Real World 3D TV

When it comes to deploying 3D TV, it's full steam ahead in the U.K.

A few weeks ago, Sky, Britain's largest satellite TV provider, broadcast a 3D version of the Premiere League match between soccer teams Arsenal and Manchester United, in pubs throughout the country. And the satellite service will launch its own dedicated 3D channel this April. As in the States, viewers will need to purchase a new 3D-capable TV, but will be able to use their existing HDTV satellite converter box to pick up the signal.

You can read more about the match here.

The soccer match was one of the first times when the public, as opposed to the TV industry, has been able to see 3D TV. And what's the verdict?

According to one person who saw it, the presentation was "impressive."  Sky "will have been pleased by the response from the select few who witnessed yesterday’s match," he said.

This writer noted that Sky paid careful attention to camera placement and camera angles, to maximize the 3D effect. He said that the cameras placed behind the goals were particularly effective in showing depth, whereas the cameras on the halfway line didn't work as well; when the players ran across the field of view, the depth effect was lessened.

These are the kinds of issues that the 3D production community will be exploring as we move up to the launch of our own 3D channels in partnership with DirecTV. 

One of the pioneers of HDTV famously said that the very first HDTV sets were "the worst HDTVs we'll see." Similarly, the quality of the 3D productions will only get better as the industry becomes well versed in the technology.