BBC considers 3D coverage for London 2012

The BBC is considering screening part of its coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games in 3D as an experiment in the validity of emerging broadcast technology.

Speaking at the IBC technology conference in Amsterdam, BBC London 2012 director Roger Mosey said that 3D is among a range of technologies currently being considered to improve the viewing experience for the Games.

He said: "We could, and I believe should, capture some of the games in 3D. Nobody would expect the games of 2012 to be comprehensively in 3D because the technology will be nothing like widespread enough; but it would be a shame not to have any images of London that were part of an experiment with what will be one of the next big waves of change.

"The Olympic stadium may only exist in its full 80,000+ capacity for a relatively short period. Not to have that at all in 3D would be, at the very least, a major gap in the archive."

Mosey explained that another option for coverage would be "super high definition" cameras placed at venues around the capital. However, adopting either this or the 3D approach would not necessarily mean that UK households would have the necessary equipment to receive the optimum picture quality in time for the event.

"There won't be a [super HD TV] set in your living room by 2012, but there could be a limited number of cameras and big screens that will give us a taste of the future - and could give a major creative boost to technologists and people thinking of the content of tomorrow," he said.

"Both 3D and super HD are currently posing questions and opportunities rather than solutions; but now's the time to start examining seriously whether there are answers that could make 2012 even more of a landmark year."

Last month, Sky chairman James Murdoch used his keynote MacTaggart lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival to criticise the BBC for what he called "state" involvement in digital media.

However, Mosey responded: "We want to cheer James up and suggest his pessimism is unfounded - that a BBC still respected across the world as a model of public service can and does work with the private sector, and a healthy BBC with popular support is a guarantor of innovation and supporter of enterprise."