3D or not 3D: The road ahead for TV – Whitepaper

(Comment: this whitepaper is a 3D broadcast primer and policy piece.)

link to original post

13 Jul 2010

Broadcast transmission specialist, Broadcast Australia, has today released a white paper which explores the challenge of establishing Australia’s new 3D TV environment, and highlights the importance of laying the foundations to ensure the country’s free-to-air broadcasting infrastructure is ready to deliver new and unique digital content.

The paper, entitled ‘3D or not 3D: The road ahead for TV’, provides insight into the current 3D TV environment, exploring the consumer proposition and drivers for deployment, as well as considering the various technology options, how they work, and what issues need to be addressed in order to make 3D TV successful.

To date, Broadcast Australia has played a central role in the delivery of terrestrial 3D TV and puts a case forward for the development of appropriate policies—with regard to applicable standards, licensing frameworks and spectrum—to provide an evolution path for the future deployment of terrestrial 3D TV services.

In preparing this white paper, Broadcast Australia has drawn on its extensive experience and expertise in the digital media delivery arena, plus discussions with key industry stakeholders.

Click here to download the whitepaper from: http://www.broadcastaustralia.com.au/assets/files/White%20Papers/BA_3D_TV_WhitePaper.pdf

link to original post

Korea’s largest theatre chain has chosen Burbank-based 3D technology company MasterImage 3D, LLC to converted 58 additional screens to 3D.

MasterImage 3D announced today that CJ CGV is converting all the rest of its 160 3D theaters to its digital 3D cinema systems and that MasterImage 3D has also installed four systems in Korea’s Lotte Cinema in Suncheon.

These installations, combined with existing systems at Primus Cinema, Ya Woo Ri Cinemas and more theatres across Korea, bring MasterImage’s total to 175 of the country’s estimated 250 digital 3D screens, more than 70% of Korea’s total 3D exhibition market share.

CGV Manager Sung woo Kang said, “MasterImage 3D’s system offers an outstanding value compared to other products on the market, and it is simple to install.”

CJ CGV recently opened a 3D screen in L.A. for advancing into the U.S. market.

MasterImage 3D, which also recently entered the New Zealand exhibition market with the sale of its first digital 3D cinema system to the nation’s largest multiplex franchise, Palmerston North-based Downtown Cinemas, says it has nearly doubled its worldwide installation in the past eighteen months and has installed more than 1,800 systems in 40 countries worldwide — approximately 400 in the US, 770 in Europe and 700 in Asia and the rest of the world.

“Exhibitors are recognizing that our ownership-based model and passive-glasses approach offers them a different, and often more attractive business proposition than competitive systems,” said Younghoon Lee, founder, chairman and CEO of MasterImage 3D. “From our US headquarters and offices in Asia and Europe we are aggressively converting theatre markets all over the world.”

CJ CGV was established as a joint venture of CJ Group of Korea, Golden Harvest of Hong Kong and Village Roadshow of Australia, and is now independently managed by CJ Group.

– By Scott Hettrick

link to posting site

Posted by admin on July 28th, 2010

BURBANK, Calif., July 28, 2010 —- Warner Home Video announces today that it has partnered with two major CE manufacturers, LG Electronics, Inc. and Sony Electronics Inc., to offer new Blu-ray 3D versions of IMAX® Under the Sea 3D, IMAX® Space Station 3Dand IMAX® Deep Sea 3D with the purchase of select Blu-ray 3D players, 3D TVs and 3D projectors.

Consumers in the U.S. and Canada who purchase an LG BX580 or BX585 3D Network Blu-ray Disc Player now through December 31, 2010 will be eligible to receive IMAX® Under the Sea 3D via mail-in coupon. Complete details on the offer are available on LG’s website atLGusa.com/3Dpromo. Consumers in various territories in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America who purchase any LG Blu-ray 3D Player, Blu-ray 3D Home Theater, 3D Projector or 3D TV will be able to receive IMAX® Space Station 3D via mail-in coupon or inside the player box*.

