TURIN, Italy – Backward compatible 3D TV took to the airwaves in Turin, Italy earlier this week.
Free-to-air 3D HDTV broadcasts with a system for backwards compatibility with 2D TV sets were unveiled at a press conference held at Piedmont Region headquarters. Organizers said the technology will allow viewers with HD television sets to watch 2D HDTV, even when the transmissions use 3D techniques.
Using 3D Tile Format, an innovative technique for formatting stereoscopic images, two 720p frames were integrated within a single 1080p frame. The reconstructed right and left images maintain their original resolution, preventing an unbalancing of the vertical or horizontal resolution. The 3D Tile Format also improves the quality of the transmission of 3D HD content, and, due to its backwards compatibility, allows broadcasters to transmit to both 2D and 3D users without having to double the amount of bandwidth required for transmissions.
The initiative was created through a partnership between public and private bodies operating in the Piedmont area, including Sisvel, Quartarete TV and CSP Innovazione nelle ICT.
