Here’s what they have to say about content:

“There are content distribution companies that own content and that are simply running demonstration events early in the evolution of 3D,” Strickland said. “These early events seem to be aimed at the viewers who just went through the  challenge of getting the best HD sets. Some content owners have elected to specifically exclude Verizon and other competitive distributors from carriage of these 3D events in an effort to advantage their distribution businesses.  Others have fixed ridiculously high prices for the content. Verizon’s position is that integrated operators should not withhold programming options from the marketplace, and that consumers should have the freedom to choose the distributor that best meets their needs.”

Harry Friedman, executive producer of “Wheel” and “Jeopardy!,” introduced the clip.

“One of the biggest challenges is keeping a game show fresh — by changing the show without changing the game,” he said. “We do that with enhanced production value, such as set design. We typically do dimensionalized sets, which are made for 3D.”

He added that there is no set time that this could be rolled out. But we could see some novelty in game shows using 3D on passive 3D tv sets.

Lets face it, pretty much everyone knows that if you are going to be in a non-fixed entertainment setting (pretty much anything outside of a Movie with no commercials) that glasses don’t seem like an appealing option. Of course soccer is one of the rare sports that don’t have commercial breaks every 5 minutes. However people are considerably more social in a pub environment. Often times people are not close enough to the TV for the 3D experience to be of any real value.  What all of this means is that the glasses are just going to be a burden to deal with, unless you are seated at the perfect spot in front of a high quality projector screen.

In my opinion, the current non-passive 3D experiences will be successful in dedicated movie and gaming settings where the screen size take up a fair amount of a person’s direct point of view. This may seem obvious to most people, however in their excitement to promote new products I have a feeling 3D media companies could be shooting themselves in the foot by getting bad press for these staged events that don’t represent an environment where today’s 3D technologies really shine.

Once passive 3D screens start rolling out over the next 3 to 5 years, 3D will start to really take on a different meaning.  An autostereo screen in a bar will look more like viewing the game through a window.  Depth is key here, and as you may know already, depth is something we cannot emphasize more. 3D on a television really should be compared to looking through a window, with only a slight effect of “things coming out at you”.

So my basic point here is, the smaller the screen is in front of you, and the more social distractions around you, the greater the chance that you will be taking off your 3D glasses and asking the pub owner if there is a non-3D TV that you can view.

Roberts sees 3D ready TV’s to be in many homes within “10 years” but doesn’t see 3D as a full time viewing option, because people will be unwilling to wear glasses.  He compares it to blue tooth technologies.

What Roberts seems to miss is the auto or passive 3D appearance TVs will start to offer in about 3 years.  So in 10 years, the idea of using glasses to view 3D content is not very forward thinking, in our opinion.  Of course Comcast has the money to catch up if they need to and their current infrastructure already supports 3D. Once enough demand grows, they just take on already in production 3D channels and are ready to roll.   So as long as TV manufactures believe in 3D with and without glasses, and there is enough compelling content, then cable providers will fall in line. I think that may be part of Roberts’ lack of concern for 3D. Simply because he doesn’t have to push for it like 3D content and manufacturers do.

Source:  HDguru

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Dec 23, 2009 HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI®) specification, today announced, on behalf of the HDMI Founders, the following regarding 3D formats and the HDMI Specification Version 1.4:

1. In order to respond to recent input from the industry, the HDMI Consortium will meet in late January 2010 to add an additional 3D format (tentatively named “Top/Bottom”) to the HDMI specification, supporting the use of this format over HDMI.

a. The exact date for this announcement is undetermined. The Consortium has committed to resolving this issue in January 2010 and publishing a document soon thereafter.

