The DVD Forum is to launch a feasibility study into the possible incorporation of 3D technology into its format specifications for DVD. The study will examine which - if any - of the existing 3D movie standard should be incorporated and may also consider backwards compatibility with existing DVD hardware. Deadline for proposals is 17 May 2008.
Our take...The growing interest surrounding in-home 3D was also demonstrated at Screen Digest's recent
PEVE Digital Entertainment conference in Paris, which preceded the Forum's announcement. Speakers on the subject contended that not only does 3D represent the 'next logical step' in home entertainment after high definition, but that it is essential to the development of 3D cinema; without the revenues generated by packaged media, the 3D business could fail before it has started.
A priority for the industry, particularly in view of the recent hi-def format war, is to establish standards. There are currently a number of competing 3D technologies, some using glasses and some without (autostereoscopic). Samsung is among the front-runners on the display side, having launched '3D ready' DLP HDTVs which are viewed with 'shutter glasses' from Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD).
Whilst the DVD Forum explores the potential for incorporating 3D into the DVD format, the first 3D content has been scheduled for release on Blu-ray Disc (BD). Disney's forthcoming BD release
Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour will include 2D and 3D versions of the feature. Launching on 19 August 2008, the title - the highest-grossing theatrical 3D release to date - will be bundled with four pairs of 3D glasses and has an SRP of $35.98. The BD format is not officially supported by the DVD Forum, which opted to champion HD DVD format, so will not feature in the feasibility study. However, BD is arguably better equipped than DVD to cater for 3D content - aside from the obvious benefits of viewing 3D content in high definition, some BD hardware has been designed to evolve through firmware upgrades and BD software boasts greater storage capacity, allowing for both 2D and 3D versions of content to be published on the same disc.
Ultimately, the supply of content - rather than technology - is the barrier to growth for investment in the medium. The US studios are exploring 3D, mainly through animation, as the incremental production costs are substantially lower than for live-action film. Both Disney (and subsidiary Pixar) and DreamWorks Animation have committed to producing all animated features in 3D from 2009 . Consensus is that a steady stream of premium content, across all genres, is needed if 3D is to reach critical mass in the home.
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3D in the home - a new dimension for video?
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