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Please contact:
Jeff Claudino
Director of Sales, Insider Research Services
619-229-9940
or via email at:
claudino@lightreading.com |
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| Cable Operators Weigh Tech Options for Delivering 3DTV |
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Few topics in the TV industry spark a more passionate debate than 3DTV. Amid the hype over Hollywood 3D movies like Avatar, a wave of new 3DTV sets and glasses, and 3D broadcasts of events including The Masters and World Cup, proponents believe 3D is The Next Big Thing. On the other side are detractors that view 3DTV as little more than a gimmick by consumer electronics companies to sell new lines of TV sets. They do not take much stock in a TV experience that requires special glasses and that leaves some viewers feeling dizzy or nauseous.
America's cable operators are stuck in the middle of the debate. They want to provide their customers with the latest advanced video services. They already are under pressure to keep up with telco and satellite competitors for HD and other services, and now DirecTV is launching three new 3DTV channels. Comcast has moved ahead with the launch of ESPN 3D and 3D movies on-demand, while other MSOs have aired individual 3D sports events.
But inside the industry, many multiple system operators (MSOs), programmers, and suppliers are wary of 3DTV due to its unproven market potential, small install base, and various technical challenges. Currently cable operators can deliver stereoscopic 3DTV images to existing HD set-top boxes (STBs) using the same amount of bandwidth that they use for an HD signal. But to really do it right, cable needs to devote more bandwidth for each 3DTV signal or embrace new video formats that most likely will require investment in new STBs. Since the install base of cable-connected 3DTV sets will be only several hundred thousand in 2010, cable operators are not ready to buy new 3D-ready STBs anytime soon.
If 3DTV does become The Next Big Thing, then cable must be a part of it. The new TV capability would follow cable's historical lineage of delivering multichannel television, HDTV, on-demand, interactivity, and other innovations. However, the future of 3DTV on cable holds many challenges that go beyond the issues over 3DTV itself, including the big question of whether consumers are willing to wear special glasses while watching TV.
3DTV poses many technical issues for cable that challenge its ability to guarantee a quality video experience for customers. Until the technology matures, technical standards are adopted, more content is prepared, and the consumer proposition is proven, cable operators have better service options to invest in and deploy than 3DTV. Even though Hollywood and consumer electronics companies will put the pedal to the metal to drive 3D content forward, the install base of 3DTV sets will take time to grow in order to provide a significant base for individual MSOs.
Cable Operators Weigh Tech Options for Delivering 3DTV examines the technologies and strategies that cable is exploring, as well as the opportunities and challenges that 3DTV presents. Included are brief profiles of 14 suppliers that provide 3DTV support products specifically for cable or that may play a role in the future, including companies that exhibited 3DTV products or support during the 2010 Cable Show in Los Angeles last May.
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| Sample research data from the report is shown in the excerpts below: |
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 Table of Contents (cii0710_toc.pdf) |
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| Cable MSOs, especially publicly traded ones, have not heralded 3DTV as The Next Big Thing, nor have they publicly trashed it. Most MSO managers appear to be cautiously optimistic yet not fully convinced. But MSOs are carrying certain events and some are known to be preparing for on-demand movies or other 3D content. The following excerpt provides a listing of service provider 3DTV activity as of July 2010. |
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| [click on the image above for the full excerpt] |
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 Companies profiled in this report include: Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB); Avail-TVN; Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO); Comcast Media Center (CMC), a division of Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK); iN DEMAND, jointly owned by Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), Cox Communications Inc., and Time Warner Entertainment; Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT); Nagravision SA; NDS Group Plc (Nasdaq: NNDS); Pace Plc (LSE: PIC); Panasonic; Samsung Corp.; Sigma Designs Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGM); Sisvel Technology S.r.l.; and THX Ltd. |
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| Total pages: 20 |
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| AUGUST 2010 |
 Interactive TV |
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| OCTOBER 2010 |
| Mobile Broadband |
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| * Calendar subject to change |
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| - Derek Sheeler, Analyst, Olayan Group |
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| - Barry Kantner, Vice President, World Wide Packets |
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