3D in the Home: Mass Market or Niche?

There is substantial momentum to increase the production of digital 3D content and the number of 3D digital cinema screens. In addition to the novelty of now being able to offer an immersive high-quality multimedia experience to movie-goers, reports indicate that the average revenue per 3D screen is approximately three times higher than that of conventional 2D screens. But how does all of this translate to the emerging 3D business in the home? This talk will highlight some of the barriers involved in bringing a high-quality 3D experience to the home, and consider whether 3D could achieve mass market deployment and appeal in that space. The current state of technology and existing consumer product offerings will first be introduced. Then, the requirements for a common 3D data format will be discussed with particular emphasis on ongoing standardization efforts and related technology for multiview video coding and coded depth representations. While getting 3D content into the home and having a means to decode and display it are necessary, it is also critical to ensure a pleasant 3D viewing experience. Repurposing of 3D digital cinemas content for the home will be touch on, and some related display processing techniques for both stereoscopic and auto-multiscopic displays will also be presented. This talk will conclude with an assessment of future needs going forward.