Blu-ray body talks up, fails to detail 3D content standard

Quick, onto the Avatar trailer bandwagon!

The Blu-ray Disc Association has yet again said it's looking at how it can incorporate 3D TV content into the optical disc standard - but with still no indication in which technological direction its investigation is leaning.

The BDA said in May it was forming a taskforce to probe the problem - five months after Panasonic called for the prompt creation of a Full HD 3D TV version of standard.

3D on the big screen: the eyes have it

At the time, the consumer electronics giant threatened to go it alone if the Blu-ray Boys couldn't or wouldn't come up with a standard. Panasonic has some weight here, having working closely with filmmaker James Cameron on his 3D magnum opus, Avatar.

Indeed, it's the recent release of a special Avatar trailer - the full film will be released in December - and the resulting media interest in 3D that's undoubtedly lead to the BDA's 'we haven't forgotten about 3D' statement.

The best it could say about its progress so far is that "at a minimum, the specification will require delivery of 1080p resolution to each eye and backward compatibility for both discs and players". As a result, 3D discs must include a 2D copy of the movie, and 3D-capable players must be able to play old 2D-only discs. ®