3D TV 'still years away' for Kiwis

AP

Mitsubishi 3D TVs from the recent Consumer Electronics Show. Don't expect 3D TV programming in New Zealand anytime soon.

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3D TVs will touch down in New Zealand this year but broadcasters say 3D programming is still years away.

TV manufacturer Samsung has unveiled plans to launch a 3D television in New Zealand in the second quarter of the year, hot on the heels of the 3D box-office hit Avatar.

Sky TV spokesman Tony O'Brien says it does not expect the technology to appear in New Zealand homes for another four or five years.

Consumers have just invested heavily in high-definition televisions and will be reluctant to shell out for another television so soon, he says. "The average TV lasts for about 10 years."

Several issues need to be resolved before producers and broadcasters embrace the format, he says.

The technology standard for 3D is yet to be finalised. Filming in 3D requires extra cameras and that cameras be configured differently, and 3D footage is not back-compatible, meaning it cannot be converted to high-definition and standard definition TV.

3D also uses eight times as much bandwidth as standard definition television and twice as much as high-definition broadcasts.

"If we had a 3D channel there would not be enough content for a week. These issues will be resolved because they need to be resolved, but that will take time."

Despite those reservations, Sky's British sister company, BSkyB, will launch a 3D sports channel in April.

It will be offered to 1.6 million customers who subscribe to its high-definition service, at no extra cost. Mr O'Brien says Sky will watch with interest. "We're supportive of the concept."

The Times reported that BSkyB would be "making history" yesterday when it broadcast its first football match live in 3D.

The broadcaster arranged for fans to watch Arsenal's Premier League clash with Manchester United in 3D at nine pubs in five cities.

Gerry O'Sullivan, BSkyB's director of strategic product development, said it was "a really historic day for television".

From April, BSkyB will screen at least one Premier League match in 3D in hundreds of pubs across the country in an attempt to drum up public enthusiasm for its 3-D channel.

Television New Zealand technology general manager Peter Ennis says it is hugely expensive to produce 3D programming and it is unlikely to become the norm until the cost of 3D TVs comes down.

In the United States, 3D production is still the domain of movie producers. "In US made-for-TV production, which is where most of our acquired programming comes from, most studios have just finished investing in high-definition infrastructure and they will want to sweat those assets for a number of years."

Large-scale 3-D production in the US is still three to five years away. But Mr Ennis says TVNZ will ensure it can support the data transfer rates required for 3-D programming.

MediaWorks marketing manager Roger Beaumont says it is keeping a "watching-brief" on 3D television but it will be some time before it is a serious option in New Zealand.

Freeview spokesman Paul Gunn says the platform is capable of broadcasting 3D.

The technology took centre stage at last month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas  with TV manufacturers announcing plans to launch mainstream high-definition 3D TVs this year, and companies showcasing dual-lens 3D camcorders, laptops that convert 2D images to 3D, and 3D video games.

- © Fairfax NZ News