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Toshiba has announced its first 3D-enabled Blu-ray player, with the BDX3100KB announced alongside the BDX1100KB.

Toshiba's first Blu-ray player with 3D playback offers what the company describes as an immersive and three-dimensional experience.

"When connected to a 3D TV, the BDX3100KB enables users to enjoy a whole new kind of home cinema, with greater depth of field and enriched colour production," adds Toshiba's release.

Full HD 24p

The BDX3100KB provides Full HD 1920x1080p 3D output with Blu-ray movies played back at 24 frames per second.

"A 3D-capable HDMI port allows output of 3D content from Blu-ray 3D discs to a 3D capable TV set, allowing users to enjoy a fully immersive home cinema experience," adds Tosh.

The less featured BDX1100KB offers 1080p upscaling, 1024p/24p playback, BD-Live and Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD - like its more expensive brother - but does not have 3D capability.

The BDX3100KB and BDX1100KB from Toshiba have been given a UK release date of October 2010, with prices yet to be announced.

Samsung has shown off the BD-C8900 3D Blu-ray player with a built in HDD, stating that its latest player offers 'unlimited entertainment'.

The Samsung BD-C8900 probably won't offer unlimited entertainment in all honesty, but it does offer a Full HD 1080p picture, DVB-T/C or DVB-S2 tuners, and 120 hours of recording space for your HD programmes.

Interestingly, the kit will also allow you to record and playback 3D content, which certainly makes it a desirable piece of kit for the early adopter.

Hub for entertainment

"Serving as a hub for home entertainment, the BD-C8900 enables consumers to consolidate all digital media files in a single device with its 500GB/250GB hard disk drive," says Samsung's release.

"It also allows for easier content sharing with other devices using wireless AllShare or USB 2.0 connectivity, and includes a wireless LAN adaptor with access to Samsung Apps."

The Samsung BD-C8900 is available now and is priced at around £580.

Like Panasonic, Sony's message of IFA 2010 is also about the maturity of 3D – Sir Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony hailed Sony as the "strongest engine in this 3D express." Sony's entire press conference was presented completely in 3D.

"Many consumers and critics were sceptical about 3D," said Stringer. "A year later, Avatar has led a 3D cinema revolution. Hollywood is expected to release nearly 30 3D films this year. A hit is still a hit, except in 3D it's a bigger hit."

"The 3D train is moving forward, speedily and steadily, like China's Harmony Express. And Sony clearly has the strongest engine in this 3D express."

"The adaption has been faster than some analysts had predicted," added Sony Europe's Fujio Nishida. "38 million owners of the PS3 can play 3D games and will be able to watch 3D Blu-ray by the end of the year."

hailed the up-and-coming strength of Sony's camera division while he added that the financial outlook shouldn't be considered as doom and gloom. "The outlook [seems] reasonably positive as we move towards the Christmas selling season."

As well as a new Sony Reader Touch and Sony Bloggie Touch, Sony also announced the Qriocity network streaming music and video service.

The assembled press were also treated to a variety of 3D content on a huge 280-inch LED 3D screen including highlights from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the finale of the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament, 3D games and a recital by pianist Lang Lang who also performed live on stage in 3D – sadly with cheesy "I've always loved Sony products" scripted quote.

Samsung has once again been making noises about OLED TV, and promised that it will be coming soon.

Samsung has also confirmed that it sees OLED display as an excellent option for 3D TV – with its fast response time and deep contrast ratios it would make sense for the two technologies to mix.

However, given that Samsung has long talked up how it is the only OLED producer in mass production at the moment, it's odd that it doesn't already have an OLED TV in the marketplace, especially given that Asian rivals Sony and LG have both launched a 14- and 15-inch display respectively.

No timeframe

Samsung once again wouldn't be drawn on a timeframe for a new OLED TV, but did say that 3D TVs with OLED technology will be 'a few years down the line' in an interview with bnet.

i-CAN has become the first Freeview HD brand to offer Sky Sports, thanks to a deal with Top Up TV.

A software update, which will be available from both i-CAN's and Top Up TV's websites, adds the extra functionality to existing i-CAN Easy HD Freeview HD boxes.

Those who have yet to buy an i-CAN Easy HD box will be pleased to hear that the pay service will be installed on to all new boxes which go on sale in the next couple of weeks.

Only one offering

The update means that users will be able to sign up to both Sky Sports (1 & 2) and ESPN through their i-CAN setup.

i-CAN spokesperson Karl Tempest-Mitchell said about the announcement: "We are proud to be the only company currently offering TV viewers in the UK the combination of Freeview HD and SD channels, iPlayer catch-up HD content from the BBC and premium sports, movies and entertainment channels from Top Up TV."

Although this is something of an exclusive for i-CAN at the moment, expect many more Freeview HD box manufacturers to get this update soon, as all new boxes have been primed to receive firmware updates that add extra functionality.

