China Plan 3D CCTV Trial For New Year

CCTV (China Central Television), the national public broadcaster of China, has revealed that they are fully launching a 3D channel by the end of this month on a trial basis, as part of a movement to encourage 3D technology in the country, as well as consumption by the public of related products.

The largest public broadcaster in the world (in terms of potential audience) has added a new channel to their long list of branded stations, with ‘China 3D TV Trial Channel’ set to be avaliable for viewers that have a 3DTV, glasses, and a set-top box, at no current additional charge for owners of the required products.

Officially launching on 23 January (this year’s date of traditional Chinese (Lunar) New Year), the channel is said to be airing a four-and-a-half hour block of 3D content three times a day (twice repeated), under a range of programming genres, with promises made that selected 3D content from the 2012 Olympic Games in London (England) will be broadcast live.

Despite the official launched the service set to occur almost three weeks from now, the channel was put on-air this Sunday, working alongside notable local channels (including Beijing TV, Shanghai Media Group, Shenzen TV, Tianjin TV, and Jiangsu TV) as initial broadcast partners with key local reach from their status as big-market areas.

To make up for current slim pickings in 3D programming available in China, or elsewhere, each partner broadcaster has established specialist 3D production units, Xinhua said.

SARFT (State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television) head Cai Fuchao said of the channel: ”The launch of the 3D trial channel is a significant step in the development of China’s television.”

It is believed bt SARFT and CCTV that the 3D channel will promote heightened Chinese interest in the CCTV brand, and will stimulate further growth in the booming home entertainment industry in the Asian nation. Retailers are said to have responded to the upcoming new channel by cutting the prices of locally-produced 3D TV sets by as much as half, with a common 42-inch set now selling at 5000 yuan ($790).

The start of the 2012 calendar year has been a busy one for the TV industry in China, though, as new reforms begin to be pushed through. SARFT have acted on their opposition to ‘trashy’ content on CCTV channels by forcing ‘entertainment’ output down by 69%, while new rules on some networks against mid-show advertising on lengthy programmes has lead to complaints from viewers, after the permitted adverts have instead been placed in-between programming and given its own slot on schedules that are ‘almost as long’ as the shows themselves.

While changes are being announced very early on in the year, how will the Chinese viewing public react to both good and bad developments in their favourite channels?

Crazy Matt Cazzy into all things hi-tech, gizmos and gadgets. If its just out, i want it. Loves watching tv on every device ever invented that can handle it

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