PS3-compatible 3D Blu-ray standard out

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is in the process of agreeing the final version of the standard for 3D films in HD.

It will use MPEG4-MVC (Multiview Video Coding), which is an extension of the H.264 system used for most of today's 2D Blu-ray content.  It transmits a complete, independent 1080p signal for each eye.  The menus and other bonus features can also exploit the extra possibilities of 3D.

The new standard defines not only the technical details of the discs themselves, but also the hardware needed to play them.  And in even better news, the BDA has taken into account the hardware on the PS3, meaning that an update should allow it to play 3D discs in the future.

To enjoy all of these new features, you'll obviously need a 3D Blu-ray disc, a compatible Blu-ray player, and a TV capable of displaying 3D video, which aren't currently available.  All of this hardware is expected to become available in 2010.

The new 3D Blu-ray players will of course remain backwards-compatible with 'old' 2D Blu-ray, but the opposite is not true: an older player will never be able to play 3D discs in 3D, but will still display the film in 2D.

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