3D shows are here, time to buy a new TV?

As of Monday, 3D programmes are now being broadcast across the Middle East.

But before you rush out to buy a new set, there's only one show, "Oceanworld 3D", being aired at the moment, with a list of top movies set to screen over the course of this month, including "Bolt", "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", "Final Destination" and "Street Dance". All these will be avaiable on demand.

That content is being made available on the OSN Pay-TV network and is available to anyone with an OSN connection and a 3D television, CEO David Butorac said.

"I'm not anticipating a full 3D channel immediately," he said, but added that his network would roll out new channels as studios produced new content and it became available."

3D is a new dimension in television and is set to transform the way TV is enjoyed," he added.

Earlier this summer, sports fanatics were able to watch the Fifa World Cup in 3D, with etisalat and du signing deals with regional broadcaster Al Jazeera to air matches in the format.

However, popularity of the immersive medium remains limited, as the ability to watch the programme means investing in the new TV sets and 3D-friendly glasses that have been on the market for a few months now.

High-definition

OSN also talked up the roll-out of 12 high-definition channels, with over 1,000 movies and 52 seasons of various TV series available on demand in full HD quality and Dolby Digital sound over the year.

Over 250,000 OSN subscribers are now able to watch its HD channel offering, the network said.

Some 130,000 HD TV screens are being sold across the region every month, Butorac said, adding that the platform would continue growing its HD offering over the coming months.

Consumers in the market for a new goggle box, then, would be better off buying a full-HD set just now.