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Final 3-D Blu-ray Specification Announced
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Posted December 17, 2009 05:48 AM by Juan Calonge
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 The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the “Blu-ray 3D™” specification. It leverages the technical advantages of the BD format to deliver “unmatched picture quality” as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. The specification is also designed to allow the PS3 to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3-D.
Notably, the specification allows every player and movie supporting it to deliver full HD 1080p resolution to each eye. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3-D image to any compatible 3-D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3-D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.
Regarding compatibility, the specification supports playback of 2-D discs in forthcoming 3-D players and can enable 2-D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.
The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3-D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2-D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2-D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3-D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3-D graphic menus and displaying 3-D subtitles positioned in 3-D video.
The completed specification will be available shortly and provides individual manufacturers and content providers with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.
“Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3-D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3-D or 2-D,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. “We believe this demand for 3-D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3-D experience to the living room.”
“From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home,” said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. “The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution.”
“In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced,” said Matsuda. “We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3-D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3-D home entertainment.”
A note on spelling
Earlier this year, the blu-ray.com team unanimously decided to use the spelling "3-D", with a hyphen, for everything related to stereoscopic images, and "3D", without a hyphen, for three-dimensional graphics and animation. We shall continue to do so, except when citing the name of the “Blu-ray 3D” specification, which doesn't use the hyphen.
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Source: Blu-ray.com |
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Jock Blu
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Dec 17, 2009
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Cool that the PS3 will be able to play 3D! |
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thespindoc
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Dec 17, 2009
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Even if our PS3s can playback 3D, that's only one less peice to the entire 3D architecture you may need to purchase once it becomes mainstream. I figure you'll need a 3D capabile display and new HDMI cables for starters....ahhh...but it'll be quite awhile before we see the 2nd and 3rd gen displays. Can anyone say Avatar in 3D in your home!??! Sweeeeet! |
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lovgun7
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Dec 17, 2009
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you guys get together to discuss how to spell 3-D ??? hahahahahahahahaa |
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wallendo
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Dec 17, 2009
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Is there an actual link for this. Other than a single sentence in the first paragraph, the PS3 is not mentioned. I am interested in how Sony can add a HDMI 1.4 port via firmware? (or is an HDMI 1.4 port no longer required?) |
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Seretur
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Dec 17, 2009
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Love the note on spelling. Most of the Internet is illiterate, some are semi-literate, you guys are class.
This is wonderful news, and I look forward to hearing more about it! |
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aramis109
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Dec 17, 2009
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I really don't like the increased "50% overhead" bit. I suppose it's better than 100% increase, but the issue is that in order for some blockbusters to get a decent encode, they're eating up a good chunk of the 50gb currently available. What's going to happen when your 3-hour summer blockbuster suddenly needs tons of special features and audio tracks AND an additional 50% overhead? I hope the answer isn't "bit-starved". |
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akbungle
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Dec 17, 2009
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I'm sure they decided to go ahead without HDMI 1.4 and used something less robust but more accessible. |
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DefTechPioElite
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Dec 17, 2009
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Thank god it will enable 2-d playback. I'm blind in one eye(100% cyclops style) and can't see 3-d |
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DefTechPioElite
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Dec 17, 2009
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@aramis919 hopefully they start to use some of the larger capacity discs that are compatible with all current/future players, as not to sacrifice bit rate; especially for people like me who can't see 3-D. I don't want what I consider to be a novelty to sacrifice my 2-D picture quality |
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photograph17
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Dec 17, 2009
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So is this "specification" a download, or do you have to buy a new blu ray player? I just bought my player last year; not interested in buying another one already. |
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akbungle
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Dec 17, 2009
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@photograph17
Unless the player you bought was a PS3 then in most likelihood (95% certain) you would need a new player to achieve the 3-D described above. |
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Twile
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Dec 17, 2009
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Excellent news. As someone who owns a pair of stereoscopic shutter glasses and a 120 Hz display for 3-D gaming, I can personally attest to the awesomeness that is the modern home 3-D experience. I've really been hoping that this would take off, not just because I want to enjoy movies in 3-D, but I'm hoping that it will generate renewed interest in 3-D for games. Games have some of their own quirks (drawing text and special effects at the wrong depth sometimes, for example) that interrupt the experience but movies rendered/recorded for 3-D viewing should have none of these. The only issue my shutter glasses have is ghosting--they don't go completely black so when you have a high-contrast scene you can see a tiny bit of the right frame in the left eye, and a hint of the left frame in the right eye. As the glasses are $150 a pop I'm assuming they're some of the better ones and that this is a general problem with the technology; hopefully over the next year or two they'll be able to work on eliminate ghosting.
Bitrate does concern me somewhat, because I don't think anyone wants a decrease in quality for the 2-D or 3-D viewing experience. I would've felt more at ease if they said 4X read speed would be required for the 3-D functionality (with existing 2X players only being able to read back the 2-D video) and promised that 75 or 100 GB discs would allow for longer movies to be stored, but that would cut the PS3 out of the 3-D equation and Sony wouldn't stand for that. If they say they can get it to work on 2X BD-ROMs, who am I to argue? |
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mr.hidef
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Dec 17, 2009
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I wonder if the color in 3-D will improve?.......not holding my breath though. |
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Bluyoda
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Dec 17, 2009
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I have seen Christmas Carol and the trailer of Alice in Wonderland in 3-D, but it's too gimmicky for me. I am very happy with 2D movies. This is just an attempt to lure people into spending more money. I don't feel comfortable wearing those glasses. What if u cry?
95% of all movies are in 2D, so I am definitely not going to upgrade just for a couple of flicks such as Avator or so. In the theater it's ok, but at home? Not for me. |
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fettastic
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Dec 17, 2009
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"What if u cry"???? What the hell? What kind of criticism is that? I am TOTALLY onboard for 3D Blu-ray and it is thanks to the unprecidented adoption of BD that we are finally getting this technology in the home.
I have to say I'm frankly surprised the studios were in such a hurry to do it since 3D is the biggest factor getting people into theaters now that home setups are so advanced. For example, why would a family of 4 spend all that money and hastle to go see Avatar in the theater when they can have the exact same experience (frankly a much BETTER experience) at home 4 months later?
I'm not saying tumbleweeds will be rolling through theaters anytime soon, but it is puzzling. |
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SellmeyourDVD
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Dec 17, 2009
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I wonder what the digital download crowd thinks of this? Isn't this sort of a nail in the coffin for that technology to even compete with blu ray? |
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REPLAY
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Dec 17, 2009
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NO INTEREST IN 3-D AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you can view it with out glasses, then I would be interested. |
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tricky
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Dec 17, 2009
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I'm so excited as I love 3D, but I'm really anxious to find out what the glasses are like and what additional equipment will be necessary. I really hope it's not the two different colored lenses; those suck! If it's the ones that look like shades, I'll be impressed. That's what I wore when I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D, and it was quite the experience. I want more information now! When will this be launched ...2010? |
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Hale-Bopp
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Dec 17, 2009
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Woohoo!!
I'm excited for 3-D at home! I'm totally pleased to hear that this new tech will be compatible with all existing and future 3-D displays. That's incredibly encouraging to me, because I wanna see 3-D thrive. Mad props to the BDA for working this out so quickly and adamantly.
Avatar 3-D & Disney's UP 3-D at home?? YES PLEASE!! |
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