Just this week, Humax announced a small update for the HD-FOX T2, which brings Dolby Digital 5.1 improvements, resolved reminder issues and resolved subtitle issues.

Humax has announced the official launch date for its HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD recorder, which comes with a 500GB hard drive.

Last time we told you about the FOX T2 we left you hanging with the rather vague date of 'end of July' for a release. Well it turns out that this isn't the case anymore, as the Fox T2 will hit shops mid August.

Free HD

Not only does the HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD recorder come with a 500GB hard drive, it also boasts twin tuners, two USB ports and compatibility with MP3s and JPEGs, so you can listen to music and playback photos straight from the box.

• WIN! Two Humax HDR-FOX T2 Freeview+ HD PVRs to give away!

The biggest pull for most, though, will be the inclusion of Sky Player on the box. This means that you will be able to get a number of Sky channels for a monthly fee, without the need of a satellite dish.

So, that all important UK release date is 16 August. But Humax has told us that you may see the box in the shops from 14 August.

Price-wise, you are looking at £329.

Marvel Studios has announced that it will be using 3D for two of its biggest movies this year, but it won't be filming the movies with 3D cameras.

There has been a lot of criticism of the retro-fitting 3D to movies that have been shot in 3D, with Clash Of The Titans being singled out as 'how not to do 3D', but the directors behind Thor and Captain America are hoping that these movies will change opinion.

"We came to feel that in our case 3D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience," explained Kenneth Branagh, the director of Thor to the LA Times.

"I had a healthy degree of scepticism up front [but] I've become somebody extremely excited about working with possibilities of doing it this way."

To help with the 3D process, Branagh has been working closely with special effects supervisors to make sure that 3D is part of his filmmaking process, noting that the special effects in the movie will be "true 3D".

Overused and gimmicky

As for Captain America, director Joe Johnston is less-than impressed with the 3D he has seen, saying: "I think it tends to be overused and can be a little bit gimmicky.

"A lot of people are using 3D now because they feel have they have to... that will come and go and the pictures that deserve to be in 3D will continue to be. When it's done bad, it can make you carsick."

Although it seems Marvel is putting pressure on both directors to jump on the 3D bandwagon, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is adamant that the moviemakers will get 3D right, noting:

"When you're working with a director like Ken Branagh or Joe Johnston, they're not going to settle for less than perfect image.

"They're not going to settle for something that isn't up to the artistry of everything else they've done on the film ... they're not going to put on some overlay in the last 10 to 12 weeks of post-production for a fiscal reason."

At the moment filming natively in 3D is just too expensive for Hollywood studios, so it will be interesting to see when both Thor and Captain America are released if they managed to create a decent enough compromise.

While 3D broadcasting is still some time away, those of you with shiny new 3D televisions will soon be able to watch Blu-rays in the third dimension, thanks to Denon.

The high-end Hi-Fi manufacture has added two new Blu-ray players to its range, both of which are 3D compatible.

The £399 DBP-1611UD and £599 DBP-2011UD house 1GB memory for BD Live content and will also link up to YouTube so you can watch streamed content through the machines.

Anything goes

As with all Denon kit, audio technology is at the forefront of the 1611UD and 2011UD, with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio HDMI output.

The two new models also feature an Ethernet port to take advantage of internet services like BD live, as well as networking capabilities and a high quality 24-bit/192kHz audio digital to analog converter inside.

The DBP-2011UD and DBP-1611UD have a UK release August and September respectively.

It's official: Avatar is coming to cinemas this autumn again, with a full eight minutes' extra footage.

Now, don't get us wrong, Avatar was one of the best spectacles TechRadar has witnessed on the big screen but 160-odd minutes was definitely the longest time we have watched a 3D (blue) movie in one sitting.

Adding the extra eight minutes means that the movie will now be 170 minutes long - which will put most people's tolerance to wearing 3D specs to the test.

3D explosion

The reasoning for bringing Avatar back to the big screen is, according to Fox, because: "the number of available digital 3D screens has exploded, and moviegoers who missed experiencing the film in 3D, as well as fans that want to return to Pandora again, will now have that opportunity."

We have a sneaky suspicion that it will also be to keep the movie fresh in people's minds for the 3D Blu-ray version of Avatar that will hit shelves at the tail-end of the year.

Avatar 3D has a UK release date of 27 August. For more details, head over to www.avatarmovie.com.

Humax was one of the first manufacturers to sign up to Project Canvas, but it has revealed that the company will be initially taking a two-tier approach – offering premium Canvas-ready devices and boxes with its own catch-up portal.

Speaking about Canvas at the launch of the HDR-Fox T2, Graham North, commercial director at Humax, said: "We are part of the Canvas project, and whilst we are 100 per cent behind Canvas and will be launching a device next year, you can't connect all devices out there to the service, so we have a two-tier approach to the market.

