Without a doubt, 3D HDTV was the hot home-theatre ticket of the Consumer Electronics Show. LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba all gave stunning 3D HDTV demonstrations and announced plans to bring 3D HDTV displays to market in 2010.

But what will we watch on them? There will be 3D Blu-ray players and a few marquee 3D releases, almost certainly including James Cameron's 3D blockbuster Avatar and a spate of Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks animated features. And 3D services will begin appearing on some U.S. cable and satellite services.

The American satellite-TV service DirecTV has plans to launch three 3D HDTV channels this summer. ESPN says it will shoot some major sports events, including several games at this year's FIFA World Cup, in 3D. Discovery Communications and IMAX Corporation say they'll launch a 3D channel in 2011.

Will the Discovery/IMAX channel, or some of its content, come to Canada? Paul Lewis, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel Canada, says this is something his organization "will discuss with our partners in the U.S. Like any technology in its early-adopter phase, there is not going to be a huge amount of content for a couple of years.

"In the last several months, we have started talking to producers about 3D content," he continues. "We are looking at a few special projects: not hundreds of hours, but some big blue-chip documentary projects that will showcase 3D. We are going to start commissioning 3D projects within the next year. We will start to see them on the air in 2012, and possibly even 2011."

Lewis says CGI (computer-generated imagery) productions and nature documentaries will be the two main 3D genres for Discovery Canada. "We're looking at a CGI 3D documentary on dinosaurs, where you can immerse yourself in this entirely different world," he elaborates. "Natural-history projects in 3D will give that sense of being immersed in a rainforest, with a tiger springing in front of you. The pitches we're receiving are quite focused on CGI and natural history."

Discovery Channel Canada began experimenting with 3D about five years ago. In promotional ads leading up to a standard-definition special on sharks, viewers were invited to go to a LensCrafters store and pick up a free pair of 3D glasses. These were the cheap-and-cheerful type with a red lens over one eye and blue lens over the other. The 3D image on the screen was filtered to match the glasses. Most of the show was in 2D; but at a couple of key moments, viewers were told, "Put your glasses on now," at which time they'd see a 3D image with very limited resolution and colour range.

The 3D TVs coming to market this year are far more sophisticated. As we've already covered, they employ active liquid-crystal glasses that are controlled by the TV. Viewers get a full high-definition 3D picture in full colour. The new technology has caught the attention of independent producers. "This year, about a half-dozen producers have come to use with 3D proposals," Lewis says. "Last year, there were zero."

Initially, the installed base of 3D HDTVs will be limited, and so will the audience for 3D content. And there are other barriers to 3D production.

One is skills. "Everything is different with 3D," Lewis explains. "You have to think differently about perspective. Giant panoramic vistas don't do much in 3D. You need directors with experience in 3D. There's a creative shift for writers and editors. Audio has to be different, because you're putting your audience in the middle of a scene."

Another barrier is cost. "The cost of producing in 3D is significantly higher than HDTV," Lewis notes. "In the last year, we have been shown quite a lot of off-the-shelf production and post-production tools for 3D. The technology is becoming quite standardized, and is being adapted for broadcast from the film world. Costs are coming down quite quickly."

Lewis compares the process to the transition from standard to high-definition. The price premium for HD production and post-production equipment is now very small, but it took about seven years to get to this point. Lewis thinks a similar period will be needed for 3D.

He thinks we'll get there. "Consumers will be demanding 3D, an extension of the interactive experience," Lewis predicts. "People want to be part of the story, not just watch it unfold. They don't want to watch a documentary anymore. They want to be in it."

Photo: Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel Canada

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