SKY 3D

Cantona's Collars

Sky is to launch it's 3D service for private residences on 1 October

DIGITAL SPY:Sky has confirmed that its new 3D channel will become available to residential subscribers on October 1, after the service launched to pubs and clubs in April.

The Sky 3D channel will be offered at no extra charge to Sky's top-tier customers on the HD pack. It will work on all existing Sky+ HD set top boxes, but users will first have to buy a new 3D-ready TV set.

Sky 3D will be compatible with all 3D TVs produced by Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic as well as supporting both 'active' and 'passive' 3D technology formats.

On the launch weekend, Sky 3D will carry coverage of the Ryder Cup from Celtic Manor as the European team take on the US. The channel will also air 3D versions of animated films Bolt and Monster vs Aliens.

Sky has agreed deals with Disney, Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount and DreamWorks to showcase all of the studios' new 3D films.

In the run-up to Christmas, the Sky 3D channel will air a number of movies, including Alice In Wonderland, Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Coraline, Fly Me To The Moon, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and My Bloody Valentine.

Sky 3D will also broadcast a range of live sport, including selected matches from the new Premier League football season. Entertainment and arts shows in 3D will be "announced closer to the service's launch".

"As with high definition, 3D is set to transform the way TV is enjoyed in homes nationwide," said Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch.

"Following hot on the heels of the success of 3D cinema, Sky customers will now be the first anywhere in Europe to experience 3D TV from the comfort of their living rooms.

"They can look forward to a fantastic mix of live sport, blockbuster movies, and innovative entertainment and arts shows."

Also today, Sky filmed a Bollywood dance routine at St. Pancras Station in 3D as part of a partnership between Sky Arts and the English National Ballet.

Trampas

All this 3D gave them an excuse to up the subs.

John mac

how many people have 3d tv's???

i bet not many, (yet)

Minstrel27

zerks wrote: »

"Following hot on the heels of the success of 3D cinema, Sky customers will now be the first anywhere in Europe to experience 3D TV from the comfort of their living rooms.

Didn't Digital+ in Spain offer some World Cup games to subscribers in the 3D format?

http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/201004226407/canal-spain-plans-3d-for-world-cup.html

tomslick

Al jazera had most of the world cup and D+ only had the semi's, 3rd/4th playoff and final. The picture quality is top notch. Far superior than I thought it would be.
The Sky 3d channel previews are available now for home but any live event is only available on a pub card. D+ showed some Bullfighting in 3d and that was better than the football.

At the moment there is about 15-20 3d channels available here on sat. Some are free like the astra test. Some of it looks class and really 3d.

Barack Obama

zerks wrote: »

users will first have to buy a new 3D-ready TV set.

Over the past 5 years, vast quantities of people have upgraded to HDTVs, be them either LCD or plasma (or even LED!!). Do Sky honestly believe that people are going to fork out another wad of cash on a new TV to replace an already fine one in their home?

Are you going to watch TV with those glasses on constantly? Seriously??

3D is a fad, just like it was when it reared it's head in the 50s, 60, 70s, etc... Just think Jaws 3D...

Cantona's Collars

A decent 3D ready tv is the same price as a standard LED tv,so if anyone is buying a new tv it'd be a no-brainer to buy one thats future proof.I've tried out the new 3D sets and it's amazing,not the old blue and red glasses effect that was used years ago.Would love to see boxing in 3D.
As for it being a gimmick,I disagree-too much has been invested in it this time for it to be a novelty.People are getting used to seeing 3D in the cinemas and the next step is in the home.The same was said about HD not catching on and it's going strong.

keithclancy

zerks wrote: »

A decent 3D ready tv is the same price as a standard LED tv,so if anyone is buying a new tv it'd be a no-brainer to buy one thats future proof.I've tried out the new 3D sets and it's amazing,not the old blue and red glasses effect that was used years ago.Would love to see boxing in 3D.
As for it being a gimmick,I disagree-too much has been invested in it this time for it to be a novelty.People are getting used to seeing 3D in the cinemas and the next step is in the home.The same was said about HD not catching on and it's going strong.

Well besides manfacturers going with slightly different standard, i.e. different glasses, and Samsung glasses working with an LG TV if you wear them upside down, theres no such thing as future proof at the moment.

Also the method they use for 3d makes a percentage of people feel sick.

Minstrel27

Sky would like us all to go out and buy a new 3D tv. Then you will need to buy extra glasses for everyone in your family. You want to watch 3D content on your tv package? Sure, but first become a Sky World subscriber along with a HD subscription.

Greed such as that is what will ensure 3D in the home will fail again.

zerks wrote: »

future proof.

There is no such thing. I remember Sky proclaiming that the original Digiboxes from the 1990's were future proof.