"There will be our own portal which will carry catch-up services, including Sky Player and iPlayer, and we will add to our own support to this as well.

"We also have the ability in the long run to offer updates [to this service], so we will be offering future functionality," explains North.

Not Canvas compliant

North also noted that Project Canvas will not be something that appears on existing boxes, explaining that Canvas will be entirely separate.

"These boxes are not Canvas compliant. You cannot add Canvas to existing boxes, as things like navigation are completely different.

"Some of these services [we are offering] will be available on Canvas but we will be doing a dual launch for now."

North also believes that Canvas will be a premium product, but there may be some subsidising, explaining: "Canvas price is to be decided. [Our set-top box] will be a twin-tuner PVR and it will be a premium product.

"As time goes on there will be ways to bring down this cost. There is talk of subsidising this product but this is down to Canvas and its partners and it is still to be confirmed."

Both the HDR-Fox T2 PVR and the existing HD-Fox T2 will have catch-up TV via a firmware update this autumn.

Humax today officially unveiled its latest Freeview HD box, the HDR-Fox T2.

The device is an update to the company's set-top Freeview HD box - the HD-Fox T2 - offering 500GB storage, home network connectivity and the ability to play extra media content.

Humax has decided to give the box a gloss black chassis rather than the matt finish of the HD-T2 and have turned the device into a home networking solution which can link up other networked devices and stream content.

You can link the HDR-Fox T2 to existing Fox HD-T2 set-tops and stream the HD content stored on the machine as well. Unfortunately this is only Ethernet only for the time being, but WiFi functionality may be on its way in the form of a dongle.

There is also the ability to take programmes off of the Fox T2 and playback the content as long as it isn't laboured with any copy protection.

VoD services

HDR-Fox T2 will also have catch-up TV service, which will come as an update in the third quarter of the year. This is something which was announced back in December 2009.

This will bring VoD functionality in the form of Sky Player, iPlayer and there will even be some picture-sharing functionality – most probably in the form of Flickr.

The VoD portal will also come to existing HD-T2 boxes via a firmware update. The HD-T2 will also get PVR functionality, but you will have to plug an external hard-disk drive for this to work properly.

Other features include music and video streaming – music in the form of MP3 while most movie formats will be compatible, except for MKV.

The HDR-Fox T2 has a UK release date of 'end of July' and will be priced at £329.

Seven years after the original Freeview came to the UK, Freeview HD is finally here to give the free-to-air platform a high-definition sheen.

The service launches with three HD channels which are completely free to watch once you buy a set-top box or compatible television. These are: ITV1 HD, BBC HD and Channel 4 HD.

To help you decide which set-top box to go for, TechRadar has come up with the definitive Freeview HD list, showcasing the receivers and recorders which are in the market now or soon to be released.

With a little thing called the World Cup just around the corner, the time is right to plug yourself into the world of HD – especially when the service is subscription-free.

So, without further ado, here is our choice of boxes, starting with the Freeview HD receiver range.

ADB i-CAN Easy HD

The i-Can Easy HD box is a Freeview HD player set top with a difference. The difference being that it will allow Pay TV content if you so wish to pay for channels through your Freeview system.

The box is also primed for on-demand content so, in theory, you can watch things like iPlayer through the box.

Those looking for a recorder will have to look elsewhere, as the i-CAN Easy HD is a receiver-only product.

UK release date: TBC (this is the company's first time in the UK market)

Price: TBC

Grundig GUD300HD

Offering an 8-page EPG and iPlayer functionality – which is set to come late 2010 – this box by Grundig also features a Dolby Digital Plus compatibility and an Ethernet port. Alongside the HDMI port you will also find 2x Scart sockets.

The GUD300HD is being introduced by set-top box supplier Harvard International and will be available from most high-street retailers.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £149.97

Goodmans GDB300HD

This Goodmans set-top box is similar in spec to the Grundig GUD300HD. Both are being released by Harvard International, with the Goodmans GDB300HD offering iPlayer compatibility (when updated). An eight-day EPG and Red Button access.

Also on board is an Ethernet port and USB port.

UK release date: out now

Price: £149.97

Vestel T8300 STB

Vestel is a Turkish-based manufacturer who is the first to offer a Freeview HD receiver for £100. Vestel has worked with UK-based Cabot Communications to bring the receiver to the UK and is capable of on-demand streaming, 1080p upscaling and you will be able to purchase is from Argos only at the moment.

UK release date: TBA

Price: £100

Sharp TU-T2

The brilliantly titles TU-T2 is Sharp's go at a Freeview HD receiver. Offering no recording functionality whatsoever – this is a zapper only folks – the receiver does have an Ethernet connection and will be out in the shops sooner than its hard-drive packing brother.

