The DVB Steering Board in Geneva has given its approval to Phase 2a of the DVB-3DTV specification.
The specification will be submitted immediately to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for formal standardisation. An amended DVB-3DTV BlueBook is to be published to reflect the addition to the specification.
Phase 2a, also referred to as the ‘service compatible mode’ makes it possible for broadcasters to provide regular HDTV receivers with a 2D version of a 3D programme from the same broadcast channel. At the same time the quality of 3D images has also been improved.
Phase 2a provides a 2D version plus an MPEG MVC top-up signal. Although they are tailored to their different environments, both 3D Blu-ray and Phase 2a use MVC, which will enable receivers to include both capabilities.
The 3DTV Phase 1 specification was published in 2011 for ‘Frame Compatible’ delivery, where the essential requirement was that existing HDTV set-top boxes would allow viewers to watch 3D if a suitable display is available. Phase 1 is the system typically used for 3D broadcasting around the world.
The same meeting also gave approval for an update of the DVB-S2 standard for use with wideband transponders. The update will allow efficient use of wideband transponders that are now becoming available.
