Dubai: Telecom service provider du has joined the race to be among the first companies in the Middle East to provide its customers a three-dimensional television viewing experience.

The company announced yesterday that its one-year-old video-on-demand (VoD) service is now 3D-capable and has started airing its first 3D content.

Calling it a "3D first for the Middle East," du is believed to be the first telecom company in the region to be out of the 3D gate on the leading edge of the 3D craze spawned in part by cinematic efforts this year such as Avatar.

Deal with UK company

The company said that it reached a deal with On Demand Group of the UK to air du's first 3D movie, Street Dance3D.

In a statement, Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer of du, said that the company plans to add more 3D movies.

Faraidooni said it "is a great new addition to our bouquet of offerings and depending on positive customer feedback we will introduce more such exciting titles. We are the first to introduce this to our customers and we hope they will enjoy this new technology, which enables them to watch movies in this advanced new format."

Tony Kelly, CEO of On Demand Group, said in a statement: "Clearly the global video industry is excited about the potential for 3D and our many content clients are among them. In this very short period since du's Video on Demand launch — not less than a year — our work with this customer clearly demonstrates the drive to service innovation and thorough attention On Demand Group brings to Video on Demand and pay-television operators. This 3D first sets du apart from the competitors yet again."

New movie titles will be added to the PayTV service each month, said du.

The move by the telcom comes after Orbit Showtime Network announced its move into satellite 3D PayTV in early December.

"Following hot on the heels of the phenomenal success of high definition and the Showbox HD DVR among our viewers, we are now extremely proud to be the first TV network in the Middle East to offer subscribers the opportunity to experience cinema quality 3D movies in the comfort of their own home; 3D is a new dimension in television and is set to transform the way TV is enjoyed," said David Butorac, CEO of OSN.

Would you prefer to watch regular TV programmes in 3D? Why or why not? Is 3D technology the next big thing? Or is it just a passing fad. Tell us.