Blu-ray 3D specifications finalized, your PS3 is ready
By Richard Lawler 
posted December 17th 2009 5:59AM
posted December 17th 2009 5:59AM
Blu-ray Disc Association Announces Final 3D Specification
"Blu-ray 3DTM" Expected to Reach Consumers in 2010 LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- Dec 17, 2009
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3DTM" specification. The specification, which represents the work of the leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, will enable the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers' living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform.
"Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D," said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. "We believe this demand for 3D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3D experience to the living room."
The "Blu-ray 3D" specification fully leverages the technical advantages of the Blu-ray Disc format to deliver unmatched picture quality as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. Notably, the specification allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby maintaining the industry leading image quality to which Blu-ray Disc viewers are accustomed. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.
"From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home," said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. "The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution." The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.
"In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced," said Matsuda. "We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment."
The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.
The completed specification will be available shortly and provides individual manufacturers and content providers with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.
"Blu-ray 3DTM" Expected to Reach Consumers in 2010 LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- Dec 17, 2009
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3DTM" specification. The specification, which represents the work of the leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, will enable the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers' living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform.
"Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D," said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. "We believe this demand for 3D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3D experience to the living room."
The "Blu-ray 3D" specification fully leverages the technical advantages of the Blu-ray Disc format to deliver unmatched picture quality as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. Notably, the specification allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby maintaining the industry leading image quality to which Blu-ray Disc viewers are accustomed. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.
"From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home," said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. "The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution." The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.
"In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced," said Matsuda. "We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment."
The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.
The completed specification will be available shortly and provides individual manufacturers and content providers with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.
wait....so this will work with my current tv? 32' Bravia LCD 720p?
@thanatos465 1080p min.
@thanatos465 The synchronized shutter glasses are not part of current TV's you will need a new TV to use this, not even my current 1080p Samsung LCD will work with this. Most TV's currently sold cannot accept the 120Hz or 240Hz input, current 120Hz and 240Hz TV's actually only frame double or quadruple the 60Hz input, for a smoother non ghosting image. The New TV's sync with the shutter glasses and pass 120Hz (60Hz per eye) to the display. I am looking forward to the new technology coming onto the market since I would like to get a larger LCD TV and have the PS3 already.
@AlaskanHandyman
Since "240Hz" is working by interpolating images, how is your 240Hz TV handling left/right images ? Does it interpolates a middle view image between those ?
Once again, LCD fails.
@thanatos465 There is no reason that a 3D enabled blu ray player couldn't output anaglyph data for older TVs. Blu/Green filtering or something similar. Older blu ray players will just play the 2D image. To get the full effect would need a new 3D TV and player.
I assume the left or the right eye represents the 2D image and then there is extra data in the stream that older players ignore that describes the other image as an offset from the other one.
@(Unverified)
There's a very good reason for the Blu-ray player not to output a anaglyph 3D image for older TV, because that technology sucks. Studios can keep releasing that crap if they want, but this post is about a new 3D format that doesn't suck.
@BenD You don't understand what I said. A new blu ray player capable of reading 3D data from the disc is quite capable of outputting anaglyph for older TVs and left + right to newer sets. I bet that most 3D players will do exactly that as well.
More importantly, will new players have two video outputs for driving two projectors simultaneously? That way you can have a proper polarized setup, and use polarized glasses (or maybe the new "super anaglyph" or whatever you want to call the modern color-based ones) instead of shutter glasses.
@thanatos465
If you ask a best buy employee he will say you will need 2 more identical Bravia's for 3d to work.
@AWx 240Hz only interpolates if the smoothing option is turned on. Anyone that would like to view movies the way they were meant to, will turn off the smoothing option, and will still reap the benefits of a 240Hz display. LCD, DLP and Plasma are all capable of delivering 60Hz to each eye using current technology, the only issue with current televisions are that they were not designed to accept the input of twice the normal frame rate which is required for 3D output.
A little research would teach you a thing or two. LCD does not fail, wait for the news from CES if you want further proof.
Until glasses aren't required, 3D isn't worth it in any way, shape, or form, and I will be staying very, very far away from it.
