improvements in digital technology, in the late 2000s, 3D movies have become more practical to produce and display, putting competitive pressure behind the creation of 3D television standards. There are several techniques for Stereoscopic Video Coding
, and stereoscopic distribution formatting including anaglyph
, quincunx
, and 2D plus Delta
.
Content providers, such as Disney, DreamWorks
, and other Hollywood studios, and technology developers, such as Philips
, asked SMPTE for the development of a 3DTV standard in order to avoid a battle of formats
and to guarantee consumers that they will be able to view the 3D content they purchase and to provide them with 3D home solutions for all pockets. In August 2008, SMPTE established the "3-D Home Display Formats Task Force" to define the parameters of a stereoscopic 3D mastering standard for content viewed on any fixed device in the home, no matter the delivery channel. It explored the standards that need to be set for 3D content distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite, packaged media, and the Internet to be played-out on televisions, computer screens and other tethered displays. After six months, the committee produced a report to define the issues and challenges, minimum standards, and evaluation criteria, which the Society said would serve as a working document for SMPTE 3D standards efforts to follow. A follow-on effort to draft a standard for 3D content formats was expected to take another 18 to 30 months.
Production studios are developing an increasing number of 3D titles for the cinema and as many as a dozen companies are actively working on the core technology behind the product. Many have technologies available to demonstrate, but no clear road forward for a mainstream offering has emerged.
Under these circumstances, SMPTE's inaugural meeting was essentially a call for proposals for 3D television; more than 160 people from 80 companies signed up for this first meeting. Vendors that presented their respective technologies at the task force meeting included SENSIO Technologies
, Philips
, Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD), TDVision
TDVision Systems | TDVCodec | TDVCam | TDVisor | TDVirtualCam | FULL HD 3D | 2D+Delta MVC | Stereoscopic ATSC IPTV SAT Cable deployment, and Real D, all of which had 3D distribution technologies.
However, SMPTE is not the only 3D standards group. Other organizations such as the Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA), 3D@home Consortium, ITU
and the Entertainment Technology Center
(ETC), at USC School of Cinematic Arts
have created their own investigation groups and have already offered to collaborate to reach a common solution. The Digital TV Group
(DTG), has committed to profiling a UK standard for 3DTV products and services. Other standard groups such as DVB, BDA
, ARIB
, ATSC
, DVD Forum
, IEC
and others are to be involved in the process.
MPEG has been researching multi-view, stereoscopic, and 2D plus depth 3D video coding since the mid-1990s; the first result of this research is the Multiview Video Coding
extension for MPEG-4 AVC that is currently undergoing standardization. MVC has been chosen by the Blu-ray disc association for 3D distribution. The format offers backwards compatibility with 2D Blu-ray players.
HDMI
version 1.4, released in June 2009, defines a number of 3D transmission formats. The format "Frame Packing" (left and right image packed into one video frame with twice the normal bandwidth) is mandatory for HDMI 1.4 3D devices. All three resolutions (720p50, 720p60, and 1080p24) have to be supported by display devices, and at least one of those by playback devices. Other resolutions and formats are optional. While HDMI 1.4 devices will be capable of transmitting 3D pictures in full 1080p, HDMI 1.3 does not include such support. As an out-of-spec solution for the bitrate problem, a 3D image may be displayed at a lower resolution, like interlaced or at standard definition
.
Specification. The following 3D-TV consumer configurations will be available to the public:
For the two broadcast scenarios above, initial requirements are for Pay-TV broadcasters to deliver 3D-TV services over existing HD broadcasting
infrastructures, and to use existing receivers (with firmware
upgrade, as required) to deliver 3D content to 3D-TV sets, via an HDMI
or equivalent connection, if needed. This is termed Frame Compatible. There are a range of Frame Compatible formats. They include the Side by Side (SbS) format, the Top and Bottom (TaB) format, and others.
Cablevision launched a 3D version of its MSG
channel on March 24, 2010, available only to Cablevision subscribers on channel 1300. The channel is dedicated primarily to sports broadcasts, including MSG's 3D broadcast of a New York Rangers
-New York Islanders
game, limited coverage of the 2010 Masters Tournament
, and (in cooperation with YES Network
) a game between the New York Yankees
and Seattle Mariners
.
The first Australian program broadcast in high-definition 3D was Fox Sports coverage of the soccer game Australia-New Zealand on May 24, 2010.
Also in Australia, the Nine Network
and Special Broadcasting Service
will be bringing the State of Origin
(matches on 26 May, 16 June and 7 July 2010) (Nine) and FIFA World Cup
(SBS) in 3D on Channel 40 respectively.
Earlier this year (2010) Discovery Communications, Imax and Sony announced plans to launch a 3D TV channel in the US with a planned launch in early 2011. At the same time, a Russian company Platform HD and its partners – General Satellite and Samsung Electronics – announced about their 3D television project, which would be the first similar project in Russia.
In Brazil Rede TV!
became the first Terrestrial television
to transmit 3D signal freely for all 3D enabled audience on 21 May. But despite their technology, its programming is still in poor quality.
Starting on June 11, 2010, ESPN
launched a new channel, ESPN 3D
, dedicated to 3D sports with up to 85 live events a year in 3D.
On 1 January 2010, the world's first 3D channel, SKY 3D, started broadcasting nationwide in South Korea
by Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting. The channel's slogan is "World No.1 3D Channel". This 24/7 channel uses the Side by Side technology at a resolution of 1920x1080i. 3D contents include education, animation, sport, documentary and performances.
A full 24 hour broadcast channel was announced at the 2010 Consumer Electronics show as a joint venture from IMAX, Sony, and the Discovery channel. The intent is to launch the channel in the United States
by year end 2010.
DirecTV
and Panasonic plan to launch 2 broadcast channels and 1 Video on demand
channel with 3D content in June 2010. DirecTV previewed a live demo of their 3D feed at the Consumer Electronics Show
held January 7–10, 2010.
In Europe, British Sky Broadcasting
(Sky) launched a limited 3D TV broadcast service on April 3, 2010. Transmitting from the Astra
2A
satellite at 28.2° east
, Sky 3D
broadcast a selection of live UK Premier League football matches to over 1000 British pubs and clubs equipped with a Sky+HD Digibox and 3D Ready TVs, and preview programmes provided for free to top-tier Sky HD subscribers with 3D TV equipment. This was later expanded to include a selection of films, sports, and entertainment programming launched to Sky subscribers on 1 October 2010.
