3D is the next big thing in terms of viewing experience. Producers are churning out big screen 3D films on the back of successes of films such as Alice In Wonderland, and customers are starting to demand the same thing in their homes. In keeping with their tradition of using cutting edge technology, Sky TV is now making serious investments in technology that will make 3D television available to everybody.
3D programmes are produced for television in the same way that they are for films. Two cameras are used, each recording a slightly different view of the scene, and this mimics how we see things in real life. To allow us to watch the programme in 3D, some clever technology is used which again fools our brain into thinking we are seeing two different views of a scene, so we see the whole ‘depth’ of the image.
To view it, you will need to have a 3D ready TV. There is an ever increasing range of TV’s which offer these now, and they can be identified by the ‘3D TV’ logo on them. They are also HD ready, so you’ll still be able to watch high definition and standard definition programmes on them just as you do now.
You’ll also need to have a pair of 3D glasses, but again these are a far cry from the red and green lenses that were used way back in the 1980’s. The new glasses use a form of filtering, and let you see a picture which as good as the high definition image you would see on the television normally. There is no colour loss or image degradation, meaning a far superior experience for the viewer – they get all the benefits of a crisp, clear HD image with the added bonus of the immersion of 3D.
Sky's HD pack is already compatible with Sky 3D as they are broadcast over the same system, so as long as you have the Sky+HD Box there is no need to buy a new one. Home users already have a chance to see previews, which are now running on the Sky World HD channel. To activate it, you just need to call Customer Services who will check that you have a compatible TV (have the serial number to hand), add the Sky World channel to your subscription if you don’t already have it, and then switch the channel on for you.
