While 3D telly is making its way into the country, it seems like actual 3D broadcasts are a bit further off. TechSmart spoke to  Jackie Rakitla, general manager of Corporate Affairs at MultiChoice, to find out more about their 3D timeline.
 
We’ve heard a certain TV manufacturer saying that MultiChoice isn’t planning to broadcast in 3D for at least another 18 months. Is this true?
Jackie Rakitla (JR): MultiChoice is tracking the development of 3D broadcasting closely. Unfortunately, there are no 3D broadcast standards yet (despite many broadcasters experimenting with ad hoc systems), but we believe it will follow shortly.
 
So how does your 3D roadmap look like? When can we expect 3D broadcasts?
JR: As soon as the elements for mainstream 3D broadcasting have fallen in place, MultiChoice will be in a better position to formulate its 3D plans.
 
Will the broadcasts be dependent on a new decoder or simply a firmware update?
JR: As mentioned above, once all the elements for 3D broadcasting are in place, we will in a better position to formulate our plans.
 
Do you expect 3D to be very popular?
JR: As with any new product, we would expect its popularity to build over time. The Blu-Ray disk standard has recently been finalised, but no compliant players are available yet. Even the display technology is not settled – 3M is promising a display technology that will not require the glasses (which is probably a prerequisite for 3D to become mainstream).

(When published MultiChoice's answers were wrongly attributed to Trinesha Naidoo, media manager at MultiChoice, and not Jackie Rakitla, general manager of Corporate Affairs at MultiChoice. Our apologies for the mistake.)