On September 28, 2010, Virgin Media launched a 3D TV on Demand service.
Several other European pay-TV networks are also planning 3D TV channels and some have started test transmissions on other Astra
satellites, including French pay-TV operator Canal+
which has announced its first 3D channel is to be launched in December 2010. Also the Spanish Canal+ has started the first broadcastings on May 18, 2010 and included 2010 FIFA World Cup
matches in the new Canal+ 3D channel. Satellite operator SES Astra
started a free-to-air
3D demonstration channel on the Astra
satellite at 23.5° east
on May 4, 2010 for the opening of the 2010 ANGA Cable international trade fair using 3D programming supplied by 3D Ready TV manufacturer Samsung under an agreement between Astra and Samsung to co-promote 3D TV.
As of November 2010, there were eight 3D channels broadcasting to Europe from three Astra satellite positions, including demonstrations provided by Astra, pay-TV from BSkyB, Canal+ and others, and the Dutch Brava3D cultural channel, which provides a mix of classical music, opera and ballet free-to-air across Europe from Astra 23.5°E
.
In April 2011, HIGH TV, a 3D family entertainment Channel launched.
and screened in the UK in February 1982. The programme included excerpts of test footage shot by Philips in the Netherlands. Red/green 3D glasses were given away free with copies of the TV Times
listings magazine, but the 3D sections of the programme were shown in monochrome. The experiment was repeated nationally in December 1982, with red/blue glasses allowing colour 3D to be shown for the first time. The programme was repeated the following weekend followed by a rare screening of the Western
Fort Ti starring George Montgomery and Joan Vohs.
two-part episode "Nightmare On Dick Street", where several of the characters' dreams are shown in 3D. The episode cued its viewers to put on their 3D glasses by including "3D on" and "3D off" icons in the corner of the screen as a way to alert them as to when the 3D sequences would start and finish. The episode used the Pulfrich 3D
technique.
and the comedy Chuck
(Season 2, episode 12). The show Arrested Development briefly used 3D in an episode.
Channel 4
in the UK ran a short season of 3D programming in November 2009 including Derren Brown and The Queen in 3D.
became the first broadcaster in the world to show a live sports event in 3D when Sky Sports
screened a football match between Manchester United
and Arsenal
to a public audience in several selected pubs.
On January 31, 2010, the 52nd Grammy Awards
featured a Michael Jackson Tribute Sequence in 3D, using anaglyph format.
The very first stereoscopic indie live action comedy one hour show called Safety Geeks : SVI : 3D specifically for 3DTV and 3D VOD was produced and released in March of 2010 through Digital Dynamic Depth / Yabazam and their Yabazam website portal. Safety Geeks SVI 3D Safety Geeks:SVI is the comic adventures of an elite force of safety experts; the P.O.S.H. (Professional Occupational Safety Hazard) team. Obsessed with making the world safer, the CSI-like team investigates accidents to find out what went wrong and who is to blame. It won the Los Angeles 3D film Festival in 2010 as best pilot or series in 3D.
In April 2010, the Masters Tournament was broadcast in live 3D on DirecTV
, Comcast
, and Cox
.
The Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris, from May 23 to June 6, 2010, was filmed in 3D (center court only) and broadcast live via ADSL and fiber to Orange subscribers throughout France in a dedicated Orange TV
channel.
Fox Sports
broadcasts the first program in 3D in Australia when the Socceroos played The New Zealand All Whites at the MCG
on May 24, 2010.
The Nine Network broadcasts the first Free-to-air 3D telecast when the Queensland Maroons faced the New South Wales Blues at ANZ Stadium on May 26, 2010.
On May 29, 2010, Sky broadcasts Guinness Premiership Final in 3D in selected pubs and clubs.
25 matches in the FIFA World Cup 2010 were broadcast in 3D.
The Inauguration of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino on June 30, 2010 was the first presidential inauguration to telecast in live 3D by GMA Network. However, the telecast was only available in select places.
The 2010 Coke Zero 400
was broadcasted in 3D on July 3 on NASCAR.com and DirecTV
along with Comcast
, Time Warner
, and Bright House
cable systems.
Astro broadcasted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
on July 11, 2010 in 3-D on their B.yond service.
Satellite delivered Bell TV in Canada began to offer a full time pay-TV, 3D channel to its subscribers on 27 July 2010.
The 2010 PGA Championship
was broadcast in 3D for four hours on August 13, 2010, from 3–7 pm EDT. The broadcast was available on DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, and Cablevision.
In September 2010, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
's first 3D broadcast was a special about the Canadian monarch, Elizabeth II, and included 3-D film footage of the Queen's 1953 coronation
as well as 3D video of her 2010 tour of Canada. This marks the first time the historical 3D images have been seen anywhere on television as well as the first broadcast of a Canadian produced 3D programme in Canada.
FioS and the NFL partnered to broadcast the September 2, 2010, pre-season game between the New England Patriots
and the New York Giants
in 3D. The game was only broadcast in 3D in the northeast.
The 2010 AFL Grand Final
, on 5 September, 2010, was broadcasted in 3D from the Seven Network
.
Rachael Ray
aired a 3D Halloween Bash on October 29, 2010.
The first Japanese television series in 3D, Tokyo Control
, premiered on January 19, 2011.
In May 2011, 3net released the first docu-reality TV series entitled Bullproof filmed in native 3D made by Digital Revolution Studios.
The 2011 3D Creative Arts Awards "Your World in 3D" was the first award show filmed in native 3D and televised on 3net 3D channel broadcasted on DirectTV. The production was filmed at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
in Hollywood.
The semi-finals, Bronze Final and Final matches of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
will be broadcast in 3D.
Singapore based Tiny Island Productions is currently producing Dream Defenders, which will be available in both autostereoscopic and stereoscopic 3D formats. 3net
, which acquired the series, describes it as the first stereoscopic childrens series and will air on 25 September 2011.
