The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits showed its easyDCP software, which runs on a standard PC or Mac and is designed as a simple system for the creation of Digital Cinema Packages. easyDCP and easyDCP+ (which includes stereoscopic 3D support) is now available. A version with hardware acceleration will be available in the fall.

Fraunhofer also showed its new DCPplayer, a JPEG2000 decoding software that enables real-time playback of 2K DCPs and JPEG2000 image sequences on a standard PC with Nvidia graphic card.

– TD Vision  showed integration of its technology with Magnum Semiconductor encoding chip sets. TD Vision reported it would enable Full HD 3D in real time at a bit rate that fits into a broadcast channel. It supports 1080P/60fps per bit.

–DVS is previewing version 3.0 of its Clipster post system. Scheduled new features include: The ability to create a 3D DCP, 3D timeline editing, and real-time full quality 4K decoding and debayering of Red material.

Japan-based research organization NICT may have been one of the most talked about stands at NAB. The research on display included: 

–A multi-sensory interaction system—for some NAB goers, this was their top demo. The user wears 3D glasses to see a virtual object. In space, one can “touch” the object and hear the object. Suggested future applications include museums and education.

–A floating touch display allowed one to virtually “play a piano.” Suggested apps include smart phone control, without requiring actual touch.

–A glasses free HD 3D display

–Interactive panoramic video technology.

–4K content capture

–A hologram (see separate post)

Panasonic is beginning development of a professional 3D HD production system, including a twin-lens P2 camera and a 3D-compatible HD plasma display. Concept models are at Panasonic’s central hall booth at NAB.

The P2 system is compact and has a non-mechanical solid-state construction.

Panasonic reported that the 3D system will be able to record two channels of full HD images on the P2 card.

The P2’s construction and compactness will also be incorporated into the company’s 3D image recording and editing equipment.

Pansonic hopes this production system will help to accelerate 3D content creation for the theater and home.

Exhibitors in the 3D Pavillion in the south hall included:

–The 3D@Home Consortium

–3Ality Digital, which is going to being selling its 3D camera rigs, as well as offer filmmakers a 3D production training and certification program

–3DTV Corp., offering 3D production services.

–ETRI, which demoed glasses free 3D on mobile devices.

–Qube Cinema, which highlighted its QubeMaster Pro software for the creation of 3D DCPs.

–American Paper Optics, which makes a variety of 3D paper and plastic 3D glasses, including anaglyphic, polarized, and ColorCode 3D.

NHK—hidden in the back of the north hall in booth 637–is continuing to demo its developing Super Hi-Vision 8k system, with 22.2 multichannel sound. Images in a theater setting include sunflowers, a river and the arctic. A broadcast demo features a look at the Las Vegas strip.

NHK received a special award at IBC08 for its developing Super Hi-Vision system.

At NAB, Japan’s national public broadcasting organization is also showing a prototype of what it calls “Integral TV,” a 3DTV system that does not require special glasses and can be observed as the viewer moves around.

Not to be missed is the NHK 1920×1080 3D imagery of the surface of the moon and earth, lensed from a lunar orbiter. The screening lasts roughly five minutes.

AJA introduced its first product aimed at production: The Ki Pro portable DDR.

The technology records files to the Apple ProRes codec directly from camera, and it was designed to allow filmmakers to skip the process of re-rendering to an editing codec.

Arri, Canon and Red have echoed support for the technology.

Said Arri’s Adrian Widera in a released statement: ”We are really excited about the potential of Ki Pro to streamline decision making on-set and in postproduction.”

Several speakers including Chris Chinnock and Peter Wilson said they believe stereoscopic 3D is a step in the direction of hologram imagery, Sunday during the NAB D-Cinema Summit.

Then “Coraline” director Henry Selick echoed interest in holograms on Monday during his NAB Super Session.

The seeds of the topic can be found on the exhibition floor.

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, a Japan-based research firm, is creating a small moving hologram. Using the electronic method, the image is captured in 4K, then sent to a processing unit and then a reconstruction unit to create the effect. The NICT stand can be found in the back of the north hall, booth N925.

Side by side booths Stats (SL5011) and Vizrt (SL5508) are meanwhile demonstrating the creation of a hologram effect.

Back on the 3D front, the “3D Lounge” at Prive nightclub at Planet Hollywood attracted 3D industry NAB attendees and featured 3D glasses at the bar and monitors set up in the club.

At the NAB Show, the 3D Pavilion in the south hall features exhibitors including 3Ality Digital.

At Avid Technology, EVP Kirk Arnold said “There’s a lot of belief that 3D is going to be core to storytelling in the future.” CEO Gary Greenfield predicted that sports could be the format’s killer app.

At NAB, Avid is back with a stand and new brand identity. With support from RealD, Avid is showing its flagship editing system with stereoscopic features.

Keisoku Giken (SU13913) is showing an uncompressed 4K video HDD recorder, which is designed for applications including DI. The company is using the UDR-20S-8 to play scenic footage of Japan off a Sharp 4K display. A company spokesperson said the recorder can handle stereoscopic 4K or two simultaneous channels of stereo 2K.

