What are the prospects for 3D services in Central and Eastern Europe?
Earlier this week a number of speakers at the Digital TV Summit in London spoke confidently about the technology and its future. The figures they backed up their arguments with were certainly compelling: according to Tom Cosgrove, president and CEO of 3net, one in two new TVs sold in the US in 2014 will be 3D, while worldwide it will be one in two “in a few years”. Furthermore, there will be 160 million 3DTV sets worldwide by 2015, a number “light years ahead” of HD at this stage of its development, and 90 million 3D capable devices by 2014.
3net was established earlier this year as a joint venture between Sony, Discovery and iMAX, and besides being a 3D TV network is also a leading producer and distributor of 3D content, with one of its clients being the UK’s BSkyB. While Cosgrove spoke up for 3D by insisting it would not replace HD, with the two formats instead complementing each other, John Cassy, director of 3D at BSkyB, sought to demolish the “myths” that have built up around 3D.
These were that (1) it is a gimmick (2) consumers can’t afford 3D sets (3) 3D movies are on the wane and (4) it is all about 3D sports and movies.
Although there seems to be a widespread view within the industry that 3D has been overhyped and that the real focus should now be on such areas as connected TVs and HbbTV, the arguments put forward by Cosgrove, Cassy and others in support of 3D should be taken seriously.
As for its prospects in CEE, these are still early days despite a number of positive developments. In Poland, for instance, the DTH platform Cyfra+ has taken a lead in 3D, offering a daily strand of programming, while UPC Polska now includes some 3D content in its on demand service.
Meanwhile in Russia, the DTH platform NTV-Plus began broadcasting in 3D last year and now operates a 3D channel. Elsewhere, UPC and CME have been active on the 3D front in their respective markets, in the latter case including some 3D content in its on demand service Voyo.
More will undoubtedly happen in the months to come, though 3D is unlikely to take off as quickly in CEE as in more mature TV markets such as the US and UK.