Barack Obama

zerks wrote: »

A decent 3D ready tv is the same price as a standard LED tv,so if anyone is buying a new tv it'd be a no-brainer to buy one thats future proof.I've tried out the new 3D sets and it's amazing,not the old blue and red glasses effect that was used years ago.Would love to see boxing in 3D.
As for it being a gimmick,I disagree-too much has been invested in it this time for it to be a novelty.People are getting used to seeing 3D in the cinemas and the next step is in the home.The same was said about HD not catching on and it's going strong.

The same was never said about HD - BlyRay and HDDVD were the natural evolution from DVD...

People are getting used to seeing 3D in cinemas for animated movies. Fine - some of them look great but it is still a novelty.

And as for it eing the natural step forward - 3D has been around since the 50's

Tom Cruises Left Nut

Ill have my shiny new Samsung 50" 3dtv in a couple of weeks, can't wait for this !

JDxtra

Dear Sky,

I'm not buying into this 3D gimmick.

Regards,
Average person.

Nehaxak

3D is a fad, it is a gimmick and it is pointless in it's current form, what with the need for stupid glasses and such.

However, what Nintendo have done with their new 3DS handheld is probably something worth keeping an eye on, it's 3D without the need for glasses or other such rubbish.

Whether they can expand on that to larger size screens is another matter but only something (if it actually works and looks well) like that would ever really catch on and be worth any investment.

Cantona's Collars

3D without glasses is the plan-anyway not much point in bringing out 3D tv's if nobody is going to broadcast any content,so at least Sky are taking the plunge.I love the way people shoot down new technology in it's infancy-lets go back to listening to the wireless or have the seanachi call in to tell us stories instead of embracing innovation.

mustang68

Nehaxak wrote: »

However, what Nintendo have done with their new 3DS handheld is probably something worth keeping an eye on, it's 3D without the need for glasses or other such rubbish.

Whether they can expand on that to larger size screens is another matter .....

They can indeed expand that to larger screens but it only works for one person, a camera tracks your face and arranges the 2d screen according to the angle you view it creating a false perspective. This tech in a TV would only work for a single viewer and would be more suited to games where you move around a bit, not lie still on the couch.

TCP/IP

I have a Panasonic 3D TV and Skys 3D channel is great. As previous poster can't wait for boxing and ryder cup in 3D.

satman123

can anyone in wexford fix a sky + box for me...???!

watty

3D is a con. It's stereoscopic TV, not 3D. There are non-holographic real 3D displays. But this system is a 2D screen/display with two views. An illusion that doesn't work for 1/5th of people and gives everyone eye strain and headaches from prolonged viewing.

US 3D cinema receipts are down 75%. Successful "3D" films are more about good content than "stereoscopic" effects.

A minority of "gadget" early adopters will think it's good. It's not in the same league as adding HD, which if you had decent SD and less than 48" is nothing compared to getting Colour. 625 line colour vs. 405 line Black and White.

See
http://www.techtir.ie/node/1001459

The Nintendo 3DS "stereoscopic" game handheld is more worthwhile than a "so called 3D TV" really stereoscopic.

200motels

watty wrote: »

3D is a con. It's stereoscopic TV, not 3D. There are non-holographic real 3D displays. But this system is a 2D screen/display with two views. An illusion that doesn't work for 1/5th of people and gives everyone eye strain and headaches from prolonged viewing.

US 3D cinema receipts are down 75%. Successful "3D" films are more about good content than "stereoscopic" effects.

A minority of "gadget" early adopters will think it's good. It's not in the same league as adding HD, which if you had decent SD and less than 48" is nothing compared to getting Colour. 625 line colour vs. 405 line Black and White.

See
http://www.techtir.ie/node/1001459

The Nintendo 3DS "stereoscopic" game handheld is more worthwhile than a "so called 3D TV" really stereoscopic.

I have to agree with the above, 3D is nothing but a gimmick and it does nothing for me but give me a headache.

pa990

+1 on the headaches

i stopped seeing 3D movies in the cinema. i go the the regular ones instead


3D tv as it stands at the moment is a gimmick.. maybe in a few years time it might become something.

on that note.. maybe if it's adopted by the porn industry it might take off..

azzeretti

I agree, kind of. I would have been completley like most people, saying it is a fad. However, I hadn't tried it out before then. I took a demo recently of a 3D film on a new LG screen and I couldn't believe how impressed I was with it.
Granted, I only watched about 15 minutes with the glasses on, not enough to induce any eye strain. However, the content was smashing.

I am a bit of a gadget freak but I only got myself a rather expensive LED screen at christmas and I don't see myself upgrading for a while. I think, if 3D takes off, there will be a time when you wouldn't be able to NOT get a 3D TV. I might wait until then!

telecinesk

maby slightly off topic, heres a screenshot of how a so called 3d signal looks raw on a hd box.
Watty has it right, its just stereoscopic fail. I wont be rushing to upgrade my sky sub etc.

Barack Obama

I called into a Sony store yesterday and had a look at the demo - it was very impressive. They had a 46 inch TV showing Alice in Wonderland. Looked very good in HD with 3D effects.