In July 2011, the BBC
announced that the grand final of Strictly Come Dancing
in December 2011 will air in 3-D.
The BBC broadcast the 2011 finals of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in 3D.
Avi Arad
is currently developing a 3D Pacman TV Show.
match between Manchester United
and Barcelona
was broadcasted live in 3D format on a Ukrainian
-produced EKTA
screen in Gothenburg
, Sweden
. The screen made it to The Guinness Book of World Records
as the world's biggest screen. The live 3D broadcast was provided by the company Viasat
.
It is believed that approximately 12% of people are unable to properly see 3D images, due to a variety of medical conditions.
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
that employs techniques of 3D
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
presentation, such as stereoscopic
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
capture, multi-view
Free viewpoint television
Free viewpoint television is a system for viewing natural video, allowing the user to interactively control the viewpoint and generate new views of a dynamic scene from any 3D position....
capture, or 2D-plus-depth
2D-plus-depth
2D-plus-Depth or also called 2D +'Z' format is a Stereoscopic Video Coding format that is used for 3D displays, such as Philips WOWvx...
, and a 3D display
3D display
A 3D display is any display device capable of conveying a stereoscopic perception of 3-D depth to the viewer. The basic requirement is to present offset images that are displayed separately to the left and right eye. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the...
– a special viewing device to project a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
program into a realistic three-dimensional field.
History
In the late-1890's, the British film pioneer William Friese-GreeneWilliam Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene was a British portrait photographer and prolific inventor. He is principally known as a pioneer in the field of motion pictures and is credited by some as the inventor of cinematography.-Career:William Edward Green was born on 7 September 1855, in Bristol...
filed a patent for a 3-D movie process. When viewed stereoscopically, it showed that the two images are combined by the brain to produce 3-D depth perception. On June 10, 1915, Edwin S. Porter and William E. Waddell presented tests to an audience at the Astor Theater in New York City. In red-green anaglyph, the audience was presented three reels of tests, which included rural scenes, test shots of Marie Doro, a segment of John Mason playing a number of passages from Jim the Penman (a film released by Famous Players-Lasky that year, but not in 3-D), Oriental dancers, and a reel of footage of Niagara Falls.[19] However, according to Adolph Zukor in his 1953 autobiography The Public Is Never Wrong: My 50 Years in the Motion Picture Industry, nothing was produced in this process after these tests.
The stereoscope was improved by Louis Jules Duboscq, and a famous picture of Queen Victoria was displayed at The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
in 1851. In 1855 the Kinematoscope
Kinematoscope
The Kinematoscope was patented in 1861 , a protean development in the history of cinema. The invention aimed to present the illusion of motion....
was invented, i.e., the stereo animation camera. The first anaglyph
Anaglyph image
Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...
(use of red-and-blue glasses, invented by L.D. DuHauron) movie was produced in 1915 and in 1922 the first public 3D movie was displayed. Stereoscopic 3D television was demonstrated for the first time on August 10, 1928, by John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...
in his company's premises at 133 Long Acre, London. Baird pioneered a variety of 3D television systems using electro-mechanical and cathode-ray tube techniques. In 1935 the first 3D color movie was produced. By the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, stereoscopic 3D still camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s for personal use were already fairly common.
In the 1950s, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3D movies were produced. The first such movie was Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil
Bwana Devil is a 1952 drama based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. It was written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and is considered the first color, American 3-D feature. It started the 3-D boom in the U.S. film making industry from 1952 to 1954...
from United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
that could be seen all across the US in 1952. One year later, in 1953, came the 3D movie House of Wax
House of Wax (1953 film)
House of Wax is a 1953 American horror film starring Vincent Price. It is a remake of Warners' Mystery of the Wax Museum without the comic relief featured in the earlier film, and was directed by André de Toth...
which also featured stereophonic sound. Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
produced his film Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits the movie was released in 2D because not all cinemas were able to display 3D films. The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
also developed 3D films, with Robinzon Kruzo being its first full-length 3D movie, in 1946.
Technologies
There are several techniques to produce and display 3D moving pictures. The basic requirement is to display offset images that are filtered separately to the left and right eye. Two strategies have been used to accomplish this: have the viewer wear eyeglasses to filter the separately offset images to each eye, or have the light source split the images directionally into the viewer's eyes (no glasses required). Common 3D display3D display
A 3D display is any display device capable of conveying a stereoscopic perception of 3-D depth to the viewer. The basic requirement is to present offset images that are displayed separately to the left and right eye. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the...
technology for projecting stereoscopic image pairs to the viewer include:
- With lenses:
- AnaglyphicAnaglyph imageAnaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...
3D (with passive red-cyan lenses) - Polarization 3D (with passive polarized lenses)
- Alternate-frame sequencingAlternate-frame sequencingAlternate-frame sequencing is a method of showing 3-D film that is used in some venues. It is also used on PC systems to render 3-D games into true 3-D.-Applications in film:...
(with active shutter lenses) - Head-mounted displayHead-mounted displayA head-mounted display or helmet mounted display, both abbreviated HMD, is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet, that has a small display optic in front of one or each eye .- Overview :...
(with a separate display positioned in front of each eye, and lenses used primarily to relax eye focus)
- Anaglyphic
- Without lenses: AutostereoscopicAutostereoscopyAutostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
displays, sometimes referred to commercially as Auto 3D. - Others:
In a CEATEC
CEATEC
Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies is an annual trade show in Japan. It is regarded as the Japanese equivalent of Consumer Electronics Show...
2011 exhibition, Hitachi
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
released glasses-free 3D projection systems that use a set of 24 projectors, lenses, and translucent half mirrors to superimpose 3D images with an horizontal viewing angle of 60 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of 30 degrees. Besides Hitachi, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
is working on similar technologies.
Single-view displays project only one stereo pair at a time. Multi-view displays either use head tracking to change the view depending on the viewing angle, or simultaneously project multiple independent views of a scene for multiple viewers (automultiscopic); such multiple views can be created on the fly using the 2D plus depth format.
Various other display techniques have been described, such as holography
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
, volumetric display
Volumetric display
A volumetric display device is a graphical display device that forms a visual representation of an object in three physical dimensions, as opposed to the planar image of traditional screens that simulate depth through a number of different visual effects...
and the Pulfrich effect
Pulfrich effect
The Pulfrich effect is a psychophysical percept wherein lateral motion of an object in the field of view is interpreted by the visual cortex as having a depth component, due to a relative difference in signal timings between the two eyes.-Overview:...
