The 3Net channel will begin 3D programming
service at 8 p.m. (EST) Sunday Feb. 13, 2011.
Photo: DirecTV

This Sunday, DirecTV will launch the new 3net 3D channel, a joint venture from Discovery, Sony and IMAX.

The channel will kick off at 8 p.m, EST. 3D programs include with China Revealed and Forgotten Planet, both original 3D shows, plus IMAX's Into The Deep 3D. New 3D programs will debut every night at 9 p.m., and the network says its goal is to offer the biggest library of 3D content in the world by the end of the year.

3net joins n3D, a joint venture between DirecTV and Panasonic, as the only 24/7 3D networks in the U.S. However, ESPN 3D will become a full-time 3D channel on February 14th, a move the company called Valentine's Day gift to its viewers. Due to the side-by-side format used by broadcast, none of the 3D broadcasts can be delivered in 1080p to each eye. All 3D networks are carried by DirecTV.

—James K. Willcox