In April, Sky will equip hundreds of pubs nationwide with the special sets needed to receive 3D, prior to a full public launch to Sky+ HD subscribers later in the year.
“3D is without doubt one of the most talked-about developments in television for many years. Sky intends to take the lead in bringing the spectacle of 3D to the UK and Ireland,” Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive, said.
Spurred on by the big-screen success of such films as Avatar, 3D TV has emerged as one of the hottest technologies of 2010. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, all of the world's major electronics companies had new 3D sets on display.
One major barrier to domestic adoption is that 3D TV sets are not yet on general sale in the UK. The first sets are expected to arrive in summer, and are likely to cost £200 or £300 more than a standard HD set. The current Sky+ HD box is fully compatible with 3D and will not need to be upgraded.
By kitting out pubs in advance of a consumer launch, Sky is adopting an approach similar to the one it used with HD broadcasts. The idea is that people will first see the benefits of 3D broadcasts, then decide they want it at home.
Darren Long, director of operations at Sky Sports, said that filming in 3D offers viewers a different experience from HD. "The first question you have to ask is where do I want to view it from to get the best depth of field? Normal practice is to have a camera high in the stand, but with HD we move closer to the pitch. The camera moves less, too, to give the viewer time to appreciate the image. With golf, for example, we can show every small undulation on a green, so that you can, for instance, for the first time see why a player misses a putt that even in HD appears simple."
Another challenge that Sky faced is that there are currently two 3D systems in production, passive 3D and active 3D. Both require the viewer to wear glasses, but the first system reacts to a polarised filter on a TV screen, the second by opening and shutting a lens in front of each eye over 100 tmies per second. "We have reached agreement with all the world's manufacturers to ensure that our 3D images will be available to all our HD subscribers," Mr Long said.