, which was used by Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
for Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...
in 1993, by 3rd Rock From The Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
in 1997, and by the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Shark Week
Shark Week
The Discovery Channel's Shark Week, which first aired on July 27, 1987, is a week-long series of feature television programs dedicated to sharks. Shark Week is held annually, normally running in July or August. Shark Week was developed to help the average person have a greater respect for sharks....
in 2000, among others.
Stereoscopy is the most widely accepted method for capturing and delivering 3D video. It involves capturing stereo pairs in a two-view setup, with cameras mounted side by side, separated by the same distance as between a person's pupils. If we imagine projecting an object point in a scene along the line-of-sight (for each eye, in turn) to a flat background screen, we may describe the location of this point mathematically using simple algebra. In rectangular coordinates with the screen lying in the Y-Z plane (the Z axis upward and the Y axis to the right) and the viewer centered along the X axis, we find that the screen coordinates are simply the sum of two terms, one accounting for perspective and the other for binocular shift. Perspective modifies the Z and Y coordinates of the object point by a factor of D/(D-x), while binocular shift contributes an additional term (to the Y coordinate only) of s*x/(2*(D-x)), where D is the distance from the selected system origin to the viewer (right between the eyes), s is the eye separation (about 7 centimeters), and x is the true x coordinate of the object point. The binocular shift is positive for the left-eye-view and negative for the right-eye-view. For very distant object points, it is obvious that the eyes will be looking along essentially the same line of sight. For very near objects, the eyes may become excessively "cross-eyed". However, for scenes in the greater portion of the field of view, a realistic image is readily achieved by superposition of the left and right images (using the polarization method or synchronized shutter-lens method) provided the viewer is not too near the screen and the left and right images are correctly positioned on the screen. Digital technology has largely eliminated inaccurate superposition that was a common problem during the era of traditional stereoscopic films.
Multi-view
Free viewpoint television
Free viewpoint television is a system for viewing natural video, allowing the user to interactively control the viewpoint and generate new views of a dynamic scene from any 3D position....
capture uses arrays of many cameras to capture a 3D scene through multiple independent video streams. Plenoptic camera
Plenoptic camera
A light-field camera, also called a plenoptic camera, is a camera that uses a microlens array to capture 4D light field information about a scene...
s, which capture the light field
Light field
The light field is a function that describes the amount of light faring in every direction through every point in space. Michael Faraday was the first to propose that light should be interpreted as a field, much like the magnetic fields on which he had been working for several years...
of a scene, can also be used to capture multiple views with a single main lens. Depending on the camera setup, the resulting views can either be displayed on multi-view displays, or passed along for further image processing.
After capture, stereo or multi-view image data can be processed to extract 2D plus depth information for each view, effectively creating a device-independent representation of the original 3D scene. These data can be used to aid inter-view image compression or to generate stereoscopic pairs for multiple different view angles and screen sizes.
2D plus depth processing can be used to recreate 3D scenes even from a single view and convert legacy film and video material to a 3D look, though a convincing effect is harder to achieve and the resulting image will likely look like a cardboard miniature.
TV sets
These TV sets are high-end and generally include EthernetEthernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
, USB player and recorder
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
, Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and USB Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
.
3D-ready TV sets
3D-ready TV sets are those that can operate in 3D mode (in addition to regular 2D mode) using one of several display technologies to recreate a stereoscopic imageStereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
. These TV sets usually support HDMI 1.4 and a minimum (input and output) refresh rate
Refresh rate
The refresh rate is the number of times in a second that a display hardware draws the data...
of 120 Hz; glasses may be sold separately.
Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
was developing 3D television sets that would be available for the consumer market by about 2011 without the need for special glasses (autostereoscopy
Autostereoscopy
Autostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
). However it was canceled due to the slow adoption of customers going from 2D to 3D.
In August 2010, Toshiba announced plans to bring a range of autosteroscopic TVs to market by the end of the year.
The Chinese manufacturer TCL Corporation
TCL Corporation
TCL Corporation is a multinational electronics company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong, China. In 2010 it was the world's 25th-largest consumer electronics producer and sixth-largest television producer .TCL comprises three listed companies: TCL Corporation , which is listed on the Shenzhen...
has developed a 42 inches (106.7 cm) LCD 3D TV called the TD-42F, which is currently available in China. This model uses a lenticular
Lenticular lens
A lenticular lens is an array of magnifying lenses, designed so that when viewed from slightly different angles, different images are magnified...
system and does not require any special glasses (autostereoscopy). It is not as good as 3D active glasses. It currently sells for approximately $20,000.
Onida,LG, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Sony, and Philips intend to increase their 3D TV offering with plans to make 3D TV sales account for over 50% of their respective TV distribution offering by 2012. It is expected that the screens will use a mixture of technologies until there is standardisation across the industry. Samsung offers the LED 7000, LCD 750, PDP 7000 TV sets and the Blu-ray 6900.
Full 3D TV sets
Full 3D TV sets include LGLG
LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
Full HD 3D (1920x1080p, this is, 2K x 1K; and 600 Hz) and Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
Full HD 3D (1920x1080p, this is, 2K x 1K; and 600 Hz).
Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
has shown 20 and 12 inch autostereoscopic (glasses-free) LCD 3D TV sets for commercial launch, with a 1280x720 resolution. By systematically aligning pixels and adopting a perpendicular lenticular sheet, Toshiba's LCD panel eliminates blurring or the vertical wave pattern (caused by interference in the display cycle) that plagues other autostereoscopic 3-D technologies. The viewing angle
Viewing angle
In display technology parlance, viewing angle is the maximum angle at which a display can be viewed with acceptable visual performance. In a technical context, this angular range is called viewing cone defined by a multitude of viewing directions....
is about 40°, doubling the previous approaches. Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV does suffer initial limitations such as viewing distance and cost, the 12 inch model will sell for roughly $1400. Toshiba are expected to deliver their glasses-free 3D TV on a global scale by 2015.
