3D TV in the UK - A new dimension?
There have been many experiments with 3D TV over the years, but it seems that the UK broadcast industry is about to start taking 3D to a new level. We explore 3D in more depth.
3D in the UK?
3D on TV is something that UK broadcasters have dabbled with over the years, but in 2009, Sky announced that they were about to start taking 3D very seriously. A dedicated 3D TV channel is set to come to Sky in 2010, and TV set manufacturers are working hard to bring a new type of 3D TV set to the market. 3D could be in for a revival.
Indeed, with cinema attendance dropping, we can expect to see a string of blockbusters coming to our screens in 3D, as shown by the relative success of "Monsters Vs Aliens" in the UK in 2009.
3D TV Events
- August 2009 - Virgin 1 showed "Chuck" in 3D, with glasses given away free in TV and Satellite Week.
- November 2009 - Channel 4 ran a week of 3D content - including rare footage of the Queen's 1953 coronation, plus an up-close "The Queen in 3D" two hour special. There was also a showing of Jaws in 3D, Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular and a "Best of 3D" compilation show. The week of 3D ran from the 16th November 2009.
Dedicated 3D TV channel
We can expect a dedicated 3D channel to be available on subscription to Sky satellite customers in 2010.
How does 3D TV work?
The system being used for Channel 4's week of 3D in November 2009 was the ColorCode 3D system, developed in Denmark. 3D footage is shot on stereoscopic cameras (twin-lens), then encoded with ColorCode before broadcast.
Users needed to wear special glasses with amber and blue lenses to see the 3D effect.
For Channel 4's Autumn week of 3D in mid-November 2009, glasses were given away in Sainsburys the week before 3D programming started.
3D TV FAQ
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