Wednesday, 06 January 2010 03:00
Televisions that support 3D technology might not become commonplace in homes for a few years, but that’s not stopping three mega media companies from ensuring there’s plenty of quality 3D programming when/if supported TVs start popping up in living-rooms en masse.
Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX have announced a new joint-venture to create the first round-the-clock, 3D television network in the United States.
"By partnering with Sony and IMAX on 3D, Discovery will lead the way in revolutionising the next-generation home viewing experience in the U.S. and around the world," Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav said in a statement. "Today’s announcement is the next step in fulfilling Discovery’s mission of providing groundbreaking content for our affiliate partners and enlightening viewers with the most immersive and realistic viewing experience available anywhere."
IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond touted his company’s leadership in the development of 3D technology, and went on to say, "This new business venture is the first step in our strategic effort to take 3D into the home and extend the IMAX brand. We’ve already had strong collaborations with Discovery Communications and Sony in the past on IMAX event film titles, and we are thrilled to work with such strong partners to be the first to make in-home 3D a reality."
Even though the network isn’t scheduled to launch until 2011, it has been revealed that the station will consist of programming specifically designed to showcase 3D’s potential, which means you can expect to see plenty of shows about space, natural history, science, technology, as well as children's programming and, of course, movies.
As CNN reports, ESPN also announced today that it will be launching its own 3D network, ESPN 3D, in June of this year. However, the channel will not have programming 24/7, but will rather be used to broadcast live events at specific times.
3D technology is expected to be one of the biggest topics of CES 2010, which means there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be hearing more about this all-3D network in the coming days.