If you were playing around with your shiny new 3DTV at midnight last night, you may have discovered that the new trial 3D channel went live. And according to a press release from Panasonic today, the channel went live showing footage filmed on Panny’s AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D camcorder.
The whole roll out of 3D in Australia has been a huge pissing contest. First it was SBS “looking at” the idea of broadcasting the World Cup in 3D. Then Channel Nine claimed it would offer the country’s first 3D broadcast with the State of Origin. Then Foxtel decided to shout out “First!” with Fox Sports 3D’s upcoming broadcast of the Socceroo’s friendly against New Zealand next week. And now Panasonic are bouncing up and down that footage from their 3D camera was the first 3D broadcast in Australia.
Did anybody check out the footage on their new 3DTV? What did you think?
Peter
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 1:44 PMAnd the tumble weed rolls along….
Nato
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 2:18 PM@Peter
you beat me, I was gunna say,
cue the crickets
poedgirl
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 5:40 PMThe new 3D channel is already launched?
Simon Reidy
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 5:50 PMI still don’t understand how they have the bandwidth for 3D broadcasts in Australia. Each network has to broadcast all their channels within a 20 mbps spectrum, which typically is broken down as:
11mbps – 1080i HD channel
8 mbps for 2 x 576i SD channels (4mbps each)
1mbps for other data like EPG information.
These are already very low bit-rates (compared to SD DVDs which are up to 10mbps and Blu-ray which is up to 30mbps) which is why they look so blocky and over-compressed. Particularly noticeable with high motion video like sports.
Presenting 3D means two x HD frames (one for each eye), and given the depth of 3D, blocky MPEG2 artifacts will actually be more noticeable to the eye.
The only way I can see this working is that must be granted a temporary license for a 3D channel not within their typical 20mps allocation. Either that or they are lowering the definition from 1080i to 720p which compresses better, and can be shown at a lower bit-rate (and 720p works very well for sport given it’s better temporal resolution).
I’d really like to find out more but it’s very hard to get any technical information out of the networks regarding their broadcasts.
Trent
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:18 PMThe footage is pretty basic. The 3D logo looks TERRIBLE and is unwatchable, and the dusk scenes look pretty poor. Daytime city scenes show the potential of 3D but the overall package shows (hopefully) that it is just a test and the best is yet to come?
MrTaco
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 8:09 PMIf an image flies out in the air and there’s nobody to receive it…