A September 2011 Cnet review touted Toshiba's 55ZL2 as "the future of television". Due to the demanding nature of auto-stereoscopic 3D technology, the display features a 3840x2160 display; however, there is no video content available at this resolution. That said, it utilizes a multi-core processor to provide excellent upscaling to the "4k2k" resolution. Using a directional lenticular lenslet filter, the display generates nine 3D views. This technology commonly creates deadspots, which Toshiba avoids by using an eye-tracking camera to adjust the image. The reviewers also note that the 3d resolution for a 1080p signal looks more similar to 720p and lacks parallax, which reduces immersion.
Standardization efforts
The entertainment industry is expected to adopt a common and compatible standard for 3D in home electronics. To present faster frame rateFrame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
in high definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
to avoid judder, enhancing 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, televisions and broadcasting
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, other unresolved standards are the type of 3D glasses (passive or active), including bandwidth
Bandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
considerations, subtitles, recording format, and a Blu-ray standard. With improvements in digital technology, in the late 2000s, 3D movies have become more practical to produce and display, putting competitive pressure behind the creation of 3D television standards. There are several techniques for Stereoscopic Video Coding
Stereoscopic Video Coding
-3D Video Coding:3D Video Coding is one of the stages required for the deployment of stereoscopic content in the home. There are three techniques which are used to achieve stereoscopic video:# Color shifting...
, and stereoscopic distribution formatting including anaglyph
Anaglyph image
Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...
, quincunx
Quincunx
A quincunx is a geometric pattern consisting of five points arranged in a cross, that is five coplanar points, four of them forming a square or rectangle and a fifth at its center...
, and 2D plus Delta
2D plus Delta
2D Plus Delta is a standards listed methodology as part of MPEG2, and MPEG4, specifically on the H.264 implementation of Multiview Video Coding extension...
.
Content providers, such as Disney, DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, and other Hollywood studios, and technology developers, such as Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, asked SMPTE for the development of a 3DTV standard in order to avoid a battle of formats
Format war
A format war describes competition between mutually incompatible proprietary formats that compete for the same market, typically for data storage devices and recording formats for electronic media. It is often characterized by political and financial influence on content publishers by the...
and to guarantee consumers that they will be able to view the 3D content they purchase and to provide them with 3D home solutions for all pockets. In August 2008, SMPTE established the "3-D Home Display Formats Task Force" to define the parameters of a stereoscopic 3D mastering standard for content viewed on any fixed device in the home, no matter the delivery channel. It explored the standards that need to be set for 3D content distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite, packaged media, and the Internet to be played-out on televisions, computer screens and other tethered displays. After six months, the committee produced a report to define the issues and challenges, minimum standards, and evaluation criteria, which the Society said would serve as a working document for SMPTE 3D standards efforts to follow. A follow-on effort to draft a standard for 3D content formats was expected to take another 18 to 30 months.
Production studios are developing an increasing number of 3D titles for the cinema and as many as a dozen companies are actively working on the core technology behind the product. Many have technologies available to demonstrate, but no clear road forward for a mainstream offering has emerged.
Under these circumstances, SMPTE's inaugural meeting was essentially a call for proposals for 3D television; more than 160 people from 80 companies signed up for this first meeting. Vendors that presented their respective technologies at the task force meeting included SENSIO Technologies
SENSIO Technologies
SENSIO Technologies, Inc. , also known as SENSIO, is a Montreal company that develops and markets stereoscopic image-processing technologies facilitating the creation and delivery of 3D content...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD), TDVision
TDVision
TDVision Systems Inc is a company that has designed products and system architectures for Stereoscopic Video Coding, Stereoscopic Video Games, and Head Mounted Display...
TDVision Systems | TDVCodec | TDVCam | TDVisor | TDVirtualCam | FULL HD 3D | 2D+Delta MVC | Stereoscopic ATSC IPTV SAT Cable deployment, and Real D, all of which had 3D distribution technologies.
However, SMPTE is not the only 3D standards group. Other organizations such as the Consumer Electronics Association
Consumer Electronics Association
The Consumer Electronics Association is a standards and trade organization for the consumer electronics industry in the United States. The Consumer Electronics Association is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $173 billion U.S...
(CEA), 3D@home Consortium, ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
and the Entertainment Technology Center
Entertainment Technology Center
The Entertainment Technology Center is a department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the Pittsburgh Technology Center....
(ETC), at USC School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
have created their own investigation groups and have already offered to collaborate to reach a common solution. The Digital TV Group
Digital TV Group
The Digital TV Group is the industry association for Digital Television in the United Kingdom : The Group was formed in 1995 to set technical standards for the implementation of digital terrestrial television in the UK and now encompasses all digital TV platforms and convergence issues...
(DTG), has committed to profiling a UK standard for 3DTV products and services. Other standard groups such as DVB, BDA
BDA
BDA may refer to:*British Dietetic Association – a professional association and trade union for dieticians in the United Kingdom*Bermuda International Airport - now called L.F...
, ARIB
Arib
Arib is a town in northern Algeria....
, ATSC
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
, DVD Forum
DVD Forum
The DVD Forum is an international organization composed of hardware, software, media and content companies that use and develop the DVD and formerly HD DVD formats...
, IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
and others are to be involved in the process.
MPEG has been researching multi-view, stereoscopic, and 2D plus depth 3D video coding since the mid-1990s; the first result of this research is the Multiview Video Coding
Multiview Video Coding
Multiview Video Coding is an amendment to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard developed with joint efforts by MPEG/VCEG that enables efficient encoding of sequences captured simultaneously from multiple cameras using a single video stream....
extension for MPEG-4 AVC that is currently undergoing standardization. MVC has been chosen by the Blu-ray disc association for 3D distribution. The format offers backwards compatibility with 2D Blu-ray players.
HDMI
HDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
version 1.4, released in June 2009, defines a number of 3D transmission formats. The format "Frame Packing" (left and right image packed into one video frame with twice the normal bandwidth) is mandatory for HDMI 1.4 3D devices. All three resolutions (720p50, 720p60, and 1080p24) have to be supported by display devices, and at least one of those by playback devices. Other resolutions and formats are optional. While HDMI 1.4 devices will be capable of transmitting 3D pictures in full 1080p, HDMI 1.3 does not include such support. As an out-of-spec solution for the bitrate problem, a 3D image may be displayed at a lower resolution, like interlaced or at standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
.
