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Sky planning 3D soccer broadcasts for 2010
Sky has kept pushing the 3D broadcasts to the home envelope and one of the benefits of its extensive testing programs should be 3D soccer broadcasts coming home around the middle of next year. The best news of all is instead of the anaglyph technology seen so far, this should be compatible with the 3D HDTVs on the way from Sony, Panasonic and others capable of delivering high quality imagery to viewers polarized glasses. Just like earlier tests this can all come home through standard boxes and satellite dishes, the only question is whether subscribers will be in a hurry to purchase the necessary display hardware --pending price announcements, we still think sports action is the best bet for 3D to gain a foothold at home. [Thanks, pankomputerek]
3D TV channel coming to UK next year, 3D-ready set and glasses required
We can still remember the days, not too long ago, that HD channels were but a sparse luxury. Now of course they're a dime a dozen, but you can still look onward to the next big thing, which BSkyB is wagering will be 3D. The satellite broadcast is gearing up to launch a 3D television station next year to showcase movies, and sports -- the latter of which we're thinking will be the biggest draw. Any customer with a Sky+ HD box can receive the transmission, but you're also gonna need to look past that ragged old flat-panel HDTV and instead use a 3D-ready set and glasses. We can't imagine a huge demand for this anytime in the near future, but if the technology does take off, they'll be more than ready to capitalize.
Sky brings home live 3D broadcast over a standard satellite set-top box
The UK set a few new high water marks for 3D as a part of its push to 2012 last night as Sky broadcast an Abbey Road concert by Keane in 3D live out over the Internet in anaglyph 3D, as well as a higher quality polarized version to a movie theater and a 46-inch 3D HDTV over a standard satellite box. Confirming earlier tests, it looks like the UK is ready to step up and join Japan in 3D broadcasting, the next question is when will the standards jostling result in any progress over here?
Sky suggests UK homes could see 3D TV by the end of the year
Sky has already successfully tested its 3D broadcasting capabilities, and hinted that the 2012 London Olympics could be comin' at ya like never before, but it now looks like the broadcaster could be set to roll out the service even sooner than many expected. According to Sky's Chief Engineer Chris Johns, Sky now has the "capability for homes to see 3D by year-end," although he unsurprisingly didn't offer any firm timeline for an actual rollout, or even a confirmation of the exact type of 3D system that'd be used, saying simply that they're continuing to test different systems and that he envisions it to be "glasses-based in some form." He also added that Sky is focused on building a content library "over the coming year," so that would seem to suggest that an actual launch would come very near the end of the year, if not later.[Via Register Hardware, thanks SK]
Sky to launch seven new HD channels in the UK
Simmer down, UKers -- it's not nearly as good as it sounds. Sure, seven HD channels is seven HD channels, but aside from Real Lives HD, you'll be getting six channels of (mostly) the same stuff. Reportedly, the half dozen other high-def additions will simply "bolster Sky Movies," offering viewers the ability to watch horror, sci-fi, action, family, comedy and other genres by simply flipping the station. We suppose it's a good sign to see Sky ramping up its Sky+ HD lineup, but can we get a little more variety the next time you folks get the itch to expand?[Thanks, Adam]
Nintendo flashes cash, sponsors UK Gladiators
It's not just North America and Australia that are seeing a television revival for Gladiators -- the UK is getting its own remake this summer, as hosted by Kirsty Gallagher and the highly slappable Ian Wright, and Nintendo has coughed up £1m to make sure that the "Wii" name is plastered all over it. Marketing Week reports that all transmissions and repeat transmissions of Gladiators will be exclusively sponsored by Wii, as well as all on-demand Gladiators content through Sky Anytime TV.Although we don't personally think of gurning, lycra-clad beefcakes whacking one another with giant cotton buds whenever we boot up Nintendo's box, we can certainly see where the company is going with this: back in the 1990s, Gladiators was renowned as wholesome teatime entertainment for the family (well, in Britain at least -- I'm not sure about the U.S.), and will no doubt attract a similar all-demographics-covered audience this time around.
Motorola's MOTORIZR Z8: a Symbian "kick-slider" with HSDPA
What a difference a profile shot makes, eh? Say hello again, to Motorola's 3G MOTORIZR Z8 -- the first ever "kick slider" sporting a new form factor meant to more confortably fit the profile of your face. This pup packs a Symbian (yes, Symbian) OS and up to 3.6Mbps HSDPA data in a 15.3-mm thin form factor. It delivers a 1.4 x 2-inch, QVGA 16 million color display and 2 megapixel camera around back (VGA cam up front for video calls) with the ability to record in either MPEG-4 or 3gp (for MMS). It also sports 90MB of internal memory with MiroSD expansion to store even more pictures, video, or MP3 audio; A2DP stereo Bluetooth audio; and up to 5-hours of 3G talk time or up to 16 days standby. Again, no mention of such trivialities as the frequencies supported, but the BSkyB partnership is a pretty good hint that the UK and Europe will be first in line for the Z8 when it pops in April. More pics after the break.
30% failure rate for BSkyB set-top HDTV boxes?
We've got some experience with glitchy HDTV/DVR set top boxes, but it looks like things are even worse over on the other side of the pond. With almost all their HD customers only recently buying sets for the world cup, many are using the digital connections and experiencing a lot of problems like picture and sound dropouts. Specifically cited is the implementation of HDCP, as many have been able to get around the problems by switching to analog connectors.Of course this doesn't do much for customers expecting a sharper picture out of their digital hookup or maybe have spent a lot of money on a digital cable they can't use, but SkyHD and even some TV manufacturers may have to update their software for this to be fixed.Glitch ridden high-def rollouts are becoming all too common, particularly for the "lucky" few who were able to get their service installed prior to the World Cup, but this may explain why some service providers are so unwilling to even enable the HDMI or DVI outputs on their boxes. If it doesn't work, there is a resulting shifting of blame between the provider and TV manufacturer while the customer's problem continues. Same problem with rolling out CableCard, neither side wants to take responsibility for making it work if there's a problem.
SkyHD is (almost) open for business
For our UK readers, you can finally pre-order high definition service from Sky. A quick rundown: Launch in May £299 to buy the box £10 per month subscription fee Check the official website for more details or our previous post. Thanks to Ashley and choare for the tip!
