Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 21, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
British pay-TV broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), one of Europe’s leading providers of HD programming, has begun test broadcasts with Quantel and other industry partners to advance the transmission of stereo 3D television programs to British home screens. Following the wave of 3D animated and live-action films currently reaching cinemas, 3D television is increasingly becoming a focus of attention.
With more than 30 stereo 3D-capable Pablo and iQ systems in use worldwide, Quantel is the market leader in stereo 3D. Development of this stereoscopic technology earned Quantel eight awards in the last three months alone.
At IBC in September 2008, Quantel presented a stereo 3D version of the Enterprise SQ server for the first time; Sky already uses the server to broadcast conventional HD and SD programming. In parallel, Sky produced a range of stereo 3D sports features covering boxing, football and rugby, as well as the entertainment show Gladiators. Post-production used both Quantel’s Pablo system and 3ality Digital’s SIP 2100 image-processing unit, which can analyze and eliminate sources of error in stereo 3D production. Sky’s research and development team benefited from these successful 3D tests, gaining valuable practical experience in producing and processing high-quality stereoscopic programming.
Brian Lenz, head of Product Design and Innovation at BSkyB, was very optimistic about the future following these first tests: “The quality of these 3D productions and the positive response to them have been very encouraging. Quantel’s Pablo system played an important role in demonstrating that we can bring a convincing 3D television experience to home screens.”
Richard Craig McFeely, Quantel’s head of sales for Northern Europe, saw the chosen direction confirmed: “We are very pleased that Quantel’s Pablo with its stereoscopic system is one of the central components in Sky’s 3D tests. We will continue to support Sky in advancing this exciting project. When our industry is ready for stereo 3D television, Quantel will supply the technical systems to make it a reality.”