2. Legacy set-top boxes (those that are already deployed in the market) are required to comply with the HDMI Specification Version 1.4 requirements for 3D functionality even if only implementing one or more of the 3D formats in Appendix H of the specification.

a. In order to meet the needs of the market, the HDMI Founders have decided to allow legacy set-top boxes to use formats contained in Appendix H without having to implement the HDMI specification’s mandatory 3D formats, provided that they fully comply with the signaling protocol defined in Appendix H. This will continue to be in effect and will be reevaluated once a mandatory 3D broadcast format is defined.

i. However, legacy set-top boxes that do not support the mandatory 3D formats may not claim 3D functionality as defined by the updated HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines.

”As a leading global standard for HD connectivity, the HDMI Consortium takes the market’s needs very seriously,” says Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “3D is a nascent market and thus continues to evolve quickly. We have taken input from leading industry associations and this announcement reflects the HDMI Founders’ commitment to continuously and proactively set the foundation for innovations that will deliver the next generation of content. The addition of the new format will secure the application of 3D for broadcasting, in addition to the existing applications for Blu-ray and gaming.”

For more information about the HDMI specification please visit http://www.hdmi.org.

cineramIC™ IP Core Includes Support for Multi-view Video Coding (MVC) and JPEG Decoding for Consumer SoC and Professional Broadcast FPGA Applications

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Dec 15, 2009 Silicon Image, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIMG), a leader in semiconductors and intellectual property (IP) for the secure distribution, presentation and storage of high-definition (HD) content, today announced the newest member of its IP core family, the cineramIC™ 4K and 3D H.264 digital video decoder. With its high performance, low cost and high-quality video imaging, the cineramIC IP core can be integrated into System-on-Chips (SoCs) for next-generation digital TV (DTV), set-top-box (STB) and camcorder applications, as well as professional video editing, broadcast, medical and surveillance FPGA applications.

While consumer HDTVs are now prevalent worldwide, 3D video capability is gaining momentum in movie theaters and emerging in the consumer DTV market. The commercialization of ultra-high definition (UHD) resolutions is also on the horizon given the latest availability of professional 4K resolution cameras and displays.

“UHD formats such as 4K x 2K have four times the resolution of current high-definition TVs,” said Michelle Abraham, principal analyst with market research firm In-Stat. “While higher UHD resolution cameras and displays may be further off into the future, 4K resolution cameras and displays are already available for professional applications. It’s just a matter of time before 4K movie and camcorder content is available for professional consumer (prosumer) 4K displays.”

The cineramIC IP core is a high-performance, cost-effective multi-standard digital video decoder design with the following features:

• Performance of up to 4K x 2K at 30 frames per second or high-definition 1080p 3D at 60 frames per second utilizing a single video pipeline implementation.
• Support for H.264, MPEG-1/2 and VC-1 decoding.
• Fully automatic multi-stream decoding for up to 16 streams, error detection and concealment, with very low software processing requirements.
• H.264 Multiview Video Coding (MVC) extension support for multi-camera 3D, surveillance and sports viewing applications.
• JPEG decoding of images up to 16K x 8K size with a decoding rate of 9 pictures per second for 32 Megapixel pictures.

“For over a decade, Silicon Image has been delivering high-performance and cost-effective MPEG and H.264 digital video decoders into the marketplace for use primarily in consumer applications,” said Ron Richter, director of business development at Silicon Image, Inc. “The cineramIC IP core family will help our SoC customers in future-proofing their consumer video ASIC products and also extend the reach of our IP products into the professional camera, broadcast, medical and security markets through our FPGA offerings.”

The cineramIC technology is designed to support HD, 3D, 4K and higher resolution video decoding functions. A 4K (4K x 2K) resolution digital video decoder SoC using the cineramIC IP core running at 30 frames per second will require about 970k ASIC gates to implement with a minimum clock speed of only 300MHz. This implementation can decode compressed video streams of up to 160 mega bits per second (maximum average CABAC performance), with the ability to decode even the most difficult professional video streams. FPGA implementations will use a lower clock speed and require additional gates to implement. Fewer than 2 million instructions per second (MIPS) of CPU time is required to decode 4K video streams, making the cineramIC IP core one of the industry’s highest performing, most efficient video decoders in the world. Similar hardware and software resources are required for decoding high-definition 1080p 3D 60 frames per second video content.

