DIRECTV said a new satellite launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier this week will increase its in-orbit capacity for delivering high-definition TV content by 50 percent to more than 200 channels. Industry observers speculate that at least some of the channels will be used to deliver films in a high-definition 3-D format.
“With the successful launch of our DIRECTV 12 satellite, we will have the capacity to dramatically expand HD and movie choices for our customers and further extend our content and technology leadership,” said DIRECTV Chief Technology Officer Romulo Pontual.
Blue-Ray 3-D
DIRECTV is not expected to comment further on its HDTV plans until next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where 3-D television is expected to emerge as the next big development in consumer electronics. Sony is already gearing up to bring the latest Hollywood 3-D blockbusters to home TV screens. Earlier this month, Sony announced a partnership with RealD — which closely participated in the development of successful 3-D films such as Avatar and Beowulf.
As part of the deal, Sony has licensed RealD’s immersive stereoscopic format, 3-D eyewear, and related technologies. “Sony has its proprietary LCD panel driving technology to reproduce full HD 3-D images on the screen of new Bravia LCD TVs, which will work in sync with new 3-D eyewear based on RealD’s technology,” said Sony Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka.
In addition to Sony, JVC Kenwood, Mitsubishi, Philips and Samsung are among the companies developing consumer-oriented 3-D gear for home entertainment systems. Though these manufacturers have been thwarted by the lack of an effective 3-D delivery platform in the past, that’s about to change.
The Blu-ray Disc Association said earlier this month that it had finalized and released a new Blu-ray 3-D specification under which images will be sent to each eye at…
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