UK release date: April

Price: £180

Philips DTR5520

The DTR5520 HD receiver offers "superior sound and picture quality of Freeview HD services for a one-off price". Which means that it is a receiver-only product which will play all the Freeview HD content you want but doesn't have the capabilities to store it. It looks pretty sleek, though.

UK release date: April

Price: £159

Humax HD FOX-T2

The HD Fox-T2 has the accolade of being the first Freeview HD box launched in the UK. Boasting the ability to upscale content to 1080p, a USB port and it has networked streaming capabilities from the outset.

Unfortunately it doesn't have recording capabilities but it did get four-stars in our HD Fox-T2 review, so that must count for something.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £159

Bush DVB680

This release from Bush is one of the cheapest around - with discounts it's available for £100. It comes with a seven-day EPG guide, will upscale to 1080p and has one HDMI slot.

The receiver also sports audio description and it also has a plain old Scart socket. There is also an Ethernet port on board, so VoD may well come to the device at some point

UK release date: Out now

Price: £150

Ferguson F02HDB

This Ferguson Freeview HD digital receiver gives you all the access to Freeview HD programming you need as well as around 50 standard definition channels and also 24 radio stations.

At a penny under £100 this is one of the cheapest ways to get Freeview HD in your home.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £99.99

Icecrypt T2200

A powerful and future-proof Freeview HD receiver that handles hi-def from both DVB-T2 broadcasts and DivX HD files could be hard to resist for many after pin-sharp World Cup action, but the T2200 will keep on giving.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £159

Metronic T2 HD Zapbox

The Metronic T2 HD Zapbox is a rather rudimentary take on DVB-T2. No bigger than a tiny, no-frills Freeview HD box, it sports a bog-standard black shell with a central red LED display that's flanked by simple standby and channel up/down controls.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £150

Technika STBHDV2010

Simple easy to use set-top box from Technika which allows you to receive all HD programming from Freeview at one of the cheapest prices ever for Freeview HD. The box features an automatic setup and programme guide.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £100

Linsar FHD1

A good, if not great, Freeview HD box that will bring you a basic Freeview HD upgrade – and in great quality – though little else. Considering the competition, we'd question whether the FHD1 currently justifies its £149 price tag.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £149

Digitalstream DHR8203U and DHR8205U

Digital Stream is offering a range of Freeview+ HD boxes which allow you to both record and watch HD content.

There are three sizes of hard drive to choose from: 250GB (DHR8202U), 350GB (DHR8203U) and 500GB (DHR8205U). Both Currys and John Lewis will be stocking the boxes.

UK release date: 26 April

Price: From £270

Sagemcom 320 T2 HD and 500 T2 HD

Sagem has rebranded itself Sagemcom for its Freeview HD launch, offering two machines which have HD recording capabilities.

The 320 T2 HD houses 320GB of hard drive space, while the Sagemcom 500 T2 HD

Has 500GB space.

Both have one-touch recording can playback Dolby Digital Plus and you can create your own library of content on the hard drive for easier access.

UK release date: April

Price: From £270

Sharp TU-T2HR32

This TU-T2HR32 is a 320GB PVR, which allows you to watch and record two HD channels. It also has the ability to upscale and it has been given an Ethernet port, which will allow updates, like iPlayer, to be piped through it when they are available.

UK release date: May

Price: £290

Philips HDT8520

Designed by Pace but branded by Philips, the HDT8520 HD recorder boasts a 500GB hard drive.

This can hold 125 hours of HD content, 1080p HD up-scaling, and USB and Ethernet ports for enhanced connectivity.

There is also the ability to live pause TV, with a three-hour buffer limit and DD5.1 audio output.

The recorder also comes with an eight-day EPG, parental locking and consumes less than 1W of power when in standby mode.

UK release date: April

Price: £299

Toshiba HDR-5010

This is one of the most feature-packed Freeview HD boxes we have seen. It brings to the table three HDMI ports, DivX support, 500GB of storage space and two tuners to record the HD footage you want.

Unfortunately, the HDR-5010 is a little bit pricey.

UK release date: May

Price: £350

3View Freeview HD PVR

Created by a fairly new UK company, the 3View Freeview HD PVR houses 500GB hard-drive space for recording, has an Ethernet connection and is capable of WiFi via its USB connection.

Not only does it house dual DVB-T2 tuners, it is also a networked device which will be able to receive Sky Player thanks to a deal it has made with the broadcaster. That's right – Sky and Freeview HD all on one box!

UK release date: Out now

Price: £299

Panasonic DMR-BW880 and DMR-BW870

Panasonic is combining both Blu-ray recording and Freeview HD recording into its latest machines.

The BW880 boasts and 500GB, while the BW870 has the lesser disk space of 250GB. Both feature twin tuners and they also have SD card slots, and VieraCast capabilities.