Also beginning in July, consumers in North America and various territories in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America who purchase any Sony Blu-ray 3D player, 3D TV or set of 3D glasses will be eligible to receive IMAX® Deep Sea 3D via mail-in coupon.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with LG and Sony in support of their Blu-ray 3D hardware launches while also seeding the market with a more diverse selection of Blu-ray 3D titles for consumers to enjoy,” said Dorinda Marticorena, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and High Definition. “IMAX is simply the best in 3D and these visually stunning titles are perfect for consumers who want to take full advantage of and show off their new Blu-ray 3D home theater systems.”

BLU-RAY 3D™ : THE NEXT DIMENSION IN HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Blu-ray 3D™ is an extension of the Blu-ray Disc™ format that enables the home entertainment industry to bring the full high-definition 3D experience into the living room. Old anaglyph 3D technology used paper glasses with red and blue lenses which filtered out light to produce a low-quality 3D experience.

New stereoscopic 3D uses “active” technology, allowing every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver full high-definition 1080p resolution to each eye. “Active shutter” 3D glasses (battery powered and either bundled with the 3D TV or sold separately) quickly block each eye in sequence to ensure that each eye only sees the corresponding image being displayed on the 3D TV set. This technology allows for a fully immersive, theater-quality 3D experience at home. What’s more, Blu-ray 3D players are backwards compatible, so viewers can still watch standard definition DVDs and 2D Blu-ray Discs without needing a separate player.

Link to original article

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.:DirecTV announced today that History Channel will contribute 3D programming to it’s stereoscopic offering. History will do the season premiere of its series, “The Universe,” in 3D on July 30. The season five premiere, entitled “7 Wonders of the Solar System,” will use computer-generated graphics to illustrate recent astronomical findings. It will be telecast on DirecTV’s n3D on Ch. 103, and in 3D on Ch. 101. at 10 p.m. ET/PT this Friday.

“This is the type of programming that lends itself perfectly for 3D and still looks amazing in HD,” said DirecTV’s Derek Chang. “We are excited to be partnering with History as they embark on their first 3D mission.”

The first 3D episode of “The Universe” depicts, according to DirecTV and History, “mountain ranges on Saturn’s rings; the famous red spot on Jupiter and the indication that there may soon be another one; a volcano that would stretch the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco if it was placed on Earth; and the highest resolution images ever taken of the lava flow on Mars that might indicate volcanic activity.”

DirecTV launched 3D programming June 11 with ESPN’s stereoscopic channel. nD3, a 3D movie channel and an on-demand channel were later added. Programming has thus far included select 2010 World Cup games, the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race. The Summer X Games 16 and Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction are on deck.

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.:DirecTV announced today that History Channel will contribute 3D programming to it’s stereoscopic offering. History will do the season premiere of its series, “The Universe,” in 3D on July 30. The season five premiere, entitled “7 Wonders of the Solar System,” will use computer-generated graphics to illustrate recent astronomical findings. It will be telecast on DirecTV’s n3D on Ch. 103, and in 3D on Ch. 101. at 10 p.m. ET/PT this Friday.

“This is the type of programming that lends itself perfectly for 3D and still looks amazing in HD,” said DirecTV’s Derek Chang. “We are excited to be partnering with History as they embark on their first 3D mission.”

The first 3D episode of “The Universe” depicts, according to DirecTV and History, “mountain ranges on Saturn’s rings; the famous red spot on Jupiter and the indication that there may soon be another one; a volcano that would stretch the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco if it was placed on Earth; and the highest resolution images ever taken of the lava flow on Mars that might indicate volcanic activity.”

