NEW ORLEANS – Despite the strong promise of 3DTV to pull in viewers and transform television viewing and advertising, a lack of technical standards will hamper the adoption of the technology by pay TV providers and network programmers, according to cable engineers and other tech executives.
Speaking at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers’ (SCTE’s) annual convention here last week, the senior technologists warned that 3DTV could flounder if new industry standards aren’t established soon. "Until these standards are in place – and it’s probably going to happen sometime next year – things are going to be messy, things are going to be complicated," said Stefan Winkler, chief scientist at video testing vendor Cheetah Technologies.
Appearing together on a technical panel focused on delivering 3D programming, Winkler and Comcast Media Center (CMC) fellow Daniel Holden noted that a number of industry groups are now drafting technical specifications and standards for 3DTV, tackling issues ranging from how to encode and subtitle 3D video to how to make interoperable 3D glasses for viewers. Organizations working on 3D standards and specs include CableLabs, SCTE, Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG), and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).
Although pay TV providers just started introducing 3D programming earlier this year, the cable and satellite industries are already taking different approaches to pumping the programming to viewers. For example, Comcast is relying on the side-by-side signal format to present such major events as The Masters, while DirecTV is following the top-and-bottom approach for its three new 3D channels.
"There will be a big conflict, I think," said Holden, noting that content providers may end up having to deliver 3D shows to cable operators in the side-by-side format and to satellite providers in the top-and-bottom format. "I’m not sure how this is going to shake out yet," he added.
Even as he spelled out several technical challenges that engineers must overcome to deliver 3D programming to the home, Holden sounded bullish on the technology’s potential. For one thing, he argued that 3DTV could enable network programmers to eliminate traditional commercial breaks. Rather than air the standard commercials, he said, programmers could use 3D’s unique qualities to tout products placed in a show or sporting event.
"When we get into 3D, what if what happens is you just move an object forward?” he said. “So I’m watching a football game, and all the sudden a Coke can comes off of the table, takes center screen, and goes back to where it is."
For another, Holden said 3D technology could take traditional cartoons to new heights. Although HD’s higher resolution doesn’t make much difference with animated programming, he said, adding 3D depth to animated programs could significantly improve the viewing experience.
Holden also highlighted Comcast’s plans to distribute on-demand 3D programming to viewers. However, he said there are still some challenges and unanswered questions about delivering on-demand 3D video, including how the fast-forward feature and other VOD "trick modes" could throw off and even alienate viewers.
"What if the football is coming at you, and when you fast-forward, it is coming at you twice as fast?” he asked. “Do we disable them [trick modes]? Do we enable them?"
Another major challenge for the industry, Holden said, is how to pipe 3D video to multiple display devices. He noted that network operators would have to convert content files into several different resolutions, depending on the devices involved.
Holden said Comcast is distributing its 3D programming in 1080p/24 format. He said the new ESPN 3D network is now using the 720p/60 format, while ESPN and other sports networks plan to eventually transmit programming in the 1080p/60 format.
Currently, programming networks and pay TV providers are distributing 3D programming in a frame-compatible format, which uses digital compression techniques to squeeze two 3D signals into the bandwidth occupied by a single HD channel.
Although the industry is shooting to distribute 3D programming in a full-resolution, service-compatible format eventually, Holden said it could take several years for viewers to receive 3D programming in full resolution. “Nobody really knows how to get to full resolution yet," he said.
Alan Breznick is a Toronto-based senior analyst at Heavy Reading, part of the Light Reading Communications Network. He was in New Orleans last week to help cover the SCTE’s Cable-Tec show for Cartt.ca.
