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/ 06.16.2010 12:00AM
Comcast Will Switch to MPEG-4 for 3DTV in August
PHILADELPHIA:
Comcast was among the handful of pay TV providers opting to carry ESPN 3D, the
world’s first full-time stereoscopic 3DTV network. Comcast subscribers who want
to see the programming in 3D just need the proper TV set and shutter glasses
for now. Eventually, they’ll also need a
specific set-top box. Comcast plans to transmit 3D content exclusively using
MPEG-4 H.264, according to Cable360Net.
The cable operator launched ESPN 3D in both MPEG-2, the video compression
standard for over-the-air DTV, and in the more bandwidth efficient MPEG-4
format. Comcast plans to go all MPEG-4 with 3D content in August. It already
has around 10 million MPEG-4 boxes in the field, mostly in households with HDTV
subscriptions. That leaves around 15 million or so with MPEG-2 decoders.
Comcast is said to be switching from Motorola to Pace set-tops, which will
feature two-way capability and MPEG-4. The two-way capability will allow
Comcast to adopt switched digital video delivery, which it plans to do this
year to preserve bandwidth for 3DTV. Rather than transmitting all channels
simultaneously all the time, as is the case now, a SDV architecture delivers
the video stream that’s being watched. (
See
“Comcast
Tees Up Switched Video Rollouts”)-- Deborah D. McAdams
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Wednesday 12:00AM
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