SES Astra and iPONT to partner for 'live' 3D broadcast on glasses-free 3DTV at IBC 2011

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Leading Direct-to-Home satellite operator and glasses-free 3D innovator to demonstrate glasses-free 3D TV technology is ready for the consumer market

BUDAPEST — iPONT International, an innovator and technology partner in the glasses-free 3D market, and SES Astra, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) will demonstrate ‘live’ 3D broadcasts on glasses-free 3DTV technology on SES stand 1.B51 at IBC 2011. The demonstration, by Europe’s leading satellite operator and the glasses-free innovator, aims to prove that without-glasses 3DTV technologies have reached a level of maturity and quality acceptable to the consumer market.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with SES Astra to demonstrate how near we are to delivering a premium-quality glasses-free 3D experience for the consumer in their living room,” said Tamas Vahl, global director iPONT International. “This year iPONT has participated in a number of ‘live’ without-glasses 3DTV sports trials including the Champions League final, Wimbledon men’s final and Haye VS Klitschko fight, where the technology has come under scrutiny and judgment. We have learned much from those experiences, about both the technology and 3D broadcast content and believe our latest product generation will be a watershed moment for glasses-free 3DTVs.”

For the demonstration iPONT will install a wide-angle 42″ autostereoscopic (without-glasses) LCD screen with its proprietary 3D TV box, a device that streams real-time 3D broadcast content from a satellite receiver to the display, performing a real-time stereo to auto-stereo conversion. Content from the SES ASTRA 3D demo channel will be played through the receiver.

“The quality of glasses-free 3DTV technologies have been hampered by viewing angles, depth, resolution and real-time imagery issues with few yet to deliver that premium-viewing experience,” explained Thomas Wrede, VP Reception Systems SES ASTRA. “iPONT’s maturing technology is an intriguing development and its progress has been impressive making us confident that glasses-free 3DTV for the home is going with us in the not too distant future.”

On the market impact of glasses-free 3DTV, Vahl added, “Major TV operators know that for 3D to truly go mainstream glasses-free 3DTV needs to happen sooner rather than later. Once that conundrum is solved then it will make it easier for pay-TV operators to sell 3D TV to the consumer and to programme makers, which we expect to drive the next wave of top-tier HD programming.”