@Jordan Unless you're 90 years old, I think you're going to eat those words before long - the future of good quality 3D displays seem to be based on glasses. And by good quality I mean high resolution, full field of view with depth of field. The use of expensive surfaces to display information is SO 2010..
@Delogic I already wear glasses. There is no way that wearing glasses on top of glasses is going to make my cinematic experience better, and I've read very little about how those of us with four eyes are meant to become accustomed to six. It sounds uncomfortable, I'll bet it feels uncomfortable and I just feel that the cons far outweigh the pros until I'm privy to some evidence of the contrary.
@Jordan I think people are nuts to dive into 3D now. The ink on the specifications isn't even dry yet so any devices that turn up between now and 2011 are probably going to be slow, restricted (in terms of refresh rate or 3D modes) and possibly buggy. There is no content either to speak of. Give it 3 or 4 years and maybe display technology and the amount of content will advance sufficiently to justify it.
The lack of content alone should be reason enough to wait and see. I would not be surprised either if someone is going to produce the 3D equivalent of colorization and starts producing 3D versions of movies based on some kind of computerized depth field process.
@LRawlins 3D glasses fit over my regular glasses as easily as the Kanye shades in my profile picture. It's not a problem.
@LRawlins - buy yourself a pair of prescription 3D glasses then.
@LRawlins So quit complaining and go watch a few GOOD 3d movies. Sick of everyone saying how 3D is so horrible when they haven't even experienced it yet...
@Jordan Well, you could blink your eyes really fast at 60 hz. Then you wouldn't need shutter glasses.
@Jordan
For the cost of a new big screen TV you could get your eyes fixed with Lasic surgery.
Fascinating.
" Better than backwards compatibility, the PlayStation 3 will be forwards compatible with the new discs -- a new HDTV setup with IR emitters and glasses will still be necessary"
No
@Jordan: this was meant as a reply to thanatos465
@Jordan u read, that wrong sir... it means, will need a PS3 and a newer HDTV, IR and glasses to view it... " a new HDTV setup (the spec promises to work with plasmas, LCDs or projectors equally well) with IR emitters and glasses will still be necessary. "
so not a entirely new HDTV that is yet to come... your old one will work fine, so long as it is 1080p I assume
@(Unverified) Sony showed off 3D gaming on the PS3 earlier this year; they said that would only require that your TV have 120Hz frame rate. If that was the same as this I'd assume that if you bought your TV within the last couple of years you should be fine.
@idogis1 No HDMI version allows for 120Hz signal. Only HDMI 1.4 specification contains support of 3D formats. HDMI 1.3 cables are technically compatible with HDMI 1.4 since the data bandwidth (hence MHz supported) is the same.
But, your source will need to be HDMI 1.4 compatible (= being able to output dedicated 3D video signal) and your TV/projector will also need to be HDMI 1.4 compatible (= able to receive and display dedicated 3D video signal).
@AWx Actually, CEA 861-E (The spec for HDMI video timings) with support for 1080p at 100 and 120 Hz has been out since March 2008. Not sure how many TVs are supporting this by now, though.
wheres the damn Like button
I woulda thought it should be far less than 50% extra since it's a very small delta between the left eye frame and the right eye frame that has to be stored .. and even that delta should be highly compressible.
@JS are you kidding? it's twice the optics... hence twice the filesize... minus the menus and bonus content...
@(Unverified)
im assuming the bits that are identical for each eye would only need to be stored once, and then the left eye specific stuff and the right eye specific stuff stored too thats probably why it doesnt take up 100% more space
@(Unverified) Modern video compression comprehension fail.
@(Unverified) Twice the optics? There is a massive amount of redundancy between a left & right eye views of the same image. To describe the difference is obviously more efficient than sending two separate images and takes up less bandwidth. In theory MVC could even offer more than 2 views in the horizontal / vertical based on the same principle.
One day a TV might turn up 4 or 8 views are combined so you can literally walk from one side to the other of the set and the 3D illusion is maintained. That day is a long, long way away though.
i would assume you would need a 120hz tv for it to work. and them shutter glasses will need batteries too so they can read the ir signals and switch eye to eye so they will be heavy and bulky!! sounds an expensive fad to me!!!
@petay sounds like a great addition to gaming to me... the 360 is going to appear sad
@(Unverified) it would add another layer to gaming thats for sure, but as a glasses wearer (im short sighted) i know how annoying it is to wear heavy and bulky glasses for long periods, and also without my prescription glasses i struggle to watch tv.
at least i have a choice!! blury because im not wearing the 3D glasses or blury because im not wearing my prescription glasses, or 2D
Good thing I chose the PS3. I wonder if other players will be able to do it by firmware update...
Well... don't you PS3 owners get too excited. You can't get 3D with a firmware update and some glasses.... well you can BUT, and this is a big BUT:
If you got a normal 60hz TV and get some shutter glasses and these glasses are the only ones that work with your old TV(unless you use the green/cyan 3d technology from the 60:s) then each eye will see 30 FPS. And you know what - this will give you a massive headache! This is no good!
So... let's say you got a 120hz TV, like nVidias 3d tech recommends (needs?). Well, that would be okay, but you'd still get headaches after a few hours usage.
I don't know about you guys, but I don't like to use technology that gives you headaches after just a few hours of usage.
However there is better technology for 3d, like polarized glasses but that would require another type of TV, a TV you most likely don't own.
I look forward to the 3D revolution, but I don't see it coming in 2010, it might be a start (and that's good!) but I would not get a PS3 because of the 3D potential, atleast not yet.
@nixarn - so how come blu-ray films run fine at 24Hz then?
@mobiletone ....and let's not forget that SD TV has been 30fps(for NTSC) and no one complained about headaches from that.
The really sad thing is, there is nothing whatsoever preventing this technology from working on existing HDTV sets, other than the desire of hardware manufacturers to sell new, redundant hardware. The syncing LED could just as easily be included in the player.
@Chip Unfortunately the only technology currently on the market that can take a 120Hz signal and pass it through to the screen is DLP current Plasma and LCD TV's even the higher frequency ones only accept a signal at 60Hz, the new technology requires at minimum 120Hz input. While it might be possible to firmware update some of the newer TV's out there to accept the 120Hz its not very likely.
Current LCD 120Hz is just frame doubled 60Hz... to create a smoother non ghosting image in action sequences...
@AlaskanHandyman Nothing about this technology REQUIRES 120hz. Most films are shot at only 24fps, and most DVDs and blu-rays encode them at that frame rate. A 30hz image for each eye (60hz total) is perfectly acceptable. 120hz does look better, but this technology will fail miserably if people who just bought a HDTV within the last couple years are required to buy ANOTHER one just to use it.
@Chip uh, that's not the point. You'll need 120hz TV not to get a massive headache. Read my previous post. Why otherwice do nVidia require a 120hz tv for their system? And even 120hz TVs/monitors will give headaches after a couple hours of use.
@nixarn I think you are thinking of CRT based screens. LCDs are different since the light source is contant compared to the flicker from a CRT. I have never gotten a headache from my 60hz LCD.
I don't know all the big deal is with the glasses. You're going to be watching all this stuff in your house maybe with friends. They are not forcing you to wear it outside in public and make a fool of yourself. People wear the 3D glasses in Cinemas so why not in your house? But I do know some people have eye ache or problems with the specs but personally, I prefer having the option to be able to play my games in 3D than not at all.
@bawse thankfully the glasses technology has improved. I bought 3D glasses with real frames of the Red/Blue variety because I never cared for the cardboard ones they gave out at the theater, I like the new polarized filter glasses for 3D and the shutter glasses for use in home should be just fine.
@AlaskanHandyman
Where did you get them? I have been looking to purchase a pair.
@bawse You can rationalise glasses as much as you like but the reality is they make people feel like dorks. They are also going to be expensive, nonstandard and headache inducing. Eventually 3D TVs will advance the state of the art sufficiently to do away with glasses but there is no pretending that they're not a serious impediment to 3D adoption because they are.
Jordan, why is it that you seem to hate the PS3 so much on every single post? Is it because you bought an xbox 360 only and think that people look at you based on the things you like? I don't know if you're a sports fan but I'd bet your favorite teams would be Lakers, Steelers and Yankees until new champs are crowned in each sport.
I'm betting you have a LOL small penis.
@Arcaria: Hey, idiot, where, where in this post did I even mention or allude to the PS3?
I think you need some common sense