DirecTV launched 3D programming June 11 with ESPN’s stereoscopic channel. nD3, a 3D movie channel and an on-demand channel were later added. Programming has thus far included select 2010 World Cup games, the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race. The Summer X Games 16 and Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction are on deck.
– DMcA

For details click here

Engadget

By Sean Hollister posted Jul 25th 2010 1:04PM

Link to original post

We’d heard Panasonic was planning a more affordable stereoscopic 3D camcorder, but it looks like we won’t have to wait until a mysterious July 28th Tokyo unveiling to find out for sure — it’s called the HDC-SDT750, and Panny’s advertising it as the “World’s first 3D Shooting Camcorder.” Leaks at all the seams of the company’s website afforded us the above picture, and the surprising revelation that the product may not be a brand-new camcorder, but rather an existing high-end 3MOS model (we’d guess the HDC-HS700) with a “3D conversion lens” attached. If the yet-to-be-activated product page’s source code can be believed, the SDT750 will shoot in 1080p AVCHD at 60fps, feature Panny’s proprietary Hybrid O.I.S. image stabilization technology, and come in a lovely shade of Henry Ford black. That’s all we have for now (save a second tiny picture after the break) but rest assured we’ll be keeping tabs on this one.

Update: Looks as if even more images and purported specifications have leaked out ahead of the official reveal.

Link to Update

Según nuestro servicio secreto, Panasonic tiene una sorpresa a los videoaficionados convencidos del potencial de vídeo 3D; la Panasonic SDT750, la primera cámara de vídeo de consumo que graba en 3D.

Por unos 1.900€ la Panasonic SDT750 promete acercar el vídeo en tres dimensiones a los aficionados más…, aventureros. Esta peculiar videocámara cuenta con un conversor frontal independiente que integra las dos lentes (similar a la Panasonic AG-3DA1) que obtienen las imágenes con ángulos diferentes. Internamente cuenta con un sistema captor 3MOS Full HD, por lo que tiene cierto parecido con los últimos modelos de videocámaras domésticas. La cámara graba en Full HD 1080/50p pero reduce su resolución a 960 x 1080 pixeles en los frames 3D. El objetivo angular equivale a un 35mm perotambién se reduce a un 58mm al acoplar la lente 3D. La Panasonic SDT750 puede funcionar como una cámara convencional 2D sin la lente 3D, que por cierto no es compatible con los modelos anteriores de vídeocámaras.

Sin embargo el gran punto negativo es que las grabaciones sólo son compatibles con televisores Panasonic Viera, lo que limita en gran medida su mercado potencial. Esperamos con ilusión que el software de edición 3D incluido, el HD Writer AE 2.6T  permita convertirlo a un formato más universal, porque sino no le vemos demasiada utilidad. La Panasonic SDT750 integra:

• sensor 3MOS 7,590,000 pixels (2,530,000 pixels x 3).
• HYBRID O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
• Advanced 3MOS System
• Crystal Engine PRO
• Leica Dicomar Lens
• O.I.S. Lock
• iA (Intelligent Auto) with Face Recognition
• Manual Ring
• 5.1-Channel Surround Sound System
• 1.0-sec Quick Power-On
• Pre-Rec
• Touch-Screen Operation de 3″
• Time Lapse Recording
• 50 Frames/sec High Speed Burst Shooting
• compatibilidad con tarjetas SDXC

[mc_check report="true" doc_name="Selling3d2010.zip"]

link to original post

July 21, 2010

In an experiment that could spread to other 3D video games on the PlayStation 3, the developers of November’s Sly Cooper compilation are considering including a controller-based slider that will adjust the depth of 3D displayed by the game.

The ability to manually adjust the depth of stereoscopic 3D graphics popping out from or receding into a TV screen would help people view the game more comfortably, a Sony games producer told Kotaku. He was showing me the Sly Collection at a holiday showcase for PS3 and PSP titles in New York yesterday. The game runs in stereoscopic 3D with the help of a special TV and glasses.

Gesturing at his PS3 DualShock controller and fiddling with the let analog stick, the producer said that the slider function might be mapped to a control stick, with a tilt adjusting the 3D depth.

All 3D technologies require users to position themselves within an ideal distance and viewing angle in front of a display screen in order to see their 3D effect. Standing in the right spot gets you 3D. Standing in the wrong spot might get you a headache and/or a doubled image.

