KOREA: round the clock 3D already on air, with movies, live sports and more on the way

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Also on its list of four is F1 Grand Prix, which kind of begs the question 'How?'. After all, we're still struggling to get HD coverage of races, and the idea of cars zooming – well, OK, processing round rather slowly – with massive 3D in-car camera rigs on them is more than a little bizarre.

Also on its list of four is F1 Grand Prix, which kind of begs the question 'How?'. After all, we're still struggling to get HD coverage of races, and the idea of cars zooming – well, OK, processing round rather slowly – with massive 3D in-car camera rigs on them is more than a little bizarre.

After all, Panasonic did some car-to-car stuff with its Toyota team last year to fuel its 3D demos, and look what came of that.




Of course, could be 3D's the reason the F1 rule changes have slowed everything down so much...

In other news, Korea's IPTV companies are also looking to a 3D future, with all three – Korea Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Telecom – considering the launch of services later this year. Video on Demand is likely to be the first step, making use of the country's superfast broadband internet services to deliver programming, but the Korea Communications Commission also reckons full-time 3D channels online are a distinct possibility.

3D TV without 3D TVs?
Mind you, there's another intriguing little footnote in the Korean press coverage of the announcements, apart from SK Telecom's plans for a set-top broadband TV box able to convert 2D programmming to 3D on the fly.

SkyLife says it's working on new technology aimed at broadening the appeal of 3D programming. It's said this involves helping subscribers with regular LCD, or LED backlit LCD sets capable of working at over 60Hz watch 3D TV on their existing hardware, rather than having to buy new 3D-capable screens.

??? ???, as they say in Korea...

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Andrew Everard

Andrew has written about audio and video products for the past 20+ years, and been a consumer journalist for more than 30 years, starting his career on camera magazines. Andrew has contributed to titles including What Hi-Fi?, Gramophone, Jazzwise and Hi-Fi Critic, Hi-Fi News & Record Review and Hi-Fi Choice. I’ve also written for a number of non-specialist and overseas magazines.