The MPEG Industry Forum, a global advocacy group for standards-based digital television technologies, has announced the formation of the 3DTV Working Group -- and also the launch of the “3D over MPEG” campaign.

The new working group and campaign are aimed at expanding the adoption and deployment of MPEG-related standards including MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video compression technology.

“3DTV is of keen interest to everyone in the video creation and delivery industries,” said Dr. Sean McCarthy, chair of the newly formed 3DTV Working Group and Fellow of the Technical Staff at Motorola (News - Alert), in a release. “The challenge we all face is that of sorting through the myriad technical options. Our common goal is to create a 3DTV ecosystem that delivers great new experiences to consumers.”
 
“The 3DTV Working Group and the ‘3D over MPEG’ campaign are designed to provide focus and clear information to decision makers,” added McCarthy. “3DTV can be distributed today using MPEG-related standards. Existing broadband and broadcast services and infrastructures are 3D-ready, and ongoing works by standards bodies provide a compelling path for the future evolution of 3DTV.”

The 3DTV Working Group provides a forum for free exchange of information based on the new technology. It is expected to represent the industry for advocating the adoption of standards and for the consolidation of the overall direction of the 3DTV industry.

The Group’s focus and constituency will be derived from video service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, content owners, equipment manufacturers, system integrators and software providers. Input from industry advocacy groups, industry analysts, financial institutions and academic institutes will also be included.

In the release, David Price, vice president, MPEGIF and vice president at Harmonic (News - Alert) Inc. explained that 3D video is showing commercial promise in theatrical releases and will be suitable for transition to the advanced living room following High Definition and Surround Sound. This has resulted in a growing array of competing technologies and work from various standards bodies.

3D video will be the theme of the next MPEG Industry Forum Master Class which will be held at CES (News - Alert) 2010 in Las Vegas in January. The event will be attended by leading executives from HBO, AT&T, Microsoft and other industry luminaries.

The MPEG Industry Forum is an independent and neutral not-for-profit organization representing more than 20 international companies and organizations from diverse industries. The Forum strives to spread the adoption and deployment of MPEG and related standards in next generation digital media services. It enables the exchange of information and views on technological, economic and regulatory issues required for these services.