Discovery, Sony, and Imax announce new 24-hour 3D TV channel

Sony, Discovery and Imax announce plans for new 24-hour 3D entertainment TV channel in the US
Sony, Discovery and Imax announce plans for new 24-hour 3D entertainment TV channel in the US

We knew all along that 3D TV was going to be the big 'take away' from CES 2010, but not many of us realised just how big, with media giants Sony, Discovery and Imax launching a new 3D TV channel.

The news follows the earlier announcement that Disney sports division ESPN plans to launch a 3D sports channel this summer in the US, timed to coincide with the World Cup in South Africa.

Discovery Communications will distribute the channel in the US from some as-yet-unannounced-date in 2011, with a mix of 3D entertainment, sports an d natural history programming planned.

24-hour 3D entertainment

Sony Corporation chairman Howard Stringer called it a "groundbreaking new venture," and added, "it is clear to us that consumers will always migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together we are determined to be the leader in providing that around the world."

The Discovery, Imax and Sony venture will be a full 24-hour channel, broadcasting around the clock.

David Zaslav, Chief Exec of Discovery Communications, said that 3D is part of "this overall quest that we're on for closest-to-real."

Zaslav added: "With Sony promoting it on their sets and Imax promoting it in the theaters, and all of us contributing content, we think we can have something that will be pretty strong for consumers."

Via The New York Times

Adam Hartley