UK release date: Summer

Price: TBC

Samsung BD-C8500

Samsung doesn't just want to give you something which is Freeview HD ready but a Blu-ray player too. The BD-C8500M is both a Blu-ray player and Freeview HD PVR, offering 500GB hard drive space and DLNA.

This means that you will be able to get things like the iPlayer and LoveFilm straight from the device. The device is expected to come out end of April, with a 250GB version (the C8200) out some time after.

UK release date: late April

Price: £550

Digital Stream DHR8203U

The DHR8203U is a well designed and highly functional Freeview+ HD machine that can offers stunning HD and standard definition channels that are upscaled well. That unusual skill helps put the DHR8203U in pole position in the Freeview+ HD recorder market.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £275

Panasonic DMR-XW380

The XW380 recorder packs twin HD tuners, 5.1 surround sound and it also comes equipped with a memory card slot.

As for that hard drive, that's got a capacity of 250GB so plenty of room for hi-def goodness.

Other features include Viera link and DLNA functionality. Having Viera Link on board means that you can watch videos on YouTube and check your stocks and shares, if you are that way inclined.

UK release date: Out now

Price: £419

If you thought Walking With Dinosaurs was scary in two dimensions just wait for the Full HD 3D version.

The sight of a T-Rex (and not a cuddly Ice Age one) stomping across your living room looks set to become a terrifying reality when a new BBC movie thunders its way on to Blu-ray via a commercial cinema release in 2012.

Fans of the original 1999 series have had to get their dino-thrills on traditional standard definition DVD as the BBC has resisted the expense of reauthoring the show in HD.

The picture will be made by BBC Worldwide's natural history brand BBC Earth in a co-production with US-based Evergreen Films.

"The possibilities with dinosaurs are endless and we intend to explore every avenue," said Marcus Arthur, managing director of global brands for BBC Worldwide.

The as-yet untitled project is expected to combine factual content about the prehistoric age with a story about the relentless struggle to survive.

Evergreen co-founder Pierre de Lespinois commented: "The real dinosaur story outstrips anything you might find in science fiction and we're incredibly excited about showing our audience, on an epic scale, what their world really looked like 70 million years ago."

The production will come from the stable responsible for classic nature fodder Walking With Dinosaurs, Life and the ground-breaking HD documentary series Planet Earth. They will work with the team that made US hit series When Dinosaurs Roamed America and Dinosaur Planet.

Via Variety

Ridley Scott has discussed his plans for making a 3D prequel to Alien. In an interview with website Ain't It Cool he extols the virtues of shooting in 3D and makes light of the technical challenges faced when shooting stereoscopically. He's also quick to dismiss audience complaints about the quality of some 2D to 3D conversions.

His main points are:

1. There are no limitations to filming in 3D

Because he's a camera operator-cum-director Scott believes the disciplines of being a lensman make it straightforward to think and work in 3D. "I always (camera) operate. I operated entirely on Alien, for instance. Because I'm an operator I think lenses. If you think lenses then the crossover to 3D honestly is nothing, " he reassures.

2. Shooting in 3D doesn't slow you down

"I was told it (shooting in 3D) was going to slow us down… it didn't slow (Michael) Bay down. Bay is moving like lightning," says Scott. The only difference is that "I'm adding dimension."

3. Editing is a cinch

Scott says he gets asked if he's worried about how shots from the 3D Alien movie will cut together. His response is that no, he's not worried because "when I'm planning I think in 3D anyway." Even when he's storyboarding a 2D film the scene is always thought of in terms of the dimensions. For example if he's got a deep two-shot, he thinks should he cover that in singles or not? "'Will I need a reversal?' You're already thinking in 3D."

4. 3D in low light? No problem - use faster stock

Light is used in 3D movies to create depth much more than 2D and means films need to be quite bright. Does Scott feel that this is at odds with Alien's atmospheric low lighting? His solution is to use faster film stock (800 ASA over the normal 500 ASA) to give him an extra stop of light.

"I think what people forget is that sometimes you want to fill a little bit more so you have the information in the blacks. So then later, when I grade it, the digital grading will have something to pick up. If there's nothing to pick up, there's nothing to pick up."

5. 2D makes great 3D

Scott thinks that cinema audiences only complain about the fact that 3D movies originated in 2D because it's fashionable to do so. He says: "I could show you 2D to 3D and you wouldn't know the difference." He believes audiences are motivated to moan about the price premium charged by cinemas to see 3D but he says: "You're still paying for the effect. Really, it's very close. 2D to 3D is awfully close."

Via Ain't It Cool

It may have missed out on the World Cup but Sky has big plans for showing sport in 3D. The satellite king will be showing live football, rugby and cricket amongst others on its 3D channel this year.

