The Blu-ray Disc Association has officially endorsed the concept of 3-D technology (exactly which one it hasn't said yet) for its Blu-ray Disc standard, just as a growing number of set makers — most recently Sony — have announced plans to begin shipping 3-D-capable HD sets in 2010.
The BDA, whose members include CE and IT interests, as well as most major motion picture studios, said in a Sept. 1 statement that it's working on a "uniform specification" for 3-D delivery across Blu-ray's 1080p platform.
At a minimum, BDA said, the eventually chosen spec "will require delivery of 1080p resolution to each eye and backward-compatibility for both discs and players." While current Blu-ray players are backward-compatible to play standard DVD titles, the backward-compatibility included in future 3-D Blu-ray discs typically means the new discs will include a regular Blu-ray (2-D) version of the title that can be viewed on existing 2-D players.
What's not yet clear is if new 3-D Blu-ray players also will be backward-compatible for standard DVD, as well, but that appears unlikely.
