DIRECTV and Panasonic Launch Nation's First Suite of 3D Channels

DIRECTV, the world's most popular video service and Panasonic, a world leader in 3D TV technology, ushered in a new age in the rapid growth of 3D entertainment for the home with the launch of three 3D channels, including n3D powered by Panasonic – a linear channel dedicated exclusively to 3D programming and viewable on 3D television sets including Panasonic's line of award-winning VIERA Full HD 3D TVs.

n3D will also offer special events such as the running of the NASCAR Coke Zero 400, the local broadcast of the Yankees-Mariners series and DIRECTV's exclusive, national broadcast of FOX Sports 2010 MLB All-Star Game in 3D.

In addition to n3D, DIRECTV is also launching DIRECTV Cinema in 3D on channel 104, which is currently offering IMAX titles Deep Sea 3D and Under the Sea 3D and n3D On Demand on channel 105, which is currently delivering replays of ESPN's 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches. DIRECTV also launched ESPN 3D on channel 106.

Panasonic is the exclusive presenting sponsor of DIRECTV's n3D channel. In January at the Consumer Electronics Show, DIRECTV and Panasonic announced their plans to launch 3D TV channels and have since worked together to leverage relationships with programming partners and movie studios to obtain new and existing 3D content. For more information on DIRECTV's 3D channels please visit here.

Last month, DIRECTV HD customers received a free software upgrade enabling them to have access to the 3D channels on DIRECTV. DIRECTV HD customers will need a 3D television set and 3D glasses to view 3D programming on DIRECTV.

Panasonic is a global leader in the development of end-to-end Full HD 3D technology solutions including the world's first Full HD 3D video camera that records to solid-state memory, Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc authoring, and the award winning VT-25 Series of Full HD 3D VIERA Plasma TVs and 3D Blu-ray Disc Players. For more information on Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology, visit here.

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Sonic Announces 'Total 3D' Initiative

Sonic Solutions announced a broad program to support the "next big thing" in home video — the arrival of 3D in the home — with new professional and consumer solutions for the creation, publishing, and playback of 3D digital video content. Sonic is unique in its focus on "Hollywood-to-Home" solutions that enable the growth of new video formats, and Sonic's new 3D offerings will help to fuel the availability and consumer adoption of 3D video. Sonic has developed tools that allow Hollywood studios to encode video, author interactivity, and format titles for release over the internet and in the new Blu-ray 3D format.

The RoxioNow entertainment platform serves a broad range of premium content, including new movies and next-day TV programs, to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones, and mobile media devices. RoxioNow already powers digital storefronts on 3D-enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players and is primed to deliver 3D content once titles become available for online distribution.

International research firm announces agenda for Amsterdam executive summit

Parks Associates announced the agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Monetizing Connectivity and User Experiences, which the international research firm will host on April 27, 2010, in Amsterdam.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe is the leading executive summit featuring European and international consumer research, top executives, and innovative companies in the digital living markets. The summit will examine business models and challenges related to digital media, including the potential of 3D video in the home, the role of value-added services in building ARPU, monetization of over-the-top content, and the challenge of pushing content to multiple connected CE, including smartphones and other mobile devices.

The preliminary agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe features the following sessions:
-- Bringing the Content
-- Extending the Video Experience to Multiple Screens
-- Controlling the Experience
-- Value-added Services & the Video Ecosystem
-- Mobile Video: The Cloud, the App Store & the Connected Home

CONNECTIONS™ Europe will feature Parks Associates’ expert consumer and industry research, with the company’s analysts presenting data from consumer research projects including All Eyes on Video, Consumer Decision Process, Residential Energy Management, and Digital Media Evolution.

Early sponsors for CONNECTIONS™ Europe, also members of Parks Associates’ Premier Program, include ActiveVideo Networks and PacketVideo. Visit www.parkspremier.com for more information on the Premier Program.

Visit www.connectionseurope.com for more information about CONNECTIONS™ Europe. The deadline for speaker submissions is March 1, 2010.