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Moderators Eric Taub, Gerry O'Sullivan, Steve Hellmuth, Jonathan Dern, José Dias and John Rubey
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Now that HDTV is a done deal, media innovators are looking for new ground to break. And they have found it in 3DTV.
Monday's Super Session, "Alternative Stereoscopic 3D Content: The Next Breakout Hit?" brought together a diverse group of key players who are putting 3DTV into practice: Jonathan Dern, president of Cinedigm Content and Entertainment Group; Steve Hellmuth, executive vice president of operations and technology for NBA Entertainment; José Dias, director of research & development at TV Globo in Brazil; John Rubey, president of AEG Network LIVE; and Gerry O'Sullivan, director of strategic product development for BSkyB.
The session was moderated by Eric Taub, entertainment technology writer for The New York Times.
O'Sullivan kicked off the session by describing the experience of BSkyB, the number one pay TV service in England. Their first broadcast was a boxing match in May 2008 and it required no new technology.
"All we did is harness the HD infrastructure to deliver 3D to the customer," O'Sullivan said.
To illustrate other content possibilities, O'Sullivan showed clips from a ballet and a live performance by British pop-rock group Keane at Abbey Road Studios that was simultaneously beamed to the Web and select theaters in London.
"It's all about evolution," said O'Sullivan. "One day, we won't need glasses. But let's not wait until the technology is perfect to start getting it into peoples' homes."
Hellmuth showed how 3D enhances the experience of professional basketball.
"It makes viewers feel like they are within the picture," Hellmuth said. "Our experience with the success of HD leads me to conclude that 3D will be successful. 3D takes HD to the next level"
Dias showed dazzling clips from Carnaval in Brazil, which turned the discussion toward aesthetics.
"There is less cutting," said Hellmuth. "The shots linger and it makes you feel like you are living in the picture."
"What we have seen is the promise of 3D," said Rubey. "It's no longer about interfering. We get out of the middle and let the magic happen."
"At Sky, we are also interested in new formats that 3D might create," said O'Sullivan. "Maybe some new genres we have not yet imagined may come out of 3DTV."
Evidence of viewer enthusiasm and the power of the internet show how the 3DTV audience may grow.
"With the Keane performance, 60,000 kids downloaded instructions to make their own 3D glasses," O'Sullivan said.
Many factors are coming together to indicate that the time may be right for 3DTV to catch on.
"The studios are pushing out a lot of movie titles in 3D, and gaming is driving people to buy 3D displays," Dern said. "It's a bright time for 3D — for the present and into the future."