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Google Fiber TV channel lineup sees its first 3D additions with 3net and ESPN3D
Google's Fiber efforts may not be that widespread yet, but it's obvious the search giant is doing all it can to improve the service for those who are lucky enough to have it. With that in mind, Google announced it's now brought an initial batch -- albeit a minor one -- of 3D channels to its growing Fiber TV lineup, giving "Gigabit + TV" subscribers (who own a three-dee-ready TV, of course) access to 3net at no extra cost and to ESPN3D for an additional $5 per month. While the inclusion of 3net and ESPN3D might seem like a pretty minor one on paper, it's without a doubt a step in the right direction for Fiber TV -- and, as the company puts it, this shows how the company is "committed to making these qualities that you've come to expect from Google Fiber TV better and better."
Netflix launches 'Super HD' and 3D streaming -- but only through certain ISPs
Rumors that Netflix was offering ISPs access to higher quality streams in return for partnering on distribution surfaced early last year, and were followed by the announcement of its Open Connect CDN network in June. Now the full picture has been revealed with the company's announcement of "Super HD" 1080p and (in the US only, for now) 3D streaming, which comes to its customers at no extra cost, but only on certain devices plugged in to to Open Connect partner ISPs. The hardware list includes PS3, WiiU, Windows 8, Roku, Apple TVs as well as Blu-ray players and smart TVs with 1080p support. According to Netflix, most of its international streams are already going through compatible ISPs, however the only major participants announced in the US currently are Cablevision and Google Fiber. Watch Instantly customers can see if their ISP on the list by visiting the Super HD page and, if it isn't, they're encouraged to call and ask for it. Netflix's ability to manage bandwidth will be increasingly important and the ISPs customers access its with and along with those rankings, "Super HD" is an important lure to get them to play ball. We've been seeing some 3D ready titles pop up on the service in the last few weeks and now viewers can access titles like Art of Flight, Immortals and several titles from 3net. According to Dan Rayburn of Streaming Media Blog, the higher-quality encodes are targeted for 7 Mbps, while 3D streams top out at 12 Mbps. One question that lingers is how this quality bump aligns with recent changes some customers have noticed (if X-High suddenly reappears...), but until we get our eyes on the higher quality streams it's hard to tell. Reed Hastings says he wants all Netflix customers served by Open Connect (whether via colocated appliances or peered at common internet exchanges) as soon as possible -- we'll see if Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, AT&T and the rest have a similar dream.
Initial projects from 3net Studios include the world's first native 4K TV show
3net, the joint venture from Sony, Discovery and IMAX that's a 3D channel and more recently a production studio, is ready to announce its first slate of content. While so far the channel has mainly sourced content from the three partners, the new slate of projects, with one that it says is the world's first native 4K project for TV. Called Space, it combines 3D and Ultra HD footage to explore the universe. Of course, at $20k~ a pop for Ultra HD TV sets and a lack of anyone broadcasting in the format so far it may be a bit early, but it will probably air in standard HD/3D at first and when the tech catches up, it will be ready. Other shows in the works include Marksmen, a 3D motion comic, documentary Frozen In Time: Our History in 3D, Wingsuit Warrior: Jeb Corliss vs. The World and travelogue series Daydream. Anyone that scrounged for HD in the early 2000s is probably familiar with this type of demo-ready content, and if you're one of the first with a 4K set, it will probably be in your library for a while before Hollywood is ready to sell you the same movies again, just in higher resolution.
Sony, Discovery and IMAX launch 3net Studios to produce in-house 3D content
If you've spent all of this effort launching an All-3D channel, it's probably wise to ensure you've got enough content to keep your schedules full. That's why 3net founders Sony, Discovery and IMAX are teaming up to launch 3net Studios, with facilities opening in California and Maryland. The new business will be used to bring together the best and brightest minds in stereoscopic media to produce footage for the channel. It'll begin announcing the first projects in the next few weeks, but unless there's space for a 3D version of Dan Harmon's Community, we won't be listening.
Indy 500 documentary comes to 3net this fall
Even with ESPN 3D firmly into its second year (and recently reupping sponsorship from Sony) there's still not that much content to go around so we're very interested in a new Indy 500 documentary coming to 3net. Indycar Entertainment plans to premiere On The Inside Line: The Indy 500 this fall on the Discovery / IMAX / Sony backed network, bringing the behind the scenes happenings leading up to the race for drivers Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Simona de Silvestro and Will Power. If you don't want to slip on some specs it will be viewable later on in HD on Discovery Channel, but while we wait for (frequent) live 3D race coverage this will be as good as it gets.
3net 24/7 3D channel launches this weekend, but only on DirecTV
The number of 24/7 broadcasting 3D channels in the US will go from one to three next week, now that Sony, Imax and Discovery have announced the launch of their channel, 3net, on DirecTV alongside its existing n3D channel and ESPN 3D, which will start looping its sports videos 24/7 on Valentine's Day. Scheduled to go live at 8 p.m. Sunday night on channel 107 it promises fresh debuts all month with a new show added to the rotation every night at 9 p.m. It's big promise is to "offer viewers the largest library of native 3D entertainment content in the world by the end of 2011" although any 3D TV owners who don't have DirecTV would probably just be glad if it got added to their channel lineups anytime soon, check the press release after the break for all the details.
Sony, Discovery and IMAX 3D channel dubbed 3net, adds a little more content before launch
Still without an exact release date, the 24/7 3D channel from Sony, IMAX and Discovery at least has a name now: 3net. It promises "the world's largest library of native 3D content" when it launches early this year and also had a few new selections -- Hubble 3D, In the Qube 3D and Wildebeest Migration -- to announce during Sony's presser yesterday. The press release is after the break but until there's a launch date announced the one detail we're really waiting for just won't be found.
