Netflix begins streaming 3D movies

Today's announcement by Netflix is a game-changer. Something they're calling "Super HD" is now available on their streaming service. Oh, and 3D.

Currently 3D streaming is limited to ISPs in Netflix's Open Connect network in the US, and only a handful of titles are available. My own ISP is not part of this yet, so as of writing this I have not tested the service myself.

Netflix offering 3D is a major step towards the success of 3D in the home. While several 3DTV apps with indie content exist, and have content not available anywhere else, Netflix embracing 3D is good both for filmmakers wanting to reach a larger audience and consumers wanting to access 3D films without spending the high price point of Blu-ray 3D.

 Read the full press release after the jump.

NHK Media Technology proposes new 3D broadcast standard

NHK Media Technology announced a proposal for Advanced Stereo 3D, a new 3D broadcast format at CES. This new format has the advantage of two separate left/right streams at full HD, instead of the current side-by-side squeezed format, which has half the horizontal resolution of full 1080p. This would also allow the same broadcast to be watched in 2D on 2D TV sets. According to this video from DigInfo, NHK has submitted this to ARIB, an organization that determines broadcast standards.

Stereo 3D Channel on Vimeo now available on Samsung TV's

The Stereo 3D Channel on Vimeo is now available on all Samsung internet-ready TV's.

Popular video-sharing site Vimeo recently launched an app for Samsung internet-ready TV's, and included with the list of featured channels is our very own Stereo 3D Channel.

You won't need a pricey 3DTV to watch it, as most of the videos are uploaded as anaglyphs, which can be viewed on any TV or computer with inexpensive red/cyan glasses. Many of the short films that won awards at recent 3D film festivals/events first premiered on the Stereo 3D Channel. Founded in 2008, it features over 1,600 carefully curated videos: short films, music videos, documentaries, commercials, and more, from all over the globe. 

For those of you with 3DTV's, side-by-side videos currently cannot be watched through the app, but we expect future updates will enable this function to allow for more diverse viewing options.

The Stereo 3D Channel on Vimeo has previously been featured on Stereoscopy News, 3D Manifesto, VFX Filmmaker, 3DGuy.tv, and skewed magazine, just to name a few. 

Thanks to Philip Heggie for letting us know this app is also available in Australia, in addition to the US where we tested it. And thanks to all the filmmakers who have shared their work with us on Vimeo.

Who's On First? Penthouse Alleges World's First 3D Channel

Again in the world of 3D first fights, we have Penthouse announcing the launch of the world's first 3D channel. Except, there already is one. And ESPN has one. And DirectTV has one. Even if Hustler wanted to get all nit-picky and claim to be the world's first 3D porn channel, France beat them to it.

While we haven't seen much of Penthouse's 3D work, if the videos on their Penthouse3D Youtube Channel like the one below are any indication, their production value and technical acuity are much higher than their competitors. However, this sample is skimpy on plot, indicative of the gonzoification of the adult entertainment industry, which has stripped all narrative constructs and artistic vision from erotic cinema, leaving nothing but pure gratuity. See some of that after the jump.