SENSIO Technologies
SENSIO Technologies was a Montreal-based developer and licensor of stereoscopic 3D image-processing technologies for home entertainment, cinema, broadcasting, and consumer electronics.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
SENSIO Technologies was a Canadian technology company based in Montreal that developed, marketed, and licensed systems for creating, encoding, transmitting, decoding, and displaying stereoscopic 3D content. Founded in 1999 by Nicholas Routhier and Richard LaBerge as Technologies Sensorielles TEG, the company sought to make high-quality 3D viewing practical across home-entertainment and cinema environments. Its principal technology was SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D, a spatial-compression and reconstruction system intended to preserve the fidelity of stereoscopic images while using existing two-dimensional video-distribution infrastructure. The technology used quincunx subsampling and reconstruction algorithms to recover image information with a level of quality that SENSIO presented as visually close to the original source, including at relatively low bitrates. The company developed encoder and decoder implementations and promoted the format to equipment manufacturers, broadcasters, distributors, cinema operators, and content owners. SENSIO initially pursued an integrated hardware-and-content strategy. Its SENSIO S3D-100 video processor set-top box received a 2003 CES Design and Engineering Showcase Honors award and was presented as the first full-resolution consumer 3D product. To make the hardware useful, SENSIO also negotiated rights to a library of more than 40 3D films from Hollywood and independent studios. That content program contributed to the 2005 release of Spy Kids 3D: Game Over on DVD, which the company described as the first Hollywood 3D film released in that format. The company later shifted toward intellectual-property licensing and technology partnerships. It demonstrated live 3D delivery for cinemas, worked with satellite and digital-cinema partners, and supplied or integrated its technology into television, broadcast, gaming, and event-distribution systems. Its work included live 3D cinema presentations, multi-platform simulcasts, stereoscopic console gaming, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup live 3D cinema program. SENSIO also promoted interoperability and ease of use through technologies such as SENSIO Autodetect, which identified incoming 2D and frame-compatible 3D signals, and SENSIO S2D Switch, which allowed users to change between 2D and several 3D viewing modes. SENSIO became publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in 2006 under the symbol SIO. It remained focused on a rapidly developing 3D market, but the company did not achieve sustained profitability and depended substantially on new investment. It expanded its technology portfolio in 2010 through the acquisition of signal-processing technologies and personnel from Algolith Inc. It also developed the 3DGO! online rental service and the SENSIO 3D Live Network, which connected cinema distributors and operators for live 3D events. The company entered a liquidity crisis in 2015 after unsuccessful financing efforts. In December of that year, it signed a letter of intent to sell certain intellectual-property rights to 3DN LLC, a subsidiary of WiLAN, and filed a notice of intention to make a proposal under Canada's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Attempts to sell the remaining assets, including the 3DGO! service, were unsuccessful. The service ended on April 15, 2016, and SENSIO was deemed to have made an assignment in bankruptcy on April 22, 2016. The remaining assets included the 3DGO application, database and trademark, together with computer equipment. SENSIO is therefore treated as a defunct brand and company.
History
SENSIO Technologies originated in Montreal in 1999, when Nicholas Routhier and Richard LaBerge founded Technologies Sensorielles TEG to develop technology for viewing 3D images in the home. Research completed in 2002 produced the first version of the technology that later became SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D, a spatial-compression codec designed for stereoscopic video. The company paired its codec with hardware and content. Its SENSIO S3D-100 video processor received a 2003 CES Design and Engineering Showcase Honors award and was promoted as a full-resolution consumer 3D product. SENSIO also assembled a library of more than 40 films by negotiating rights with Hollywood and independent studios. This effort helped support the 2005 DVD release of Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, described by SENSIO as the first Hollywood 3D film released on DVD. SENSIO became a public company in 2006, listing on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SIO. By 2007 it had discontinued the S3D-100 and was concentrating more heavily on licensing its intellectual property. It demonstrated live 3D cinema delivery using digital-cinema and satellite-distribution partners, including International Datacasting and Cinedigm. At CES 2008, the company demonstrated a full-HD 3D solution for LCD and DLP televisions. In 2009, SENSIO and its partners helped deliver live 3D events to cinemas, beginning with the BCS Bowl. It also supported an ESPN simulcast of the USC–Ohio State football game across cinema, stadium screens, and television. The DVD Forum recognized the SENSIO 3D format in a 3D video specification that year. Ubisoft's James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, released near the end of 2009, incorporated SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D technology for stereoscopic gameplay on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The company's international visibility increased in 2010 through its role in live 3D presentations of the FIFA World Cup. SENSIO technology was used for 25 matches, distributed through the SENSIO 3D Live Network to cinemas in 33 countries. By the following year, the network had expanded to more than 800 screens in 35 countries and had also carried events such as the RBS Six Nations Rugby and the NBA All-Star Weekend. SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D was integrated into Vizio's HD LCD 3D television line, representing an early integration of a proprietary 3D format into a consumer television range. SENSIO expanded into broadcast signal processing in late 2010 by acquiring technology and personnel from Algolith. At CES 2011 it introduced SENSIO Autodetect and SENSIO S2D Switch, designed to make 3D viewing less dependent on manual format selection. It also promoted the SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D Content Library through video-on-demand and operated or supported the 3DGO! online rental service. Despite technical demonstrations, partnerships, and stronger sales during the 3D market's expansion, SENSIO did not achieve profitability over its operating life and relied heavily on new investment. During 2015, attempts to obtain financing from its largest shareholder and through a private share placement failed. The company hired a financial adviser in November to explore divestiture. On December 23, SENSIO agreed in principle to sell certain intellectual-property rights to 3DN LLC, a WiLAN subsidiary, and filed a notice of intention to make a proposal under Canadian insolvency law. The board also announced the departure of co-founder Richard LaBerge without replacement. SENSIO sought a buyer for its remaining assets, particularly the 3DGO! service, during the winter of 2016. The sale process was unsuccessful. 3DGO! was discontinued on April 15, and SENSIO did not seek another extension of the insolvency stay on April 22, when it was deemed to have made an assignment in bankruptcy. A trustee's preliminary report identified the 3DGO application, database, trademark, and computer equipment among the remaining assets. The company and brand are now defunct.
