China launches 3D channel

As France’s Canal+ closes its 3D experiment, so China enters the fray with the trial broadcasts of its first dedicated 3D channel. Opened on New Year’s Day, the channel will air various programmes including documentaries, sports, serials and live events – including the upcoming CCTV New Year Gala and, of course, the London Olympic Games.

Six broadcasters have cooperated to produce the channel, including CCTV, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Shenzhen TV stations. Each station is responsible for a specific programme, while the channel itself is broadcast via CCTV.

The 3D channel broadcasts from 10:30am through to midnight, Beijing time each day and so far seems to be following the business model successfully developed by Sky in the UK – free to air via HD set-stop box.

Following a brace of negative stories about the format to start the New Year, this is just the boost the 3D industry needs. And, as 3ality Technica’s Steve Schklair said to SVG Europe back at the tail end of November: ““The Chinese government has mandated that the government-owned broadcasters, which is most of them, should be doing live 3D broadcasts, so you’ll see that move forward at China Time – in other words it’ll accelerate everyone else in the world as they move so quickly once they decide to move.”