ATSC Launches Work on 3D Standard

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has launched work on a 3D broadcast TV standard for the transmission of 3D content to fixed devices in the homes, such as TV sets, as well as mobile devices. The standard, which will work with both live and non-real-time 3D content, could be completed within a year.

"The addition of 3D-TV over-the-air TV broadcast transmission is part of our ongoing effort to expand the capabilities of the ATSC suite of digital television standards," explained ATSC president Mark Richer in a statement.

The upcoming standards effort will build on extensive work undertaken over the last year by the ATSC 3DTV Planning Team.

When completed, the standard will be backwardly compatible to work with existing receivers and will allow 3D content to be delivered over one ATSC terrestrial channel to fixed and mobile receivers, with delivery of both views (left and right eye) in real-time.

It will also allow 3D content to be 3D content delivered in non-real-time.

"The addition of 3D-TV capability to the DTV broadcast standard will foster new broadcast services while preserving the integrity of legacy TV receivers by adopting a system that allows for simultaneous delivery of 2D HDTV, Mobile DTV, and 3D programs within the same channel while ensuring backwards compatibility," Richer said.

The effort will be led by Dr. Youngkwon Lim, representing the Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) in Daejon, South Korea.