For production, the company introduced  the UDR-D100, an uncompressed 2K portable HDD recorder for acquisition. It offers a removeable recording pack: A choice of a hard disc or Flash memory.

JVC (stand C4315) is previewing a prototype of a 2D/3D conversion box—that at a target price of only $10,000 will turns heads if it can do what JVC says it will do.

The demo shows a 2D image playing on a JVC 42-inch 2D monitor, sitting next to the same imagery in 3D after going through the conversion process, playing on a JVC 46-inch 3D monitor.

JVC is eyeing the postproduction industry and others as potential clients for this developing technology. While no release date is firm, a company spokesperson says it could be on the market at the end of the year if JVC identifies a demand.

JVC is also exhibiting several models of 3D monitors, including a 4K2K 56-inch, 32-inch and 46-inch.

SMPTE/NAB Digital Cinema Summit – 4/18-19/09 – Sound bites by Phil Lelyveld

Marty Banks, UC Berkeley, gave an excellent overview of the vergence/ accommodation conflict and perception distortions.

The vergence/accommodation conflict is the conflict in your physiological systems between the point where your eyes converge to ‘see’ the 3D object (either in front of or behind the screen) and the point where your eyes must focus to see it clearly (the screen
surface).   Dr. Banks as been able to experimentally isolate the
vergence/accommodation conflict from other factors, and through a double-blind test procedure has been able to plot the boundaries of comfortable viewing.  He found that the greatest discomfort from conflict occurs when images are in front of the screen.  He recommends that the bulk of 3D movie images remain in or behind the surface of the screen, and that the area in front of the screen be used sparingly for special moments.

Perception distortion is the distortion of a 3D image when viewed off- axis (ex. from a seat on the side of the theatre).  He found that even when other visual cues are supplied to help the viewer’s mind understand what the image is supposed to look like, the mind does not compensate for this distortion.  This means that seating position, both left/center/right and front/center/back, do matter and cannot be corrected for in the 3D viewing experience.
He will make the slides available.

Screen size: During Q&A, Marty Banks posited that there may be a simple relationship between the 3D effect and screen size.  Later in the day, Steve Scklair, 3ality Digital Systems, says that he has tools and techniques to make those adjustments.

Steve Schklair mentioned that 3ality is starting a training program to certify a new generation of stereographers.  This will support the adoption and growth of 3D among the creative community, and enable the growth of the market for 3D content of all types.

Buzz Hays, Sony Pictures Imageworks, showed plots of the known 3D feature release schedule and projected the decline in the number of weeks each could stay in 3D theatres with a) the current number of screens and b) an increase of 300 screens/month.  Later in the Summit, Buzz said that on his first three 3D movies, he was being asked to make a 3D movie that was being told in 2D.  3D must be integrated into the storytelling.  My Dinner with Andre may be an ideal movie to make in 3D so you can be at the table with the two characters.
- The killer app for 3D will be access to content, not a particular type or genre of 3D content.

Chuck Goldwater, Cinedigm – The BCG game, at $20-$25/ticket, increased revenue by 2000% over a normal weeknight.  The All Star Saturday Night Special event was shown in 86 theatres at $12-$22/ticket and earned more at the box office than 9 of the top 10 features in theatres during its screen time.  Exit surveys found that people felt that these live in-theatre experiences were worth the ticket price, and that they expressed interest in returning to similar events in the future.

Jim Reisteter, NEC Digital Cinema Division – Examples of alternative content
- Clearview Cinemas, part of the CableVision Family in New York
- Sports: in-theatre exhibition of live Mets, Rangers, and Knicks games have proven exciting for the audience.  Clearview brings local sports figures and celebrities to the theatres.
- Concerts: they deliver, Jingleball, a popular holiday season show for children, from NYC to local theatres
- They would like to host “watercooler” events, like live American Idol broadcasts

Larry O’Reilly, iMax – IMax is planning a major digital cinema rollout, including growing from 4 to 24 theatres in the LA area and from 4 to 20 in the NYC area.

Josh Greer, RealD, described how their current RealD Cinema System delivers 15% of the light to each eye, while their new RealDXL and RealDXLS system delivers 30%.  He expects RealD sunglases and other eyewear in the future.

Wendy Aylsworth announced that work on the SMPTE 3D standards specifications will start in June, 2009.

CEA is looking at standards in many aspects of 3D, but will not address encoding algorithms.  The industry needs to define and document terms than convey interoperability, such as ’3D ready.’

Michael Fidler, Sony – The goal of the digital cinema transition is to drive incremental business to theatres Monday-Thursday.

Chris Chinook, 3D@Home Consortium – The DepthQ projector in the ETC’s 3D Home Theatre retails for $6k.  ViewSonics offers a 3D-enabled digital projector for $1.5k.  There are 3D digital picture frames on sale from China for $370.  Hitachi Wooo H001 3D cellphone uses
parallel barrier autostereoscopic technolog.   3D mobile content will
be broadcast in Japan in 2010.

Bernard Mendiburu, a 3D stereographer, researcher, and author of 3D Movie Making, described a technique for introducing greater “roundness” to an otherwise flat-looking shot.  Shot the foreground and background with separate camera pairs that optimize the occullar distance for each, then composite the two shots to create a single enhanced shot.