Buy Once, Play Anywhere

Two efforts are underway to enable consumers to pay one price for permanent access to a movie or TV show across a wide variety of digital formats, such mobile phones, cable services, PCs, Blu-ray players, networked HDTVs, and other devices capable of playing back digital films. Both schemes could also extend the life of DVD and Blu-ray.

The DECE is working to develop a standard that would be adopted across its 45-member companies, which range from every major studio (except Disney) to Comcast, Intel, Microsoft and Best Buy. Digital movies bought under the DECE standard would be tied to digital content accessible through any other connected device using the DECE standard. A consumer could buy the latest Blu-ray movie at a store, then access that same movie through a set-top box on their TV, at a hotel, through a mobile phone, or any other device that’s part of the content ecosystem. DECE backers are hopeful that the group will approve a standard in 2010.

Walt Disney Studios is expected to unveil more details about its Keychest technology in the coming months. Keychest would allow consumers to buy a movie once and access it digitally through a broad range of connected devices from Disney partners. Rather than download content, it would be stored in the digital cloud.

3DTV, Blu-ray, and Other Stuff

On Nov. 11, I’ll be at the 4th China 3D World International Forum & Exhibition in China presenting information about the 3D@Home Consortium (Sigma Designs is a board member) and an overview of the 3D Video market. Some of the topics include what IPTV, Cable, Internet streaming, etc. are looking at doing to support 3D Video.

There is also a BDA seminar where we’ll be presenting high-quality video processing for Blu-ray players to improve the playback quality of DVD and Internet streaming content. And yes, it also improves Blu-ray playback quality. :)

CableLabs To Host 3DTV Pavilion At Cable-Tec Expo

According to CableLabs, the 3DTV Pavilion will include the first demonstration of synchronized, full-color, HD stereoscopic 3D video signals being transmitted over a single cable channel on a real cable system. Unlike the 3D-TV delivery of the past that used colored glasses, this new system works with next-generation 3D-ready TVs that use either polarized or active shutter glasses. The 3,400-square-foot booth will located on the Cable-Tec Expo floor in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The show is set to run Oct. 28-30.

Earlier this year, CableLabs began formally investigating the issue of delivering 3DTV over cable infrastructure, to evaluate the different technologies in the market.

3D Program Guides and On-Screen Displays Coming for 3DTV

Nagravision this week showed off the first example of a set-top guide created specifically for 3DTV stereoscopic viewing. One thing learned is that viewers need to have “an immersive experience” in 3D mode. That means all controls and visual elements, such as volume and on-screen program information, need to be in 3D.

Korean 3DTV Cable Service to Start

Cable TV providers will begin 3DTV broadcasting test for the first time in Korea in March of next year at the earliest.

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