[excerpts]

Some decades ago, a salesguy in a high-end audio shop badly misjudged my socioeconomic status and treated me to an ultrahigh-quality recording of an obscure jazz ensemble, played on a $10,000 audio system in an acoustically perfect room. I staggered out goose-bumped and hair-raised, a newly minted audiophile wannabe. …

Turned around, this “object-based compression,” as it’s called, could provide much higher fidelity than that of a typical 16-bit MP3 in an equal-size file. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly developing a new digital music player that can handle higher-resolution, 24-bit recordings, but who wants pricier, slower downloads that will make your existing music player obsolete? If Thibault’s compression scheme becomes standard, as he hopes it will, we could keep our 16-bit music players, and headphones could easily catch up; a decent pair of $50 earbuds already well exceed the potential of the music that gets poured into them. My kids may go into audio shock when they find out what they’ve been missing. …

So I got in touch with Karlheinz Brandenburg, who, in addition to being director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology in Ilmenau, Germany, is also the audio technology legend who largely developed the MP3 file.  …

I would invite you, then, to visit Disney World’s Haunted Mansion, which features one of the most advanced 3-D sound systems in the world. The technology, based on the work of Brandenburg’s lab, surrounds a crowd of listeners with a ring of loudspeakers placed at intervals of a few feet. Each speaker puts out a slightly different version 
of the sound, acoustically re-
creating the direction-dependent environment in which it was recorded.  …

Meanwhile, Roginska’s group is already putting its technique to work in a 3-D audio software program called AudioMaps, which relies on the gyroscopic sensors in some mobile devices to determine which way the device is pointing. For example, if you were listening to an audio tour of New York City, you could simply point your iWhatever at the Empire State Building and the narration would sound as if it were actually emanating from the building.  …

Read the full article here: http://discovermagazine.com/2011/jun/24-forget-3d-screens-need-3d-audio-real-life

An interactive 3D film about a theory of the construction of the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt, first presented to the public in a 3D theatre in Paris, has now migrated on to the home desktop.

To watch the film, one has to simply download a plug-in and don a pair of 3D glasses – although the software gives the sensation of depth without them too, to a lesser extent.

Watch a 2 minute video describing the interactive experience here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14334047

[Philip Lelyveld comment: the author, Neil Schneider, runs a 3D Gamer information website (www.mtbs3d.com) and advocacy organization (www.s3dga.com)]

[Excerpts]

It seems that 3D has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons again!  On one hand, 3D is giving people headaches.  On the other, products are getting pulled from store shelves due to customer complaints.  Watching the stock prices, you’d think that Chicken Little in 3D had come to life, and the sky was falling!  I’d like to take this opportunity to put things in perspective, because 3D isn’t to blame for the world’s ills. …

… The 3DS’ problem has nothing to do with 3D, it has nothing to do with price, and it definitely has nothing to do with getting pulled from store shelves.  The issue is that its content offering is extremely weak.  The existing games are lackluster in 2D AND 3D.  I’m all for criticizing a product, but the Nintendo 3DS is not being slammed for the right reasons! …

… However, Electronic Arts has a lot to be proud of in the 3D space.  For example, they are a partner company in a government research initiative that is determining best practices in effective S-3D game design via university research.  They have also done some excellent work getting their games optimized to work with certain S-3D driver developers on PC on a case by case basis.  …

… DisplaySearch expects 100 million 3D HDTVs to be sold by 2014 based on the expectation that 3D will be a standardized feature, and that this represents 50% of all HDTV sales revenue.  So unless you believe that HDTVs will cease to be sold in stores, 3D is very much here to stay, and it’s up to the content makers to determine whether or not the 3D functionality will be used.  I think it will. …

…  When 3D movies started to grow popular, they were based on native dual camera setups or true stereoscopic 3D animation.  Unfortunately, as a reaction to the press, movies have grown modest with their depth settings to the point that the image doesn’t look doubled with the naked eye – it just looks blurred.  More than that, what used to be carefully crafted 3D movies based on true stereoscopic 3D rendering have become modest 2D/3D conversions that are truly lackluster compared to what made this industry popular in the first place.  It really is a troubling situation because customers have been trained to expect these boring experiences – and that’s not what 3D is about.  …

… With all the sarcasm, sucker punches, misinformation, and terrible press working against 3D – I’m just amazed that there are so few industry members that take the time to represent and credibly defend the technology.  While I serve as Executive Director for The S-3D Gaming Alliance, there are other organizations that feature scores of members in 3D cinema, broadcasting, and electronics.  Given all the passion and investment that launched modern 3D entertainment, I think the industry really needs to stand up for itself. …

Read the full article here: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/NeilSchneider/20110729/8090/3D_Shaken_Not_Stirred.php

[Submitted by Bryan Burns]

[Excerpts]

X Games has always been known as a breeding ground for technology and innovation, so it comes as no surprise that that the 17th incarnation of Summer X will serve as the most unique, grand-scale production yet for ESPN 3D. The network is taking its “5D” approach (2D-3D unilateral production using a single mobile unit) to the next level, producing all events at the Staples Center using a 3D truck and 3D rigs that supply the left eye feed for the 2D telecast.