DVB 3D-TV standard
DVB has established the DVB 3D-TVDVB 3D-TV
DVB 3D-TV will be a new standard coming partially out at the end of 2010 which will include techniques and procedures to send a three dimensional video signal through actual DVB transmission standards...
Specification. The following 3D-TV consumer configurations will be available to the public:
- 3D-TV connected to 3D Blu-ray Player for packaged media.
- 3D-TV connected to HD Games Console, e.g. PS3 for 3D gaming.
- 3D-TV connected to HD STB for broadcast 3D-TV.
- 3D-TV receiving a 3D-TV broadcast directly via a built-in tuner and decoder.
For the two broadcast scenarios above, initial requirements are for Pay-TV broadcasters to deliver 3D-TV services over existing HD broadcasting
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
infrastructures, and to use existing receivers (with firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
upgrade, as required) to deliver 3D content to 3D-TV sets, via an HDMI
HDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
or equivalent connection, if needed. This is termed Frame Compatible. There are a range of Frame Compatible formats. They include the Side by Side (SbS) format, the Top and Bottom (TaB) format, and others.
3D Channels
As of 2008, 3D programming is broadcast on Japanese cable channel BS 11 approximately four times per day.Cablevision launched a 3D version of its MSG
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
channel on March 24, 2010, available only to Cablevision subscribers on channel 1300. The channel is dedicated primarily to sports broadcasts, including MSG's 3D broadcast of a New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
-New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
game, limited coverage of the 2010 Masters Tournament
2010 Masters Tournament
The 2010 Masters Tournament, played April 8–11 at Augusta National Golf Club, was the 74th Masters Tournament. This was the first major championship of the 2010 season.Phil Mickelson won his third Masters title by three shots over runner-up Lee Westwood....
, and (in cooperation with YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
) a game between the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
The first Australian program broadcast in high-definition 3D was Fox Sports coverage of the soccer game Australia-New Zealand on May 24, 2010.
Also in Australia, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
will be bringing the State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
(matches on 26 May, 16 June and 7 July 2010) (Nine) and FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
(SBS) in 3D on Channel 40 respectively.
Earlier this year (2010) Discovery Communications, Imax and Sony announced plans to launch a 3D TV channel in the US with a planned launch in early 2011. At the same time, a Russian company Platform HD and its partners – General Satellite and Samsung Electronics – announced about their 3D television project, which would be the first similar project in Russia.
In Brazil Rede TV!
Rede TV!
RedeTV! is a Brazilian television network, owned by Amilcare Dallevo and Marcelo Carvalho. RedeTV! has modern production plants, located in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Fortaleza. RedeTV! is headquartered in the CTD - Centro de Televisão Digital , located in Osasco , where...
became the first Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
to transmit 3D signal freely for all 3D enabled audience on 21 May. But despite their technology, its programming is still in poor quality.
Starting on June 11, 2010, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
launched a new channel, ESPN 3D
ESPN 3D
ESPN 3D is a television network part of the ESPN family of networks that launched June 11, 2010. The network broadcasts in the 3D television format. The channel simulcasts live games from ESPN on a semi-regular basis. It began broadcasting 24 hours a day on February 14, 2011...
, dedicated to 3D sports with up to 85 live events a year in 3D.
On 1 January 2010, the world's first 3D channel, SKY 3D, started broadcasting nationwide in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
by Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting. The channel's slogan is "World No.1 3D Channel". This 24/7 channel uses the Side by Side technology at a resolution of 1920x1080i. 3D contents include education, animation, sport, documentary and performances.
A full 24 hour broadcast channel was announced at the 2010 Consumer Electronics show as a joint venture from IMAX, Sony, and the Discovery channel. The intent is to launch the channel in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by year end 2010.
DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and Panasonic plan to launch 2 broadcast channels and 1 Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
channel with 3D content in June 2010. DirecTV previewed a live demo of their 3D feed at the Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
held January 7–10, 2010.
In Europe, British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
(Sky) launched a limited 3D TV broadcast service on April 3, 2010. Transmitting from the Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
2A
Astra 2A
Astra 2A is a communications satellite owned by SES Astra. Launched in 1998, half its expected end-of-life capacity of 28 transponders were pre-booked by BSkyB, who utilised it to launch their new Sky Digital service...
satellite at 28.2° east
Astra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 28.2° East position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
, Sky 3D
Sky 3D
Sky 3D is a 3DTV channel on the Sky platform, that launched on 3 April 2010 with the Manchester United vs Chelsea football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D. On 1 October 2010, Sky 3D became available to residential subscribers...
broadcast a selection of live UK Premier League football matches to over 1000 British pubs and clubs equipped with a Sky+HD Digibox and 3D Ready TVs, and preview programmes provided for free to top-tier Sky HD subscribers with 3D TV equipment. This was later expanded to include a selection of films, sports, and entertainment programming launched to Sky subscribers on 1 October 2010.
On September 28, 2010, Virgin Media launched a 3D TV on Demand service.
Several other European pay-TV networks are also planning 3D TV channels and some have started test transmissions on other Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
satellites, including French pay-TV operator Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
which has announced its first 3D channel is to be launched in December 2010. Also the Spanish Canal+ has started the first broadcastings on May 18, 2010 and included 2010 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
matches in the new Canal+ 3D channel. Satellite operator SES Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
started a free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
3D demonstration channel on the Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
satellite at 23.5° east
Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 23.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
on May 4, 2010 for the opening of the 2010 ANGA Cable international trade fair using 3D programming supplied by 3D Ready TV manufacturer Samsung under an agreement between Astra and Samsung to co-promote 3D TV.
As of November 2010, there were eight 3D channels broadcasting to Europe from three Astra satellite positions, including demonstrations provided by Astra, pay-TV from BSkyB, Canal+ and others, and the Dutch Brava3D cultural channel, which provides a mix of classical music, opera and ballet free-to-air across Europe from Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 23.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
.
In April 2011, HIGH TV, a 3D family entertainment Channel launched.
