Technology focus > 3DTV
Digital TV Europe
April 2010
bution, the difference in delivering 3D con- tent compared to HD, is minimal, aside from the compression techniques required for the two stereoscopic feeds. One method that involves encoding the streams separate- ly and delivering them to a decoder could prove prohibitively expensive Farnsworth says. GlobeCast has trialled a contribution system using compression technology from ATEME that involves encoding both streams and multiplexing them to save on bandwidth. “We used this method for the Roland Garros tournament and found it to be more cost-effective,” says Farnsworth. So far the trials have gone well, he says but broadcasters in the main are showing limited interest in launching commercial services. This is, in part, a result of band- width issues, despite the fact that a dedicat- ed 3D channel would not require any more than a HD channel. “It’s the same as with HD. It’s not really going to take off unless there’s less bandwidth and despite the num- ber of deployed MPEG-4 receivers continu- ing to grow, until platforms move over fully to MPEG-4 the costs will remain high.”
Graphics
Another issue for 3D that mirrors the HD world is the supply of satellite capacity avail- able, despite operators busily launching new satellites. The boom in HD channel launches coupled with the growth in digital channels generally means that satellite oper- ators are working hard to find new capacity with new satellite launches. According to McGuirk, it’s too early to tell
“You don’t want to track your eye too much between two different depths - it can be a tiring process”
Kevin Murray, NDS
what the capacity constraints relating to 3D TV will be. This why, he says, it is in every- one’s interest to find the most efficient tech- nologies for 3D: “It’s early to speculate on capacity but we’ll be testing different band- widths. The goal is to optimise it and make it as accessible for business models as possi- ble because we want to pull forward adop- tion of 3D.” From a visual point of view, one of the often overlooked issues for broadcast- ers to consider is the importance of getting the graphics right. At Sky’s broadcast in January, people were quick to praise the quality of graphics, especially the team line- ups. However, it’s not as straightforward as it seems and companies are working hard to optimise to the look and feel of graphics. NDS is one such company. Systems archi- tect Kevin Murray explains some of the hur- dles companies like NDS are trying to over- come: “There is a clear issue of where to place graphics. We try to avoid bringing things too far forward, for example – some people are fine with it, some people aren’t – it’s all a learning curve,” says Murray. In the shot selection of a sports broadcast, for example, decisions about where to place graphics can be made in advance. In the set- top box, however, it’s more of a challenge because graphics can appear at any time, from the EPG to menus or error messages. One solution NDS is considering involves depth information about the picture being broadcast to the set-top box, which can then make the necessary alterations to graphics. “Because we’re talking about stereoscopic 3D, you have perceived depth depending on how the images are offset. If you know the offset value you can work out where to place a graphic at a given location. It’s a simple bit of information to send but receiving
TV manufacturers, including Sony, have plans to launch 3D TVs this year.
it is not so easy. It makes more sense to do as much of the work at the headend so you would send some very simple information for the set-top to use.”
Another graphics-related concern for 3D is subtitles. “Looking at the subtitles and then back to main screen is a challenge. You don’t want to track your eye too much between two different depths because it can be a very tiring process. It’s an interesting area,” says Murray. Which brings in another issue: what impact will 3D have on the visu- ally impaired?
“There is no certainty that there will be a problem but I would like to see more infor- mation about the issue of eye fatigue,” says Wood. “There are also concerns about how much we know about the proportion of peo- ple that won’t be able to fuse the left and right eye pictures together – will it be one per cent or five per cent?” There are many questions left to be answered when it comes to 3D – will opera- tors be prepared to invest in new technology without clearly defined business models in place? Will viewers be prepared to wear 3D glasses at home? For how long will there be a dearth of 3D content? In the short term, one of the most pressing concerns is the willingness of consumers to fork out for new 3D ready TV sets. The race is already on between TV manufacturers to be amongst the first to market. Samsung could launch sets as early as the end of March, while Sony has confirmed it will offer a range of 3D TVs this June, with the 46-inch version costing ¥350,000 (€2,800), which is about 50% more than a top of the range HD LCD set. Despite Sony aiming for sales of 2.5 million 3D TV sets in the next financial year, only time will tell how willing people will be to invest.
All eyes will be on Sky this year, but if the tardy roll out of high-definition TV is any- thing to go by, don’t expect 3D TV to leap off the screen into the hearts and minds of TV consumers for some time. ●
Visit us at
www.digitaltveurope.net
16
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56