January witnessed the first live broadcasts of Premier League football matches in 3D for punters at pubs across the UK. Recently Sky launched its 3D channel, currently broadcasting a showreel of 3D highlights plus the occasional live event such as the first cricket match to be shown in 3D on 8 July between England and Bangladesh.

For living room viewers the 3D channel (no 217 on the EPG) is currently available free to top tier subscribers. You do, of course, need a new generation 3DTV, but existing Sky+ HD boxes can be upgraded via a software update.

Here's how Sky has changed the way it shoots sport for 3D viewing.

1. A technological short-cut

Sky could have taken the same Full HD approach to 3D chosen by Blu-ray but in order to work with its current Sky+ HD boxes the broadcaster chose a lower resolution side-by-side method of delivery. Using two specialised cameras to shoot 540-line images at slightly different angles, the resulting image is combined by your TV to form a single 1080i image running at 25fps, for which polarised glasses are required to view. 3D screens from Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic are compatible with the technology.

2. Camera positioning

Eight camera rigs (with two cameras on each) were used to film the inaugural live 3D broadcast in January of an Arsenal vs Manchester United match from the Emirates Stadium. Camera mixing, slow motion replays and overlaid graphics were handled from a purpose-built broadcast truck and the transmission was accompanied by a specially tailored commentary.

The vital factor is placing the cameras in positions that create interesting angles, not just replicating the traditional side and end-on locations used for 2D broadcasts.

Darren Long, director of operations at Sky Sports says: "If we move our cameras to the corner positions we've got a much more interesting shot than we would have face on because we're giving an angle and when you're giving an angle you create depth, you create height and create distance. That's why angles work really well in 3D."

3. Slower camera movements

A lot of training has been needed to help cameramen switch from shooting in two dimensions to three. "Within standard and high-definition the rules of following a game remain the same," explains Long.

"With 3D you completely change the rules. Number one: you don't want fast movement. You don't want the cameraman to swing the camera around, as you want to allow the person to view the content."

4. Wider fields of vision

"You're also working a lot wider. Cameramen are used to working in this 4:3 "safe graphics" zone, which is trying to keep the information into a 4:3 area within a 16:9 frame. What we've had to say is "you've got the whole picture area." This is 3D and our graphics are suited to the whole width of the picture."

The 3D experience has traditionally been about propelling objects towards you, but this can throw up problems when filming live sporting events which are, by their very nature, unpredictable.

5. Critical framing challenges

A major challenge for 3D operators is avoiding 'edge violation', which is something suddenly poking out from the bottom or the side of the frame. This is really off-putting in 3D, because you suddenly get a large object coming in from the side, bottom or top which detracts your eye away from the information.

"We have to teach our cameramen about keeping content within the frame and making sure that a person always remains in frame and not half out and half in. It's a lot of learning," says Long.

6. Multi-tasking camera operators

A key part of the training process has been a move towards multi-tasking. According to Long, "What we're doing is making camera operators what we call "stereographers", getting them to do another job so that they learn. Stereographers are the people that sit in the truck and choose the point at which you want the convergence to happen – the point of interest in the 3D broadcast.

"You've got the cameraman who's pulling focus and pulling zoom and the convergence operator in the truck that's pulling the point of interest and setting the depth positive and negative within the frame. If it's coming out of the frame it's a negative and if it it's going back it's a positive."

7. A scientific approach to depth perception

A criticism often levelled at 3D is that it can be hard on the eyes. To counteract this, Sky's cameramen are educated in the science of depth perception and how the eye works.

"Your eyes can't zoom," continues Long. "If we're looking around at objects we cut between different objects, we're not panning and zooming, we're going from one to the other and our eyes are constantly re-focusing. What you do in 3D is ask the eye to move around the frame and adjust as you zoom in. You've got to be very careful that it's not an experience where you're telling the eye to do something that it wouldn't normally do. If you're too close to an object your eyes converge into the centre. That's a painful experience."

8. Relocating onscreen graphics

Onscreen graphics are part and parcel of televised sport, but in a 3D context there's a high risk of distracting or annoying your audience.

"It's difficult," admits Long. "What we've got to ensure is that we don't turn it into a cartoon film where we've got too much coming out of the screen and people are getting uncomfortable with changing their focal point between the graphics and the live action.

"We've been trialling things like the score line and the Sky Sports logo, which we're sitting on the screen 'plane'. Imagine there's a piece of glass on the screen, we've been sitting it as though it was on that glass. So if the picture is coming out towards you, we will put the score line slightly behind "on the glass" so it doesn't take your eye away from the action that's actually happening."

9. Creating an immersive experience

Long believes the aim of 3D sports is to deliver a more immersive experience. "With 2D we tend to force people to look at an object that the director thinks is important, like, the centre of a scrum in a rugby match. You have so much information going on in a confined space.