Without a slider, the Sony producer said, a player of a 3D game might be left to having to stand or sit in a particular spot to play. With the slider, they might be able to pick their own spot, more or less, and then adjust the intensity of the 3D graphics to suit their position.

The idea of a manual slider for 3D video games is relatively new but already quite welcome. Nintendo demonstrated a similar feature last month at E3 on theirupcoming 3DS portable gaming platform. The 3DS’ slider was widely praised for allowing people to manually find a degree of 3D-ness in the system’s graphics that displayed properly and painlessly while the Nintendo device was held at a comfortable distance. The 3DS’ slider even allowed the 3D effect to be turned off.

The Sly Collection doesn’t have its slider yet — nor is it yet named, as Kotaku suggested, a “Slyder” — but the game would be a good test case for it. The game collection contains the three PlayStation 2 Sly Cooper games, all of them sort of mixes of a Mario 64-style platformer and heist capers, all of them rendered for the PS3 in optional 3D.

Sony is aggressively promoting 3D gaming on the PS3. All such 3D games require 3D-compatible TVs as well as glasses. Should the slider idea work, it could become a feature in other Sony-published PlayStation 3 games as well.

The 3D-enabled Sly Collection ships this November. If you don’t have a 3D TV, don’t worry. You can play the game in good old flat-TV 2D.

Sony Considering 3DS-Like 3D Slider for PS3

The neatest idea inside the Nintendo 3DS isn’t just its 3D screen. Rather, the neatest idea is that you can tweak the 3D depth of this screen with a realtime slider. Now, Sony might borrow the idea for PS3 games.

A Sony games producer behind an upcoming Sly Cooper collection suggested that a slider could make an appearance, the function mapped to an analog stick.

It’s an interesting idea. I wonder, beyond the ohh-ahh nature of shifting depth in realtime, if less 3D depth will really lead to less eyestrain and/or enhance the experience of a game from an off angle. My guess is that anything that requires your eyes to use shutter glasses will tire your eyes out equally, though maybe if you’re forced to refocus on various planes within the image these depths could make some sort of a difference.

link to original post

July 22, 2010

ARLINGTON, VA.: U.S. consumer electronics shipments will reach nearly $175 billion this year, thanks to the popularity of smartphones, Blu-ray players, eReaders, tablet computers, and–3DTVs So says the Consumer Electronics Association’s semi-annual sales report and forecast.

“Digital displays will continue to see major growth with increasing unit sales, but slightly less revenue due to fierce pricing competition,” the CEA said.

Shipment of 3D displays is forecast to reach to 2.1 million this year. Related revenues will top $2.7 billion. The CEA in January predicted 4 million 3DTVs would ship. A month later, the number was revised to 1.05 million, reflecting that a “3DTV” set had to have HDMI 1.4 capability.

The CEA predicts more than 6 million 3D displays will ship in 2011, generating about $7 billion. Next year’s shipment revenue for all consumer electronics is pegged to climb 4 percent to $182 billion–an all-time high.

“Innovation in the CE industry is driving consumer enthusiasm, orchestrating a turnaround for our industry and bolstering the overall U.S. economy,” said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. “The response to innovative new products like tablet computers and 3D displays, and continued growth of other product categories, illustrate that consumers love technology. The freedom to innovate delights consumers, sustains our industry and strengthens the economy.”

This month’s $175 billion 2010 forecast exceeds CEA’s January estimate by more than $9 billion.

Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis said, “The January edition of the forecast was cautiously optimistic about the industry’s return to growth this year. Despite a relatively sluggish first half, these innovative product categories have generated a great deal of consumer interest. As a result, we see a stronger second half demand unfolding, and we anticipate a robust holiday quarter.”

Mobile computing is building this year, and expected to drive the industry in 2011. Laptops, netbooks and especially tablets are forecast to comprise $26 billion in shipment revenues for 2011.

Wireless handsets, smartphones in particular, are also expected to generate $26 billion next year. Around 54 million smartphones are expected to ship this year, up nearly 31 percent from last year. Sixy-six million are expected to ship in 2011.