Bright prospects for Polish 3D

PIKE CONFERENCE – SOPOT. There is a huge mismatch in the current expectations for 3D in Poland’s TV and film industries. However, in the long term the technology is likely to be accepted – and indeed expected – by viewers using both media.

Piotr Zyga, the president of the ITI-backed Multikino cinema chain, said that 40% of its customers this year had already watched movies in 3D.

While there was general agreement among the panellists in a session entitled Third generation TV about 3D being an ‘event-driven’ technology, there were different views as to what constitutes events and how suitable they are for 3D.

For instance, Jakub Jagielka, responsible for the development of new technologies at Canal+ Cyfrowy said that boxing and tennis might be a better option than football. He also conceded that the costs of the company’s first 3D transmissions in Poland this May had been very high.

John Honeycutt, executive VP and head of international business operations at Discovery Networks International (DNI), meanwhile said that while the cost of HD had initially been high, in 3D they will be a “floor on” cost.

He also said, “you will never have a simulcast of 2D and 3D” as 3D is produced differently (to HD).