TV Weekly

Coloured specs at the ready for 3D TV launch

January 13 - 19, 2010
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Don't have a 3D TV yet? Never mind that they don't really exist - you better get cracking. Some of the biggest names in television are announcing plans to begin broadcasting in 3D later this year, according to technology pundit Christopher Nutt's Yahoo blog.

DirectTV and Sony unveiled their 3D channels last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Both DirecTV and a joint venture formed by Discovery, Sony and Imax are likely to stake a claim on the 'first' moniker for their 3D channels, though neither has a specific launch date set.

DirecTV's model is an all-HD/3D network, courtesy of a new satellite which will launch in March. All programming will be in 3D, including movies, sports, and other programming. Just imagine the possibilities of a 3D newscast!

Then there's the Discovery/Sony/Imax venture, set to launch in 2011.

This station will showcase a mix of sports and other entertainment, including 3D versions of Discovery's current programming.

And that's not all: ESPN announced it will launch a 3D network, broadcasting live 3D sporting events beginning in June of this year. Expect more such announcements as the month wears on and 3D (presumably) gains traction.

Now the question becomes a simple one: Who will be watching all of this 3D content, and how?

That's a puzzler that will hopefully find the beginnings of an answer, as the major television vendors show off their vision for 3D entertainment in the home, hopefully offering some insight into that age-old question of how accepting people are going to be about wearing headgear when lounging around at home ... and whether that's going to get in the way of all the nuzzling on the couch.

Still, it's nice to know that, should 3D equipment actually take off, we'll actually have something to watch instead of just sitting around looking like nerds.







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