List of 3D Channels
| Channel | Country(s) | Additional info. |
|---|---|---|
| HIGH TV 3D | Worldwide | Entertainment Entertainment Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation... |
| n3D N3D n3D is a 3DTV channel that launched on July 1, 2010. It is sponsored by Panasonic and available exclusively on DirecTV. It is the world's first 24 hour 3DTV channel.-Programs:... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
DirecTV DirecTV DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ... only |
| Cinema 3D | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
DirecTV DirecTV DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ... only |
| 3net 3net 3net is a 3D television channel that launched on February 13, 2011. It is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Sony, and IMAX. The partnership was announced in June of 2010 and the channel was previewed publicly at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
DirecTV DirecTV DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ... only |
| Eurosport 3D Eurosport Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events... |
Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
|
| Sky 3D Sky 3D Sky 3D is a 3DTV channel on the Sky platform, that launched on 3 April 2010 with the Manchester United vs Chelsea football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D. On 1 October 2010, Sky 3D became available to residential subscribers... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... and Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
Sky only |
| Foxtel 3D Foxtel 3D Foxtel 3D in Australia is a channel owned and operated by Foxtel dedicated to 3D programming. The channel compises mainly of sports programming from ESPN and Fox Sports. The channel also aired Despicable Me 3D, the first 3D movie on Australian television.... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Foxtel Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation.... only |
| HD1 Euro1080 Euro1080 was the first commercial broadcaster in Europe to air full-time HDTV content. It was founded by Gabriel Fehervari in 2004 and is owned by Alfacam.... |
Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... (and other Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... an countries) |
Free-to-air Free-to-air Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee... |
| Sky 3D | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... and Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Sky Deutschland only |
| Anixe 3D | German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... -speaking countries |
Free-to-air |
| 3D-TV | Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
|
| Sport 5 3D Sport 5 Sport 5 , also known as the Sports Channel is an Israeli television company. Available on cable and satellite , the company have seven channels which are devoted to sport.-Sport 5:... |
Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
|
| MSG 3D MSG Network The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Cablevision only |
| nShow 3D | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
ITI Group ITI Group ITI Group , known as Grupa ITI in Polish, is a large media conglomerate headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. ITI Group controls the Polish television network, TVN, among its many holdings.The ITI Group was co-founded by businessmen Jan Wejchert and Mariusz Walter in 1984... only |
| ESPN 3D ESPN 3D ESPN 3D is a television network part of the ESPN family of networks that launched June 11, 2010. The network broadcasts in the 3D television format. The channel simulcasts live games from ESPN on a semi-regular basis. It began broadcasting 24 hours a day on February 14, 2011... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
|
| Xfinity 3D Xfinity 3D Xfinity 3D is a 3DTV channel owned by Comcast and available exclusively on their Xfinity digital cable television service. It launched on February 20, 2011. -Programming:... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Comcast Comcast Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the... only |
| Penthouse 3D Penthouse (magazine) Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International... |
Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
|
| Canal+ 3D | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Canal+ Canal+ Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted... only |
| Canal+ 3D España | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Canal+ only |
| NEXT Man 3D | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
|
| NEXT Lejdis 3D | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
|
| NEXT Young 3D | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
|
| Active 3D | India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Videocon d2h Videocon d2h Videocon d2h is one of the largest Indian pay TV provider, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to commercial and residential customers in India... only |
| BS11 | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
|
| RedeTV! | Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
|
| Viasat 3D | Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Viasat Viasat Viasat is a DBS distributor and TV broadcaster, owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Modern Times Group. Broadcasting from London, the target markets are in the Nordic and the Baltic Countries... only |
| Brava3D | Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
Free-to-air |
| Teledünya 3D | Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Teledünya Teledünya Teledünya is a Turkish digital cable TV service that was founded on November 1, 2008 by Turksat. It also provides internet by the same cable.-Channel list:... only |
| Sky 3D | South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
SkyLife SkyLife KT Skylife is a satellite broadcasting provider of South Korea.-Brief history:* December 19, 2000 - Korean Government decided as the official satellite television provider * March 30, 2001 - Established company... only |
| Sukachan 3D169 | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
SKY PerfecTV! SKY PerfecTV! SKY PerfecTV! is a direct broadcast satellite service that provides satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.... only |
| TV Azteca 3D | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Free-to-air |
3D episodes and shows
There have been several notable examples in television where 3D episodes have been produced, typically as one hour specials or special events.1980s
The first-ever 3D broadcast in the UK was an episode of the weekly science magazine The Real World, made by Television SouthTelevision South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
and screened in the UK in February 1982. The programme included excerpts of test footage shot by Philips in the Netherlands. Red/green 3D glasses were given away free with copies of the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
listings magazine, but the 3D sections of the programme were shown in monochrome. The experiment was repeated nationally in December 1982, with red/blue glasses allowing colour 3D to be shown for the first time. The programme was repeated the following weekend followed by a rare screening of the Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
Fort Ti starring George Montgomery and Joan Vohs.
1990s
The sitcom 3rd Rock From The Sun3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
two-part episode "Nightmare On Dick Street", where several of the characters' dreams are shown in 3D. The episode cued its viewers to put on their 3D glasses by including "3D on" and "3D off" icons in the corner of the screen as a way to alert them as to when the 3D sequences would start and finish. The episode used the Pulfrich 3D
Pulfrich effect
The Pulfrich effect is a psychophysical percept wherein lateral motion of an object in the field of view is interpreted by the visual cortex as having a depth component, due to a relative difference in signal timings between the two eyes.-Overview:...
technique.
2000s
Recent uses of 3D in television include the drama MediumMedium (TV series)
Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
and the comedy Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
(Season 2, episode 12). The show Arrested Development briefly used 3D in an episode.
Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the UK ran a short season of 3D programming in November 2009 including Derren Brown and The Queen in 3D.
2010s
On 31 January 2010, BSKYBBritish Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
became the first broadcaster in the world to show a live sports event in 3D when Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
screened a football match between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
to a public audience in several selected pubs.
On January 31, 2010, the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
featured a Michael Jackson Tribute Sequence in 3D, using anaglyph format.
