Avail-TVN plans full suite of VOD, linear 3D services

Digital media services company Avail-TVN today announced it was jumping full-bore onto the 3D rails, planning to launch a suite of 3D programming services by the end of 2010 for both VOD and linear.

The company said it will give operators access to transactional 3D-VOD content and a companion free on-demand service, both in stereoscopic 3D. Avail-TVN also is planning a transactional PPV channel offering movies, concerts, events, sports programming; and a free-to-the-consumer promotional 3D channel offering features, documentaries, music and specialty programming, the later to give consumers an opportunity to test their 3D sets and glasses.

The services are designed to work with a service provider's existing infrastructure. The company's 3D on-demand offerings will work with existing set-top boxes with minor OTA software updates.

"Commercializing a scalable 3D service for the industry requires coordination between content producers, operators, and technology vendors," said Michael Kazmier, Chief Technology Officer, Avail-TVN.  "Our focus has been to bring these partners together in an integrated fashion so that we can deliver a broad selection of 3D programming-transactional and free-for consumers to enjoy on their new 3D TVs."

Austin-based consumer research firm Zpryme Research & Consulting says it has determined by analyzing consumer discussion around January's Consumer Electronics Show that U.S. consumers are very interested in and excited by the prospect of 3D TV [1], and invariably describe it with words like "revolutionary" and "cool."

For more:
- see this release [2]

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Price, goofy glasses hold up 3D TV adoption in U.K. [4]
NAB 2010: Title it 'Las Vegas in 3D' [5]
Verizon says it's fighting through obstacles to launch 3D service [6]
CBS: 3D broadcast of Duke-Butler game a win for network [7]
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