Ed Vaizey praises live 3D opera broadcast

Communications minister Ed Vaizey has praised the innovation used to screen the English National Opera's version of Lucrezia Borgia live in 3D.

The broadcast - managed in partnership between digital distributor More2Screen, transmission operator Arqiva and Sky - involved the opera being screened live from the London Coliseum on Wednesday to selected cinemas across the UK and Ireland. It was also aired on Sky Arts and the Sky 3D channel.

In a statement, Vaizey said that there is an opportunity in the 21st century for the arts sector to use the "amazing technology revolution to reach out to new audiences".

"I make a lot of speeches about this, telecasting into cinemas, but also getting to people through their mobile phones - we have the highest penetration of smartphones anywhere in the world," he said.

"There are huge opportunities for the arts and this is just one of them where different audiences will come to see an opera where they might well perhaps have felt it's dated, or be nervous about going to an actual live screening.

"This will allow people to have a taster but it will also allow people who obviously can't get to the opera every week or every month to come and sample something they are passionate about as well."

Also this week, Vaizey attended a meeting in which a government work group was established to discuss alternative strategies for tackling internet piracy.