Before we watched James Cameron’s epic Avatar, 3D seemed like a pie-in-the-sky concept, or worse, brought back memories of wearing silly red and blue glasses that they used to pack in with kids cereal boxes.
Three hours later, we left the cinema in awe, convinced we had seen the future of home entertainment – clearly SKY had similar ideas, and have just announced an October 1 roll-out for their ‘Sky 3D’ service.
This year every consumer electronics company have been touting their 3D televisions, with Sky transmitting their first 3D broadcasts for pubs nationwide towards the end of the 2009/2010 Premier League season in April. Now the company has decided it’s time to take the 3D revolution to the households and finally give 3D TV early adopters a reason to model their specs.
Launching October 1, the Sky 3D channel will be offered at no extra charge for Sky’s top-tier customers on the HD pack, and will work on all existing Sky+ HD set top boxes – though customers will of course need a 3D-ready TV set. No-one said this was going to come cheap we’re afraid.
On its launch weekend, Sky 3D will carry coverage of the Ryder Cup from Celtic Manor as the European team take on the US. The channel will also air 3D versions of animated films Bolt and Monster vs Aliens over this weekend as well.
Sky has apparently agreed deals with Disney, Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount and DreamWorks to showcase all of the studios’ new 3D films, so you’ll have plenty of reasons to keep your 3D specs on throughout the day.
In the run-up to Christmas, the Sky 3D channel will air a number of 3D movies, including Alice In Wonderland, Ice Age – Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Coraline, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and My Bloody Valentine.
Sky 3D will also broadcast a range of live sport, including selected matches from the new Premier League football season. Personally speaking, JOE is hoping for some 3D boxing match-ups, or even 3D darts strangely enough.
“As with high definition, 3D is set to transform the way TV is enjoyed in homes nationwide,” said Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch.
“Following hot on the heels of the success of 3D cinema, Sky customers will now be the first anywhere in Europe to experience 3D TV from the comfort of their living rooms.
The question of whether or not 3D is a fad is gradually becoming less convincing with each growing day, as 3D films begin to dominate our cinema trips, Nintendo and Sony begin to integrate 3D gaming, and now Sky take the first tentative steps into a new era of television. For anyone still doubting 3D’s potential, expect more 3D broadcasts in pubs throughout the year and perhaps we will all discover that seeing truly is believing.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc
