HDTV 3D is coming

Interesting. I still haven't bought an HDTV yet and I won't until my big TV breaks, but this looks cool. [Link]

At a series of small demos last week, one of which I attended, Panasonic officially/unofficially announced that it'll start to sell 3D plasma HDTVs and 3D Blu-ray decks sometime next year, probably about a year from now, I'd guess. 3D at home makes people snigger (well, mea culpa, it made me snigger eight months ago). But Panasonic's pseudo-announcement is no sniggering situation. Even though no other HDTV or Blu-ray manufacturer has announced support for Panasonic's 3D system, "They support it in private," according to Panasonic VP Bob Perry, a respected veteran of the consumer electronics business. "I'm not aware of any manufacturer or studio that says they don't support it."
The twisted Yogi Berra-like semantics of that statement notwithstanding, Sony, for instance, has announced its own 3D PlayStation 3 initiative, and the company shot and broadcast last January's FedEx Bowl Florida-Oklahoma BSC National Championship Game using Sony's 3ality Digital image-capture technology for an invited audience at Las Vegas' Paris Hotel's RealD-equipped Theatre des Arts.
Plus, Perry says there could be as many as 50 3D Blu-ray titles if 3D equipment were available today, and there'll be likely 100 3D Blu-ray titles at launch. As we know, Hollywood loves to sell us new versions of the same old explosion-filled crap.
There won't be any format war, either. Panasonic will be using an official 3D Blu-ray standard currently in process, and the new HDMI 1.4 specification, which specifies 3D as one of its improvements over the current 1.3a spec.
A new HDMI spec means, of course, you'll need a new HDMI 1.4-compatible AV receiver. With all these official tech organizations behind 3D, Panasonic is likely only the first to announce 3D product.

Europe is getting a 3D channel. [Link]

BSkyB is to launch Europe's first 3D TV channel offering movies, entertainment and sports programming in the UK next year.
The satellite broadcaster, which recently said that 3D TV could be a reality within several years, has stepped up its roll-out programme after a major boost in the numbers subscribers to its Sky+ HD set-top boxes, which are capable of broadcasting 3D services.
BSkyB, which has doubled the number of customers with Sky+ HD boxes in the last year to 1.31m, said that it will launch a channel offering 3D movies, entertainment and sport.
However, to watch 3D programming customers will also require a new "3D ready" TV set, which are expected to be on sale in the UK next year, and special glasses.