The very first stereoscopic indie live action comedy one hour show called Safety Geeks : SVI : 3D specifically for 3DTV and 3D VOD was produced and released in March of 2010 through Digital Dynamic Depth / Yabazam and their Yabazam website portal. Safety Geeks SVI 3D Safety Geeks:SVI is the comic adventures of an elite force of safety experts; the P.O.S.H. (Professional Occupational Safety Hazard) team. Obsessed with making the world safer, the CSI-like team investigates accidents to find out what went wrong and who is to blame. It won the Los Angeles 3D film Festival in 2010 as best pilot or series in 3D.
In April 2010, the Masters Tournament was broadcast in live 3D on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, and Cox
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
.
The Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris, from May 23 to June 6, 2010, was filmed in 3D (center court only) and broadcast live via ADSL and fiber to Orange subscribers throughout France in a dedicated Orange TV
Orange TV
OTV is a publicly-traded television station in Lebanon.It began broadcasting on July 20, 2007 on the Arabsat satellite, on the 11823MHz frequency. OTV Launched officially in 2008 after a testing period of almost six months. OTV now covers the world through different broadcasting channels for...
channel.
Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
Fox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
broadcasts the first program in 3D in Australia when the Socceroos played The New Zealand All Whites at the MCG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
on May 24, 2010.
The Nine Network broadcasts the first Free-to-air 3D telecast when the Queensland Maroons faced the New South Wales Blues at ANZ Stadium on May 26, 2010.
On May 29, 2010, Sky broadcasts Guinness Premiership Final in 3D in selected pubs and clubs.
25 matches in the FIFA World Cup 2010 were broadcast in 3D.
The Inauguration of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino on June 30, 2010 was the first presidential inauguration to telecast in live 3D by GMA Network. However, the telecast was only available in select places.
The 2010 Coke Zero 400
2010 Coke Zero 400
The 2010 Coke Zero 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series automobile race that was held on July 3, 2010 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the eighteenth race – and the official halfway point – of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and was scheduled to...
was broadcasted in 3D on July 3 on NASCAR.com and DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
along with Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, Time Warner
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, and Bright House
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
cable systems.
Astro broadcasted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
on July 11, 2010 in 3-D on their B.yond service.
Satellite delivered Bell TV in Canada began to offer a full time pay-TV, 3D channel to its subscribers on 27 July 2010.
The 2010 PGA Championship
2010 PGA Championship
The 2010 PGA Championship was the 92nd PGA Championship. Martin Kaymer from Germany won for his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Bubba Watson. The tournament began on Thursday, August 12, 2010, and concluded on Sunday, August 15. It was played at the Straits Course of the...
was broadcast in 3D for four hours on August 13, 2010, from 3–7 pm EDT. The broadcast was available on DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, and Cablevision.
In September 2010, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's first 3D broadcast was a special about the Canadian monarch, Elizabeth II, and included 3-D film footage of the Queen's 1953 coronation
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
as well as 3D video of her 2010 tour of Canada. This marks the first time the historical 3D images have been seen anywhere on television as well as the first broadcast of a Canadian produced 3D programme in Canada.
FioS and the NFL partnered to broadcast the September 2, 2010, pre-season game between the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 3D. The game was only broadcast in 3D in the northeast.
The 2010 AFL Grand Final
2010 AFL Grand Final
The 2010 AFL Grand Final is either of two Australian rules football contests between the Collingwood Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Together they are considered the 114th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, and were staged to determine the...
, on 5 September, 2010, was broadcasted in 3D from the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray (TV series)
Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
aired a 3D Halloween Bash on October 29, 2010.
The first Japanese television series in 3D, Tokyo Control
Tokyo Control (TV series)
is a 2011 Japanese television drama series. It is the first television series in 3D made in Japan....
, premiered on January 19, 2011.
In May 2011, 3net released the first docu-reality TV series entitled Bullproof filmed in native 3D made by Digital Revolution Studios.
The 2011 3D Creative Arts Awards "Your World in 3D" was the first award show filmed in native 3D and televised on 3net 3D channel broadcasted on DirectTV. The production was filmed at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
in Hollywood.
The semi-finals, Bronze Final and Final matches of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
will be broadcast in 3D.
Singapore based Tiny Island Productions is currently producing Dream Defenders, which will be available in both autostereoscopic and stereoscopic 3D formats. 3net
3net
3net is a 3D television channel that launched on February 13, 2011. It is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Sony, and IMAX. The partnership was announced in June of 2010 and the channel was previewed publicly at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show...
, which acquired the series, describes it as the first stereoscopic childrens series and will air on 25 September 2011.
In July 2011, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
announced that the grand final of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
in December 2011 will air in 3-D.
The BBC broadcast the 2011 finals of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in 3D.
Avi Arad
Avi Arad
Avi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman. He became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s, and soon afterward became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, a Marvel director, chairman, CEO and the founder of Marvel Studios....
is currently developing a 3D Pacman TV Show.
World record
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
match between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
was broadcasted live in 3D format on a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-produced EKTA
EKTA
ЕКТА is a group of companies, the leading Ukrainian developer and manufacturer of LED video screens and business solutions based on LED technology...
screen in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The screen made it to The Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the world's biggest screen. The live 3D broadcast was provided by the company Viasat
Viasat
Viasat is a DBS distributor and TV broadcaster, owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Modern Times Group. Broadcasting from London, the target markets are in the Nordic and the Baltic Countries...
.
Health effects
Some viewers have complained of headaches and visual problems after watching 3D TV and films. There have been several warnings, especially for the elderly.It is believed that approximately 12% of people are unable to properly see 3D images, due to a variety of medical conditions.
See also
- AutostereoscopyAutostereoscopyAutostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
- StereoscopyStereoscopyStereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
- 3D display3D displayA 3D display is any display device capable of conveying a stereoscopic perception of 3-D depth to the viewer. The basic requirement is to present offset images that are displayed separately to the left and right eye. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the...
- 3-D film3-D filmA 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
- CrosstalkCrosstalk (electronics)In electronics, crosstalk is any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel...
- Digital 3DDigital 3DDigital 3D is a non-specific 3D standard in which films, television shows, and video games are presented and shot in digital 3D technology or later processed in digital post-production to add a 3D effect....
- List of 3-D films
- 3D Blu-ray Disc
- Cinematic
- HD TV
- LED TV
- Cinema 3D TV
- SES AstraSES AstraAstra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
- Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...