With 3-D movies popping up more frequently at the cinema, several companies are working through significant challenges to make 3-D viewing available in the home too.
Satellite-TV operator British Sky Broadcasting PLC is preparing to debut a 3-D television channel in the U.K. next year that will require specially-equipped TV sets. The venture may be the most ambitious yet toward a large-scale 3-D television rollout, which remains absent from most big markets outside of Japan.
In the U.S., satellite-TV provider DirecTV Group Inc. and cable network owner Discovery Communications Inc., among others, are working on or exploring 3-D offerings, spokesmen said. Though 3-D TV programs have appeared sporadically for several decades, the media companies are hoping new 3-D technology can transform the medium from its gimmicky past into a viable experience for the home.David Naranjo, director of product development for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, predicted the U.S. could see its first high-definition 3-D channel as early as next year.
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British Sky Broadcasting has filmed some sports matches in 3-D trials, as well as a performance of 'Swan Lake,' above.
But bringing 3-D programming into the living room comes with several obstacles. Some programming, including Sky's, will require expensive 3-D-ready television sets. There is still no agreement on a standard format for broadcasting or storing movies and TV shows on discs. And 3-D glasses are needed in most versions under development. Some media companies aren't eager to invest in 3-D technology so soon after upgrading to high definition production, while others, such as Sky, have used their investments in digital HD to move forward with 3-D.
High-definition 3-D-ready TVs currently fetch between $1,000 and $5,000 in the U.S. Mitsubishi, Samsung Electronics Co., and Hyundai IT Corp. already offer 3-D-ready HDTVs, which require separate stereo glasses and infrared emitters. Mr. Naranjo estimates there are five million sets now installed in the U.S. that can display 3-D programming. Sky executives say they expect to see the first 3-D-equipped TVs in the British market next year. Like theater owners who see 3-D films such as this month's "Final Destination" and James Cameron's forthcoming sci-fi epic "Avatar" as a way to lure more customers to their big-screen cinemas, TV operators see the format as a way to strengthen their hold on consumers. Wendy Aylsworth, senior vice president of technology at Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Technical Operations, predicts 3-D will be the "next big thing in television" despite the seven or so formats vying for industry support.
"Everybody has an interest in getting it there," she said. "Studios see more content being sold, TV manufacturers see more television sets being sold, and distributors see more viewers." Ms. Aylsworth said she expected 3-D TV programming to be widely accessible in the U.S. by 2011.