HBO invests in 3D and holograms for future content

HBO and Discovery already offer plenty of great content both on television and online. Now the two companies are teaming up to invest in OTOY, a startup focused on creating 3D graphics and holograms for everything from TV to wearable technology.

It’s unclear exactly how HBO and Discovery plan to use the new technology, but we know one place where holograms may pop up. OTOY is already working with Jon Stewart, who signed a deal with HBO last year to produce “short-form digital content” for the companies streaming apps.

“OTOY is unbelievable!” Stewart said. “It’s a limitless mind-blowing creative platform,” Stewart said. “My dream is to someday understand how they did it!!!”

Discover hasn’t said how it plans to implement the technology, but the company is already excited by the possibilities. “OTOY technology is a massive breakthrough and we look forward to seeing it take VR and AR experiences, including Discovery VR, to a whole new level,” said CCO Paul Guyardo.

OTOY was founded in 2009 by Jules Urbach, who’s described as an adaptable lifelike 3D environment similar to the Holodeck from Star Trek. The company’s board also includes Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt and former IBM CEO Samuel J. Palmisano.