Rock concert in 3D TV

KEANE have become the first band to be broadcast live in 3D. Their gig at the Abbey Road studios last night was used by Sky to test their living room 3D TV service, which is expected to launch within months.

The concert was shot using high definition 3D cameras, which record separate footage for each eye. The footage was then processed and broadcast via Sky's existing high definition satellite system and Sky HD set top box.

Broadcasts contain two separate images, one for each eye. Viewers wear special polarising glasses which fool the brain into thinking the picture is in three dimensions. Although the 3D TVs needed to watch the broadcast are not yet commercially available, Sky set up two 46-inch screens at Abbey Road.

"This was a big test for us, and it was great to show that we can do this," said Sky's Gerry O'Sullivan. "We can broadcast a live event in 3D, and that is a major breakthrough. We now believe people will watch 3D concerts at home, and this could be the birth of a whole new type of entertainment."

Abbey Road was chosen because the first live satellite broadcast - of The Beatles' All You Need Is Love - was transmitted from the studios.

The gig was also broadcast online in a lower quality 3D version, and is believed to have been watched by thousands of fans. For the online webcast, the system was altered to use a lower picture quality, and red and blue tinted glasses. It is expected that TV manufacturers will launch home 3D TVs, which look identical to current LCD screens, before the end of the year. Several manufacturers are developing systems that do not require glasses.

Sky hopes to broadcast events from the 2012 Games in 3D.

Keane's manager Adam Tudhope, said: "The band wanted to be doing something at its early stages, and doing it in a way that no one has ever done before. It's about exploring every single possible creative outlet."

Keyboard player Tim Rice-Oxley said: "I think the key is making the performance feel just as exciting as when you're at Brixton Academy or whatever and I think 3D is a step towards that." Marco Gandolfi of website music-news.com said: "It was a really impressive demonstration of 3D.

"It will never replace the real thing, but if a band is only playing a few dates, or are overseas, it would work well. It's expensive but for bands like Oasis it could work well."