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South Korea forges ahead with 3D TV service trials

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the country's converged regulator for broadcasting and telecommunications, is kicking off the 3D television drive, with the goal of having television stations beam terrestrial 3D broadcasts sometime next year.

The KCC will issue a license in January to start the trial services for land-based 3D broadcasting, which is to be delivered in full high-definition (HD) quality. “Japan and Britain were first to test 3D television broadcasting through satellite networks, beaming programs for about an hour per day. However, we want to take it a step further, being the world's first country to provide 3D television with HD picture quality through terrestrial networks,'' said a KCC official quoted by The Korea Times.

After te licensing of a 3D television broadcaster in January, preparations are expected to start in February, with 3D trial services beginning sometime between then and the second half of next year.

But it looks like pay-television channels will beat the national networks on the 3D timetable. Cable television heavyweight, CJ HelloVision, and mobile television operator, TU Media, are both planning to begin trial 3D television services by the end of the year.

CJ HelloVision said it would be able to introduce 3D content on its video-on-demand (VOD) offerings within a week or two. The 3D broadcasts for real-time, regular programs are planned for next year, company officials said.

Cable television operators have been working with the state-run Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and other technology institutes to develop 3D television solutions

TU Media, the mobile television unit of SK Telecom, the country's biggest mobile telephony operator, is planning to release a handset by the end of the year capable of supporting 3D video both from its own satellite pay-television services and the free, terrestrial mobile television services

“It remains to be seen whether 3D television will become a standard for consumer entertainment, or fizzle out as 3D movies did decades ago. If the industry finds a way to lower the prices for the required devices and also acquire more content, 3D television will have a chance to acquire staying power,'' said Kim Jin-woong, a researcher from ETRI. (Source: The Korea Times)

Story filed 05.12.09

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