3D Update: From the Positive Side (3 reports)

Our first report comes from 3Droundabout.com which reports that as of last week more than half a million Sky TV customers had signed up to watch 3D from Sky, bringing to a close our strongest quarter of growth to date.

Yet that’s not to say there haven’t been challenges in reaching this landmark. It’s early days for 3D TV in the home – and it is also fair to say that the market isn’t quite where some people had hoped it would be by now.

Read more at http://3droundabout.com/2013/07/10323/sky-3d-now-in-more-than-half-a-million-homes-in-the-uk.html

Next up are two reports from HollywoodReporter.com.

First, that backers of the 3D Creative Summit show held earlier this year say the BBC’s pull back is a misstep and backs the appetite for 3D in the home.

Earlier this month BBC head of 3D Kim Shillinglaw described watching 3D TV as “quite a hassly experience in the home” in part because of the need to have glasses ready for the show.

Adam May, co-producer of the 3D Creative Summit, said the journey of 3D in the home is “really only just beginning.”

May argued that there is no doubt 3D TV is improving, noting that the core concern for attendees at the 3D Creative Summit was not the functionality of 3D glasses at home, but rather that there was not yet enough 3D material made available to eager viewers.”

Said May: “We feel that the reasons behind the halt of the BBC 3D trial are not in step with the film and TV industry as a whole. The overriding response from the 3D Creative Summit was one of real excitement and optimism.”

You can read more at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/3d-providers-bite-back-at-583848

Finally, a report that glasses-free 3D tech makers forge ahead despite setbacks, noting that while ESPN and BBC pull back, Stream TV Networks is making a simultaneous 3D, 4K and 8K push. And that two high-profile ones — BSkyB in the U.K. and 3net (a Discovery, Imax and Sony joint venture) in the U.S. — insist the recent blows won’t impact their 3D course. Others continuing to offer 3D include Al Jazeera, Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and China’s CCTV.

Meanwhile, Dolby and Philips are working to get their Dolby 3D glasses-free development into products in early 2014. Commenting on the BBC and ESPN news, Dolby 3D project leader Guido Voltolina told The Hollywood Reporter: “The halt of some 3D productions is only referring to content for home consumption like live sport, major events, etc. 3D movies are established and continuing at the same rate. This also means that as soon as the 3D without glasses is available, premium content and great movies will be available. Monetization of 3D content at home is on hold until 3D at home will not require glasses, that is why we are investing in it.”

Also investing — and poised to introduce glasses-free 3D this year — is Stream TV Networks, a Philadelphia-based outfit with manufacturing deals to introduce its glasses-free 3D TV technology in 4K flat panels from China’s Hisense, Taiwan’s Pegatron (which assembles Surface tablets for Microsoft, among others) and the U.K.’s Armour Group. “We are showing the first unit [Hisense-built] to the market in London [on Thursday] and a couple other places, and it’s now in the process of being rolled out worldwide,” said CEO Mathu Rajan.

Read more of this story at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/glasses-free-3d-tech-makers-583895