14 DAY TRIAL // The Blu-ray Disk Association is made up of the leading Hollywood studios, such as 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney and Warner Bros., and the great players in the consumer electronics industry, like Apple, Dell, HP, Intel, Samsung, Sony and others. The association has finally completed the “Blu-ray 3D” specification, which will enable full HD 3D playback by leveraging the technical advantages of Blu-ray disks.
The specification implies that 3D video encoding be done via the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec. This code is an extension of the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray players. The MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content.
The specification not only provides backwards compatibility with 2D Blu-ray disk players (thanks to the MPEG4-MVC) but, for 3D-capable players, it actually enables for 3D content to be rendered in Full HD 1080p resolution. The specification also provides enhanced 3D graphics features and even enables the use of 3D menus and display of 3D subtitles.
"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." The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, it supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.
3D products will be viewable on any compatible 3D displays, making no distinction between the technology used in 3D rendering or whether the display is LCD, Plasma or of any other kind (the specification is “display agnostic”).
"In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced," said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. "We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment."
The specification will shortly become available and will provide manufacturers and content providers with the required technical information and guidelines for creating their own “Blu-ray 3D”-compliant products, each according to its own timetable.