Although HDTV is now a reality in Russia, there is a possibility that the country could make a quantum jump directly from analogue to 3D TV.
This was one of the scenarios suggested at a round table conference in Moscow entitled New standards of quality TV in Russia: prospects for HDTV and 3D and reported in a number of local media including Cableman and AKTR.
While a rapid switch to 3D may be achieved if a number of pre-conditions (sufficient content and satellite capacity, amongst others) are fully met – a view supported by Andrei Semerikov, the CEO of the cable operator ER-Telecom, who believed the format could soon become mainstream – the general view was that it would take between 5-7 years to become established in Russia.
However, NTV-Plus and Akado are already preparing to produce 3D content.
In the meantime, HD is growing in popularity, with NTV-Plus and Akado having signed up 25,000 and 15,000 subscribers respectively to receive channels in the format. Russia is set to complete the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting in 2015.
