3D's key content drivers

Jason Ried, associate producer, Disney Interactive Studios, UK
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We ask some major players in the industry to share their opinion

"I believe gaming will play a key role in breaking down entry barriers because with regards to movies, all people may not want to wear 3D glasses. Younger audiences with consoles perceive 3D as cool while older people tend to view it as a hindrance.

"To take 3D technology forward, we may have to depend on younger audiences."
Jason Ried, associate producer, Disney Interactive Studios, UK

"Gaming is a possibility as it drives a lot of the aspects of media creation. The problem with 3D has always been that it did not have many commercial benefits which is why it did not have such a huge following.

"However, with the production and broadcast industries anticipating a whole new commercial angle to covering sporting events thanks to having resolved convergence issues, 3D should get a boost. For instance, when you are covering live sport, you no longer need to have commercial breaks. Instead, with 3D technology and the convergent nature of the lenses, you can actually focus periodically on the banners around the pitch. This does not mean that the game has to go out of focus.

"It merely means that by altering the convergence, you can subtly force the viewers’ attention to the banner. The whole idea is how you create depth in the image through convergence. By altering the depth of the 3D image, the viewers’ eyes will naturally focus on certain aspects of the screen.

"Another reason why 3D should still appeal to the movie industry and why they should do more with it, is because this technology is resistant to piracy as it is still not widely available in homes."
Keith Dallison, post production manager, Creative Services, MBC Group

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"I believe live sport will play a key role in bringing 3D TV broadcast to the home within the next three to five years. At present, there is still a learning experience to go through on the production side, particularly from the standpoint of camera locations and angles. Besides this, investment in new cameras is required and as yet there is not a dedicated 3D camera available (although a prototype of a camera with two lenses has been released by Panasonic ).

"Production houses presently achieve the effect by basically ‘bolting’ two cameras together. Once the production chain is redesigned to accommodate this technology, many other bits should fall into place."
Jim Bottoms, director, Futuresource Consulting

"There’s real interest in 3D. Combined with recent trials related to anaglyph delivery of 3D content to disks to the home and a few television network 3D trials with sports content (e.g., BSkyB in the United Kingdom and ESPN in the United States), I feel that consumers are definitely interested and that 3D is going to move forward.

"In terms of the general acceleration of 3D, a lot will depend on the type of content demanded by consumers in these markets. A heavy interest in theatrical releases, gaming, and sports content could prompt broadcasters in any market, including the Middle East, to move more quickly into this area.
 
"That said, the 3D experience is quite different from the HD one. Both bring a new level of more immersive user experiences. I do not see a scenario where a broadcaster or pay TV network abdicates their analogue- or SD-to-HD plans for a jump to 3D. I see 3D as a complementary opportunity that will further expand the variety of digital services for all those in the content chain, including the consumer.
Wendy Aylsworth, senior VP of technology for Warner Bros. technical operations

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