"With 3D you start focusing on the ref, what he's talking to that guy about or things like the billboard or the crowd, which is what you would do at a normal sporting event. It's like having a front row seat that moves around."

10. Helping the sport develop

Long proffers the intriguing possibility that 3D football could also impact the game itself. "We showed an Arsenal game to the chairmen at the Premier League and they were blown away about it. They started to think 'this would be good for training.' We could start seeing where the players were on the field in much more detail than before'. It's opened up a new world to them."

On soundstage seven in Columbia Studios Hollywood crews are relearning their trade. Hundreds of cinematographers have signed up for the free three-day courses run by Sony's 3D Technology Centre that opened on the lot in January.

"It's easy to make 3D," explains Buzz Hayes, chairman of the new facility, "but it's very hard to make it good." Columbia Studios' training school reflects Hollywood's concern that a rush to ride the Avatar bandwagon will lead to an inferior product that could do the 3D format more harm than good.

Here are nine lessons in 3D movies that Hollywood has learnt.

1. It's a 3D world

Hayes says that talk of 3D being a gimmick is ridiculous: "We see our world in three dimensions and should build our entertainment into that." But he is not expecting all Hollywood releases to be 3D, pointing out that it took a long time for colour to fully replace black and white.

2. Thinking in stereo

When we visited the set, a cameraman was demonstrating the two-camera 'splitter rig', where one camera is mounted on top of the other. As stuntmen work through a fight scene in an alley-way left over from the last Spider-Man film, he experiments with the stereoscopic effect by adjusting the space between the two lenses. When a fist bursts out of the monitor at the side of the set, the small audience wearing the obligatory dark glasses gives appreciative applause.

3. Recruiting a new breed of specialists

The 3D industry is creating new and exciting roles for film crews. Opportunities are opening up for 'stereographers' and 'convergence pullers'.

4. A fresh approach to storytelling

New principles for film grammar are starting to emerge. "We have to understand how to tell 3D stories because we're not fully there yet," says the Sony man. For example 3D films require fewer edits to establish spatial relationships.

5. Focussing in 3D

Directors, DOPs and camera operators all learning that lighting has to be used to focus attention on a part of the screen rather than the traditional depth-of-field techniques.

6. Psychological understanding

Hayes says 3D has already outgrown pop-out screen effects and can develop into something much more dramatic, not just for action blockbusters. "The psychological impact has not been explored yet. When you think of the scene in The Silence of the Lambs, when Hannibal Lecter steps forward to intimidate Clarice Starling, he stays in the frame. Imagine it with 3D, and he would step out of it and be in your space."

7. Easy does it with 2D conversion

Retro-fitting 2D films with 3D can be done at a cost of $50,000 a minute, but results can be mixed, as Clash of the Titans has proved. On the other hand, it's fair to assume that if there is money to be made, it will happen. James Cameron has already revealed plans for a 3D version of Titanic, so expect other older classics to be given the treatment. Hayes has reservations, also clearly recounting the disasterous colourisation of black and white classics such as Night of the Living Dead and It's A Wonderful Life: "Some would be great fun," he says, "but some would be like spray-painting the Mona Lisa."

8. A sporting chance

Buzz Hayes has some interesting advice for broadcasters such as Sky about shooting football in 3D. "They need to rethink their camera positions," is his verdict. Stereoscopy works better when shot diagonally across a football pitch, for example, rather than the halfway line. And because one rig provides more depth, less camera positions are required.

9. And finally, a soundman's take on 3D

Nominated for 13 Oscars, Greg Russell has worked on a number of blockbuster hits including both Transformers, Spider-Man 2, Enemy of the State, Pearl Harbour and The Rock. Standing in front of the tools of his trade, a vast mixing console running Avid Pro Tools, he talks passionately about his job.

"A movie doesn't come alive until the sound is there, but you have to get the balance right. It's about flying sounds around to envelop a room but at the same time making sure it doesn't distract from following the movie."

Russell mixed Cloudy with Chance of Meatballs in 3D and says the new format is throwing up fresh challenges. "It's about experimenting with audio depth to accompany the pictures. You use very dry sounds, for example, to suggest something close up. It takes even longer to get right."

The technology used to create 3D images is the same on every TV, with slight differences in the implementation of the special glasses needed to make your eyes see the separate left and right images as one.

A major oversight, you might think, by the AV brands driving 3D take-up. It's expected that future generations of 3D TVs will see a universal standard for glasses but relief is already at hand for anyone wanting to buy specs that will work on any brand of TV.

US 3D specialist XpanD has launched its X103 active shutter glasses, which are retailing for $129 in the US and imminently due on sale in the UK.

XpanD (as a long track record in theatrical 3D presentations and now has more than 3,000 screens worldwide including a large presence in North America and continental Europe, and more than 99 per cent of the Japanese market. And it's the knowledge and skills the company has built up during this time that XpanD CEO Maria Costeira believes puts it ahead of the game now that it is entering the home cinema market with its active shutter glasses.

