Discovery 3D Channel 3net Gets Launch Date

Feb 11, 2011 1 Comment by Jonathan Tustain

Discovery’s 3D channel venture with Sony and IMAX, 3net, will start airing 24/7 from February 13^th.

Direct TV subscribers will be able to experience 3D programming in their home from this Sunday with premieres of original native 3D programmes China Revealed and Forgotten Planet in addition to the world premiere of Into The Deep 3D.

3net promises to show a premiere at 2100 eastern time every Thursday night with an ambitious goal to offer subscribers the largest library of native 3D programming by the end of 2011.

“Today’s announcement marks the culmination of a dynamic collaboration, and we are very proud of what has been accomplished in the seven short months since the network began its development,” said Tom Cosgrove, 3net’s President and Chief Executive Officer. ”DIRECTV is the leader in meeting consumer demand for video entertainment and has clearly been an industry innovator in 3D. We are proud to partner with DIRECTV on this historic launch and bring compelling, original 3D programming and key content from our partners to DIRECTV subscribers across the country on a 24/7 basis.“

“Quality 3D programming is vital to the success and increased adoption of the technology, and with industry leaders like Discovery, Sony and IMAX making a commitment to this category, it is clear that 3D is here to stay and is only going to get better,” said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV. “We are excited to be the first distributor to announce the launch of 3net and we look forward to continuing to provide our customers with the largest and most compelling 3D programming lineup available.”

“3net brings together three global brands with a single mission — to deliver premium 3D entertainment experiences to audiences in the comfort of their own homes,” said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “We are proud to embark on this new venture with Sony and Discovery, and we believe that our popular library of breathtaking IMAX content is in great company with the range of compelling programming from our partners.”

3net is a joint venture between Sony Corporation, Discovery Communications and IMAX Corporation to bring a 24/7 3D channel to American home audiences. 3net claim that they will feature natural history, documentary, action/adventure, travel, history, hyper-reality, lifestyle and cuisine, concerts, movies, scripted series and more. For more information, please visit www.3net.com.

There were rumours that Discovery Communications plan to launch a 3D channel in the UK. It would be a relatively easy process as Discovery could access a growing library of 3D content acquired and produced for their US network and delivering a 3D channel via a HD stream has been proven to be perfectly viable by Sky 3D. I will have more news about Discovery 3D’s possible UK plans when I receive it!