Session 6: Can There (Ever) be a Common Worldwide 3D TV Broadcast Standard?
David Wood, Dep Dir, EBU – Technical
Panel
Rick Dean, Pres, 3D@Home Consortium
Ted Szypulski, Sr. Dir, Tech Research and Standards, ESP
Ajay Luthra, Vice Chair JVT, ISO/IEC JTC1 MPEG
Rick Dean, 3D@Home
Best Practices to set up and maintain the post production environment have not been well documented and available to the industry.
We need common tests and benchmarks, compatibility and interoperability, high quality content (whatever that means), and education initiatives for professionals and consumers alike.
Ted Szypulski, SMPTE (ESPN)
SMPTE 10E40WG is the “3D Home Master” standards effort (132 members participating.) The kickoff meeting was in Nov. 2009. NOTE: The work does not include distribution formats or technologies, but the work is mindful of them.
Four Ad Hoc Groups are under the working group
– Image Format (Walt Husak) – allowed characteristics
– Metadata (Karen Broome, Sony) – descriptive data, technical data
– Subtitles and captions (no name given)
– Graphics Overlays (no name given) – insertions by MSOs and STB (volume level display)
Hot topics being debated in the SMPTE working group are:
– What is a “Master” from the viewpoint of the Cinema industry and the Broadcast industry?
– Do you allow compression in the master, and if so, what and where will it be allowed?
– How might the Z axis data be conveyed in production, and should it be included in the master? If it is another video signal; what will it be, where will it go, and how will it be managed?
Ajay Luthra, MPEG (and Motorola, aluthra@motorola.com)
In 2D today you can capture at 4 bits color, distribute at 8 bits color, and display at 4 bits color. There is a decoupling in the data handoffs.
Near-term there are split resolution or frame compatible 3D formats; 720p60, 1080i30 or 1080p24. Medium-term, there is Blu-ray full resolution. It doesn’t matter whether the consumer can see it or not. What matters is what the salesperson tells the consumer. Long-term (2012/2013+) there will be migration to full 1080p60 per eye, and after that 4K x 2K.
Near-term (2010) we have half resolution per eye – MPEG-4 AVC / H.264. Note that we could not agree on a single name, “so good luck on a global standard.”
An emerging issue is whether backward compatibility is needed? This will determine the choice between 2D/frame compatible dual broadcast, and MVC and Scalable Video Coding and AVC (formatted for stereo with the same efficiency as MVC). Once a standard is deployed, it is very hard to get rid of.
MPEG just started working on the High performance Video Codec (HVC), which may replace all of the above in the long-term.
Other key challenges
– Placement of 2D graphics on 3D TVs
– Too many button pushes on remote controls (STB and 3D TV). The need to select the 3D format being received is especially problematic in a consumer device. Motorola has developed an incoming 3D format detector.
David Wood, EBU/DVB/ITU
The work in these three groups focuses on the over-the-air signal formats.
DVB is looking at; 1) commercial requirements – document being finalized, and 2) technical specifications for Frame Compatible (FC) – should be completed later this year (work has already begun on Phase 2)
EBU is participating in R&D for multiview and 2.5D (holoscopy)
ITU-R has produced a report with classification of 3D TV systems (levels, generations of types of 3D – plain, stereo, multiview, …)
Two critical issues; a) eye comfort, and b) impact of HDMI 1.4 options
Q&A
(David) Will there be a common format? Is anyone in the driving seat, or is it just the kids in the back giving orders? (Ted) There are already differences in frame rates around the globe. On an earlier point, since 3D is artistically different from 2D, backwards compatible is not needed. (Ajay) I don’t really expect a common format. (Rick) We’ll get there.