Whilst enhancing the viewing experience, 3D opens up many exciting new opportunities for broadcasters, pay-TV operators, as well as for the film industry, which is gradually moving towards digitisation and will need satellites as part of their content delivery chain.
BROADCAST SERVICES :: 3D VIA SATELLITE
Eutelsat is at the technological forefront of helping make 3D a reality as the next revolution in broadcasting gathers pace
Throughout Europe, momentum is growing for 3D. Content creators, broadcasters, encoding specialists and manufacturers are actively developing 3D solutions.
Watch Eutelsat's infomercial on 3D, with some of the key players within the industry giving their views on the latest broadcast technology.
Eutelsat launched a free-to-air 3D demonstration channel on the EUROBIRD™ 9A satellite (Freq: 11.747 Ghz, Pol: H, SR: 27.5, FEC: 3/4) in 2009, to showcase 3DTV content in the home.
Using standard encoding techniques, Eutelsat incorporates MPEG-4 and traditional satellite modulation technology to multiplex two streams, one filmed from the left and the other from the right, replicating the view of the left and right eye.
The combined signal is transmitted via an 8 Mb/s satellite stream to consumer HDTV set-top boxes, and received by the 3D stereoscopic TV monitor, which has an integrated decoder.
In addition to 3DTV, viewers can watch live events and feature films in 3D in theatres, cinemas, and other public locations. In 2010, Eutelsat considerably extended its network of cinemas that can receive content via satellite, and broadcast some 20 matches of the FIFA World Cup live in 3D to more than 200 halls in 19 European countries.
CASE STUDIES
| Eutelsat broadcasts world’s largest live 3D concert
The production team of 150 people, including 48 cameramen equipped with latest 3D technology, broadcast the live event from the Steintor Varieté in Halle an der Saale. The concert was the highlight of the innovation event “3D cinema and stereoscopic media productions” by the Mitteldeutsche Multimediazentrums (MMZ). Since spring 2010, Eutelsat and Bewegte Bilder Medien AG have set up a network of 100 cinemas in five countries. These cinemas have been equipped for the broadcast of live events in high definition, in 2D and 3D, as well as Digital Cinema Packages. |
Eutelsat satellites beam 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in 3D to cinemas across Europe The experience of live 3D in cinemas is one of the key technology highlights of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. By offering sports fans a new layer of excitement for viewing sports on a big screen in a collective environment, 3D projections in cinemas are a fast emerging product Europe-wide in the vibrant market for digital services. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, Eutelsat Communications saw high positive return on consumer appetite for satellite-delivered world-class events in cinemas and public venues. Working with key players in 3D development, including Sony, Eutelsat optimised the FIFA World Cup™ as a commercial platform for 3D viewing in out-of-home venues. Several of the matches played in South Africa were transmitted in 3D across Europe through Eutelsat satellites and shown on 50-foot cinema screens in 19 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, Nordic countries and the Baltics. The four semi-final and final matches were also broadcast in 3D, with cinemas in additional countries, such as the Netherlands, taking the signal, underscoring the scalability of a satellite-based network. |