"People think it's 'just glasses'. This isn't a glasses business; it's a piece of high-, high-, high-technology. It's probably more complex than your TV… We've already had a steep learning curve about what 3D glasses should face in day-to-day life what with kids, sanitation, sizing, weight, and all those things," Costeira told Home Cinema Choice magazine during an exclusive briefing about the X103 glasses.

Designed to work with 3D-ready LCD laptop and desktop monitors, DLP, LCD and plasma televisions, XpanD believes that its new active shutter glasses finally deliver the consumer tech holy grail of truly universal 3D glasses.

"Once you have a 3D TV channel the glasses receive a signal, for the next three-to-five seconds they scan the signal and when they find which wave that TV is on they sync in," explained Costeira.

Boasting compatibility with "virtually anything capable of playing 3D-encoded content at 120fps" the X103 3D specs certainly sound like an enticing proposition, but can they possibly live up to the claims?

"Basically, I say 99 per cent, because I never say anything is 100 per cent sure in life" says Costeira about the cross-compatibility of the glasses. "With the big brands, there are not many scientific reasons why they would deviate from certain rules regarding the standardisation of certain devices. So, with that, I don't think that there's a great chance of something coming up that the glasses cannot work with."

As for the 3D glasses currently shipping with TVs from consumer electronics manufacturers, the problem, claims Costeira, is "everybody wants to do it cheap."

The difference between Caucasian and Asian head sizes lead one TV maker to design glasses that are open at the side. But the basic rule of 3D is that you need darkness, so the last thing you should ever do is open your glasses and allow light to enter there.

Another issue is that "there are different formulas for the liquid crystal cells and the true value of the lens is the tricks to the formula – when it opens, when it closes, the refresh rate, colour, contrast – that's what makes the difference. With XpanD's Pi-Cell we've had years and years of improving it. So ours are a totally different technology, totally different leagues. They just cannot compare."

The BBC is to run an EastEnders storyline which sees the Queen Vic burning down, to make way for the programme to be filmed in HD.

It is well known that the reason that EastEnders hasn't been transferred to HD is because the sets are too shabby, and now the BBC is going to drastic measures to make sure that the hi-def makeover works, by getting rid of one of the most iconic landmarks of EastEnders – the pub.

BBC One HD launch

The storyline will coincide with the departure of Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) from the show and, if rumours are true, will also mean the demise of six characters in the show.

The BBC is ramping up its HD content, with the launch of BBC One HD this autumn. This will be a simulcast version of BBC One, with some of the main shows being in HD – including EastEnders, Holby City, The One Show, The Apprentice, The Weakest Link and QI.

Just last week, it was announced that the BBC has improved the picture quality of its HD channel after a campaign group challenged the broadcaster.

The BBC has quietly spruced up its HD channel after campaigners complained that the quality of the hi-def feed wasn't sufficient.

Although the tweaking happened a few weeks ago, it has only come to light now that improvements have been made, with John Temperley, of the BBC HD Campaign, contacting What Satellite & Digital TV magazine, explaining: "We are pleased to see that after nearly a year of campaigning, BBC HD has taken these measures and, as we expected all along, the results have been a significant improvement in picture quality.

"We feel these improvements vindicate our campaign, which will now continue with attempts to move the BBC to a Full HD service with a resolution of 1920x1080.

"We look forward to the BBC meeting the requirements of the license for BBC HD by offering a very high quality technical service to viewers, by adhering to, or seeking to exceed, industry standards for picture resolution."

Hi-def haranguing

The BBC HD campaign went straight to the top to get the quality improvements done, meeting with Danielle Nagler, head of BBC HD, and principal technologist Andy Quested.

The campaign has been going on since August 2009, when the BBC introduced new HD picture quality encoders and reduced the bandwidth of BBC HD to a constant 9.7Mbps from 16Mbps.

For a full run down of the changes made to the BBC HD's picture quality, he along to the BBC internet blog.

Panasonic has announced the arrival of its latest DVD recorder, which boasts Freeview+HD functionality.

Called the DMR-XW380 – where do they get these snappy titles from? – the recorder packs twin HD tuners, 5.1 surround sound and it also comes equipped with a memory card slot.

This is so you can port all your fancy photographs on to the system's hard drive, ready for playback on your TV.

As for that hard drive, that's got a capacity of 250GB so plenty of room for hi-def goodness.

Extra funtions

Other features include Viera link and DLNA functionality. Having Viera Link on board means that you can watch videos on YouTube and check your stocks and shares, if you are that way inclined.

And you can also playback AVCHD files – so anything you record on your HD camcorder can be played back.

Price-wise, you are looking at £499.99. If you want to see how well the recorder works, then head over to T3 where they have a review.