IMPROVEMENTS TO SUBTITLES FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL VIDEO TRANSMISSION

In a method of transmitting a stream of stereoscopic images as an overlay to a stereoscopic broadcast after being transmitted for optional display at a receiver in combination with the stereoscopic broadcast, the method comprises the steps of: dividing the stream of the stereoscopic images into a plurality of sections, each section having a first view component and a second view component; determining a map representing the first view component of each section; deriving a comparative map for each section representing a comparison between the first and a second view components for each section; encoding the respective map for each section representing the first view components using run length encoding to produce an encoded first view symbol; encoding the respective comparative map for each section using run length encoding to produce an encoded comparison symbol; assembling a composite symbol for each section including the respective encoded first view symbol followed by a first ending symbol, and followed by the respective encoded comparison symbol and a second ending symbol.