Silicon Image’s cineramIC IP core also supports multi-channel video decoding, including the latest H.264 Multiview Video Coding (MVC) extension. Up to 16 video streams can be automatically decoded without software intervention, reducing implementation complexity and improving time-to-market for 3D, surveillance and broadcast applications.

Silicon Image’s family of IP cores also includes a broad range of HDMI^® technology solutions, including transmitters and receivers incorporating HDMI Specification Version 1.4 features, Silicon Image’s Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL™) technology, Serial ATA storage (SATA) and camera image signal processors for mobile phone and netbook applications.

To see a live demonstration of the cineramIC IP core using an Altera Stratix IV GX FPGA board, visit us during the 2010 International CES, January 7-10, 2010 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. For editors and market analysts interested in meeting with Silicon Image during CES, please contact Sherrie Gutierrez at sherrie.gutierrez@siliconimage.com.

For more information about Silicon Image’s complete IP core product portfolio, visit our Web site at http://www.siliconimage.com/iplicensing/index.aspx or contact Ron Richter directly at (408) 962-4259 or at ron.richter@siliconimage.com.

About Silicon Image, Inc.

Silicon Image, Inc. is a leading provider of semiconductor and intellectual property products for the secure distribution, presentation and storage of high-definition content. With a rich history of technology innovation that includes creating industry standards such as DVI and HDMI, the company’s solutions facilitate the use of digital content amongst consumer electronics, personal computer (PC) and storage devices, with the goal to securely deliver digital content anytime, anywhere and on any device. Founded in 1995, the company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with regional engineering and sales offices in China, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. For more information, please visit www.siliconimage.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the, performance, functionality, features and benefits of Silicon Image’s cineramIC 4K or 3D IP core technology. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those described from time to time in Silicon Image’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which could cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Silicon Image assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Silicon Image, the Silicon Image logo, and MHL are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of Silicon Image, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. HDMI, the HDMI logo, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.

“Our sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup allows us to leverage our cutting-edge 3D technology and premier products with dazzling content to produce a unique and totally compelling viewing experience,” said Sir Howard Stringer, chairman/CEO/president of Sony Corporation.

“This propels the football fan into a whole new viewing dimension and marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “We are proud that the FIFA World Cup can serve as a platform for advancing technology and the viewing experience, and are truly fortunate to have Sony as a partner in this endeavour.”

It should be interesting to see how ESPN  utilizes 3D or if they will sub out some of their broadcasting rights to networks who will have 3D in place.

The showcase is expected to demonstrate new Panasonic 3D products including 3D-ready Blu-ray Disc players and a planned 50-inch 1080p plasma set and home-theater system.

Panasonic will underscore its sponsorship prior to the games by offering an online contest that will award the winner a trip to the games. The company is hosting a special Web site featuring profiles of athletes working to win a place in the games, with an opportunity for enthusiasts to share comments and observations. One of the fan bloggers will win a free Olympics trip.

Panasonic has been contributing to the Olympic Games with its state-of-the-art digital A/V technologies since the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. The company recently extended its global sponsorship commitment through 2016.

Step up home entertainment to a new level with the best home theater systems out in the market today.

Read more about the Olympics.

It seems Channel 4 and Virgin Media are currently embracing older technology in order to be the first to hit the market with 3D-TV broadcasting.  It looks like Sky is willing to wait a bit longer (2010) to utilize modern polarized technology.  It’s not clear on how easy it would be for Channel 4 and Virgin to switch their formatting to something that could be viewed via polarized or active shutter glasses. They are at risk however of disappointing bleeding-edge customers and giving the entire 3D-TV industry a bad name, effectively setting it back to the 1950s stereotype that 3D needs to shed.  Read more of the interview here.