If you’re one of the few people to have bought a 3DTV and were planning to watch the NRL Grand Final on it in October then you may want to look away now.
Tech manufacturers and broadcasters the world over seem to be pushing 3D on to us whether we want it or not. Sure, Avatar was better to watch in 3D than in 2D, but it was annoying having to wear the glasses, and while a movie is one thing normal television programming is quite another.
Coupled with the price of the technology at this early stage and you can see why 3DTV isn’t taking off in the way the industry would hope. After all, it’s only been the last couple of years that the mainstream have invested in a new TV capable of showing HD broadcasts.
Still, broadcasters are forging ahead with plans to start showing more programs in 3D, with sporting events being the most logical choice.
Channel Nine had, and still has, plans to broadcast the National Rugby League grand final on October 3 in 3D. David Gyngell, the network’s CEO, said, “Nine is thrilled to once again bring rugby league fans the most technologically advanced way to watch their game.”
Within a couple of hours of this announcement, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) had rained on Nine’s parade, revealing it had “not ”issued a licence to the Nine Network to broadcast the NRL grand final in 3D, contrary to the network’s media advisories”.
The reason for this lack of issuing a licence is that Channel Nine hasn’t yet delivered the report detailing its previous trialling of 3DTV. Between May and August, Nine, along with the SBS, broadcast the State of Origin matches in 3D. Its trial license to do so expired on August 18, and the ACMA hasn’t yet issued it with another one due to the lack of a timely report on the broadcaster’s earlier experience.
With Channel Seven also signaling its intent to broadcast the AFL Grand Final in 3D on September 25, the ACMA clearly needs to pull its finger out and start issuing the appropriate licenses, trial or otherwise. Or there will be many (well, a select few) 3DTV owners with nothing to watch on their brand new television set.
Talk about 3rd Class Citizen’s
What a joke Country Folks left out in the cold once again No 3d Broadcast. The way it is 3d TV’s should only be sold in the city centre’s and not in country area’s and everyone made aware that you will not be getting any 3d broadcasts