Present status of three-dimensional television research

Television that conveys real-time information has become an indispensable part of our lives. Its technology has advanced from the days of black-and-white sets to color models and to high-definition television (HDTV). HDTV has been contrived to provide the audience with greater immediate appeal such as sensation of reality and power than the current TV system does and its worldwide applications are expected to continue to grow. Real world information which we obtain with our eyes is three-dimensional. It is reasonable therefore, that we humans want an imaging system that produces pictures that are as natural and real as things we see and experience every day. Three-dimensional television (3DTV) is a very promising approach expected to satisfy such wishes. As television technology matures and HDTV produces pictures as clear as movies, 3DTV is now capable of providing real-time stereoscopic pictures with high resolution. This paper outlines the studies that have been carried out about 3DTV as a post-HDTV system. The themes of the paper are focused to such topics as human factors in relation to binocular parallax, camera and display systems, and bandwidth reduction technology.< >