SES ASTRA will support the introduction of 3-D TV in Europe.
As part of the initiative, the industry reached a common understanding of the minimum technical specifications for the introduction of 3-D TV and broadcasting. The initiative is backed by SES ASTRA, major European broadcasters, including public and private TV channels, and representatives from the consumer electronics industry.
Initial satellite 3-D transmissions will use either the side-by-side (for 1080i resolution) or top-bottom (for 720p resolution) formats, which make them compatible with existing HD set-top boxes.
Free-to-air 3-D services will be signaled using mechanisms defined under an updated DVB standard, which will allow automatic switching of the display from 2-D to 3-D and from 3-D to 2-D broadcasts.