However, the picture was very flickery. Jeez - they've spent years taking the flicker out of TVs!! This got very annoying after a short time.

Also, even being fairly close to a 46 inch TV, the effect of 3D was very limited compared to the cinema with the big screen where you are 'immersed' into the 3D world. This might work better with a 3D home cinema projector on a large screen but you are still stuck with those bloody glasses.

I don't think 3DTV will be a success - especially if people try out the TVs first. The great thing about 3D in the cinema is the novelty factor.

Cantona's Collars

I called into a Sony store yesterday and had a look at the demo - it was very impressive. They had a 46 inch TV showing Alice in Wonderland. Looked very good in HD with 3D effects.

However, the picture was very flickery. Jeez - they've spent years taking the flicker out of TVs!! This got very annoying after a short time.

Alice In Wonderland is a very poor film to demonstrate 3D,the effect is just upscaled from 2D rather than being shot in 3D. The new Samsung 3D tv's can upscale 2D images to 3D,the effect is pretty good overall.

_Kaiser_

I just can't see 3D taking off in the home.

HD take-up is still a long way off being the "standard" and now Sky expect people to fork out again for a new TV with the 3D glasses - in a recession??
Not to mention the "3D sub" that'll doubtlessly be brought in (on top of HD, multiroom and the ever increasing package prices)

Plus it's a gimmick in most cases designed to draw people in to cinemas to boost flagging ticket sales. I've seen a few 3D films now (Avatar included) and I can genuinely say that I could very easily live with good old HD 2D - though admittedly that may be because 3D doesn't seem to "work" on me too well.

The manufacturers are pushing it so much right now simply because (like PC's) there's no real reason for most people to upgrade anymore.
Think about it... who is going to go out and buy another 46"+ 3D TV when the "Full HD" one they bought 2 years ago still isn't being used to its full potential yet.

Give it a year and it'll have faded away I reckon.

positron

I too don't get all this hostility towards 3D.

I actually enjoy the 3D effect at the movies (Avatar for instance, was just breathtaking in 3D), and I see plenty of 3D effect when I have test-viewed display telly at shops with the glasses.

I hope this catches on one way or other. I also own a PS3, which is going to support 3D gaming, so I will be looking to buy a 3D TV in next year or so if & when they become affordable like rest of the LCD tvs.

SteM

positron wrote: »

I too don't get all this hostility towards 3D.

I actually enjoy the 3D effect at the movies (Avatar for instance, was just breathtaking in 3D), and I see plenty of 3D effect when I have test-viewed display telly at shops with the glasses.

I hope this catches on one way or other. I also own a PS3, which is going to support 3D gaming, so I will be looking to buy a 3D TV in next year or so if & when they become affordable like rest of the LCD tvs.

Avatar has been the exception with regards to 3D at the movies. Most of the other movies I've seen in 3D have looked ****e. It looks like th 3D is an afterthought, tacked on at the end.

Just can't see 3D tvs becoming the norm in the home - many are struggling to justify upgrading to HD.

speedboatchase

Barack Obama wrote: »

The same was never said about HD - BlyRay and HDDVD were the natural evolution from DVD...

People are getting used to seeing 3D in cinemas for animated movies. Fine - some of them look great but it is still a novelty.

And as for it eing the natural step forward - 3D has been around since the 50's

I disagree, I definitely remember HDDVD and Blu-Ray being considered needless luxuries. Anyways, too much money has been invested in 3D for it to fail - the only barrier is the glasses and the price. The Nintendo 3DS will likely remedy both these issues for itself and get people more accustomed to the technology

speedboatchase

SteM wrote: »

Avatar has been the exception with regards to 3D at the movies. Most of the other movies I've seen in 3D have looked ****e. It looks like th 3D is an afterthought, tacked on at the end.

Just can't see 3D tvs becoming the norm in the home - many are struggling to justify upgrading to HD.

That's because Avatar was filmed in 3D, while the rest have been rush-job post-production efforts. Tron Legacy is out this Winter and will be the second movie to have been filmed entirely in 3D. James Cameron himself has said that if studios chase the extra ticket prices associated with 3D through rush-job efforts, it will harm the public's perception on whether or not the technology is a gimmick

keithclancy

speedboatchase wrote: »

I disagree, I definitely remember HDDVD and Blu-Ray being considered needless luxuries. Anyways, too much money has been invested in 3D for it to fail - the only barrier is the glasses and the price. The Nintendo 3DS will likely remedy both these issues for itself and get people more accustomed to the technology

Thats very true, but HDDVD and Blu-Ray didnt make a bunch of people get Headaches, Eye-strain or feel sick either.

ScrubsfanChris

keithclancy wrote: »

Thats very true, but HDDVD and Blu-Ray didnt make a bunch of people get Headaches, Eye-strain or feel sick either.

Don't know, I felt pretty sick when I heard about the future of my HD DVD player

Thread here about 3D TV's
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055959544

Many of the opions are that its a gimmick, including my self - 2nd post.