- 2016
Service closure and bankruptcy
[1]3DGO! ended in April, followed by SENSIO's assignment in bankruptcy.
- 2015
Liquidity crisis and insolvency filing
[1]Failed financing efforts led to a liquidity crisis, an intellectual-property sale process, and a notice of intention to make a bankruptcy proposal.
- 2010
FIFA World Cup 3D cinema network
[1]The SENSIO 3D Live Network delivered 25 World Cup matches to cinemas in 33 countries.
- 2009
Live 3D cinema and DVD Forum recognition
[1]SENSIO supported early live 3D cinema events and its format was recognized in a DVD Forum 3D specification.
- 2006
Public listing
[1]SENSIO Technologies began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under ticker SIO.
- 2005
Spy Kids 3D released on DVD
[1]Dimension Films' Spy Kids 3D: Game Over became the first Hollywood 3D film released on DVD, according to SENSIO's account.
- 2003
SENSIO S3D-100 receives CES recognition
[1]The SENSIO S3D-100 video processor received a CES Design and Engineering Showcase Honors award.
- 2002
First SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D technology developed
[1]Research produced the first version of the spatial-compression technology that became SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D.
- 1999
Company founded
[1]Nicholas Routhier and Richard LaBerge founded Technologies Sensorielles TEG to develop home 3D-viewing technology.
Products and positioning
A specialist 3D imaging and delivery technology company positioned around high-fidelity stereoscopic video, compatibility with existing distribution infrastructure, simplified user interaction, and standards-oriented interoperability.
3D video compression and delivery technology · 2002
SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D
SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D was the company's core stereoscopic-video technology. It combined encoder and decoder components with spatial compression based on quincunx subsampling and reconstruction algorithms. The system was designed to maintain high visual fidelity while fitting within existing video-distribution constraints, and it was applied to consumer electronics, digital cinema, broadcasting, gaming, and live-event delivery.
Consumer 3D video processor · 2003
SENSIO S3D-100
The S3D-100 was a set-top video processor incorporating SENSIO's early 3D codec. Introduced during the company's hardware phase, it was promoted as a full-resolution consumer 3D product and received recognition at CES in 2003. SENSIO later discontinued the device as it moved toward licensing its underlying intellectual property.
3D display usability technology · 2011
SENSIO Autodetect
SENSIO Autodetect was designed to identify whether an incoming video stream was 2D or one of several frame-compatible 3D formats, including side-by-side, top-and-bottom, and SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D. The feature was intended to reduce manual setup and allow displays or decoders to select the appropriate processing mode automatically.
3D viewing-mode control · 2011
SENSIO S2D Switch
SENSIO S2D Switch enabled viewers to change a 3D feed between 3D and 2D presentation or among supported 3D viewing modes. It addressed common HDMI 1.4a-era formats such as side-by-side, over-under, checkerboard, and SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D.
Live 3D cinema distribution network · 2010
SENSIO 3D Live Network
The SENSIO 3D Live Network connected cinema distributors and operators for live stereoscopic event presentations. It was used for sports and other events, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and expanded to hundreds of screens across multiple countries.
Online 3D movie rental service
3DGO!
3DGO! was SENSIO's online rental service for 3D content. It remained among the company's principal assets during the 2015–2016 insolvency process, but the service was discontinued on April 15, 2016.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D Content Library
Consumer entertainment
SENSIO promoted a library of Hi-Fi 3D titles for video-on-demand distribution, extending its business beyond codec licensing into packaged access to stereoscopic content.
Outcome. The service was part of the company's broader content strategy; its later 3DGO! service was ultimately discontinued in 2016.
- 20102010 FIFA World Cup live 3D cinema program
International
SENSIO coordinated technology and distribution partners for live 3D cinema presentations of 25 FIFA World Cup matches. The network reached cinemas in 33 countries and was presented as the first worldwide live 3D cinema event of its kind.
Outcome. The program expanded the SENSIO 3D Live Network and reportedly reached hundreds of cinemas and screens.
Brand decisions
2015
Asset divestiture and insolvency processStrategyBackground
Financing attempts during 2015 were unsuccessful, creating a liquidity crisis.
Action taken
SENSIO engaged a financial adviser, pursued the sale of selected intellectual-property rights, and filed a notice of intention to make a bankruptcy proposal.
Aftermath
The company could not complete a sale of its remaining assets, discontinued 3DGO!, and entered bankruptcy in April 2016.
2010
Acquisition of Algolith assets and personnelM&ABackground
SENSIO sought to broaden its capabilities beyond stereoscopic delivery and into broadcast signal processing.
Action taken
It acquired signal-processing technologies and key personnel from Algolith Inc.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded the company's proposed offering to the broadcast market.
2007
Shift from hardware toward intellectual-property licensingStrategyBackground
After developing and marketing the S3D-100, SENSIO operated in a market where broader adoption depended on integration by electronics, cinema, broadcast, and semiconductor companies.
Action taken
The company discontinued the S3D-100 and concentrated more heavily on licensing its 3D technology and forming implementation partnerships.
Aftermath
This approach supported integrations and live-event deployments, although the company remained unprofitable and dependent on investment.
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