“We’re doing the 5D coverage for everything at Staples Center, meaning there are basically no 2D cameras at all,” says ESPN 3D and X Games Coordinating Producer Phil Orlins. “In our 3D world right now, everything is firing appropriately, which is all we can ask for.”

In addition to Staples, ESPN 3D will cover several events at all three venues of the other venues at X Games – the Nokia Theater, the Street & Park Event Deck, and Lot 7. ESPN 3D is deploying 18 3D rigs to produce 21 hours of live coverage, making it the largest and most comprehensive event to date for the one-year-old network. …

Read the full story here: http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2011/07/29/29955/

Related stories:

[Excerpt]

A 3D prototype of an existing prototype panoramic video camera has been developed at renowned German research lab Fraunhofer HHI. The device features a circular rig capable of carrying up to 30 HD cameras and 15 mirrors to form a continuous 360-degree panorama. …

According to Fraunhofer HHI the rig is scalable in increments of 24 degrees and supports acquisition of live 3D video panoramas of up to 360 degrees with a maximal resolution of about 15.000× 2.000 pixels for each stereo view. …

Generating 3D video panoramas, however, is much more complicated. Whereas the stitching of each panorama for the left and the right eye requires a parallax-free recording of sub-images, the stereo representation itself needs a sufficient amount of parallax for proper 3D reproduction. …

[From StereoscopyNews]

Three dimensional games and movies have entered the mainstream, yet doctors still have questions about stereoscopy’s long-term health affects. What about the effects of stereoscopy on us—our bodies and minds? What is 3D doing to our brains?

This multipart paper table of contents :

1. 3D Arrives, Again (click here)
2. How 3D Works: The Quick and Dirty 
3. What Is 3D Doing to our Brains? 
4. We Can Turn Off the 3D Screen; Can We Turn Off the Long Term Effects? 
5. What About The “Vergence Accommodation Conflict?” 
6. Other Visual Acrobatics Brought on During 3D Graphics 
7. Are 3D Manufacturers Concerned About Health Effects? 
8. And the 3D Future?

Read part 1 of this interesting 8 parts paper by Caleb Garling (google him to know more about this prolific writer) on Tom’sGuide.

Access the source material here: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/3DTV-stereoscopy-vision-eyes,review-1666.html

[From StereoscopyNews posting, copied from Amazon]

The “Neuroanatomy: 3D-Stereoscopic Atlas of the Human Brain” CD-ROM, which contains all 173 stereoscopic illustrations as rotatable 3D models, this atlas introduces an innovative quality into the conception of spatial structures. It has never been so easy and fascinating to understand the architecture of the human brain!

The topographical and functional architecture of the human brain is highly complex. A profound understanding of this architecture is a prerequisite to understanding the functions and dysfunctions of the brain, to pass examinations in neuroanatomy, and to conduct operations in neurosurgery.The illustrations in this stereoscopic atlas have been developed with the greatest scientific thoroughness, and using an absolutely new 3D computer model. The use of a complex, stereoscopic visualization procedure presents the reader with a completely new and amazing, yet comprehensible, insight into the human brain.

Published by Springer 10 years ago, the “ISBN-13: 978-3540659983″ CD-ROM stays a very nice gift for neurosurgeons being also 3D Stereoscopy fans. Available on Amazon from under 100$.

See more information here: http://www.amazon.com/Neuroanatomy-3D-Stereoscopic-Atlas-Human-CD-ROM/dp/3540659986

[Excerpt]

Sky 3D has formed a new venture with Atlantic Productions for the creation of more original 3D programming. There are also output deals with Disney, MTV and Discovery.

Sky and Atlantic have created Colossus Productions to develop 3D programming for domestic and international audiences. Atlantic Productions was behind the BAFTA award-winning Flying Monsters 3D and is currently working on a 3D series on plants, currently being filmed at Kew Gardens, and presented by Sir David Attenborough.  …

Programmes will be seen first on Sky 3D before being released for international sales. …

Read the full story here: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/07/29/sky-creates-own-3d-production-company/

[Philip Lelyveld comment: a South American 3D workflow / post production resource]

[Excerpt]

Bright Technologies, Inc., developer of advanced technology for shared media, has announced that Exec Technology, a leading specialist supplier of video and film equipment, has become its new business partner for South America. Exec Technology will add Bright’s complete range of BrightDrive(tm) Recording Systems, including the new BrightDrive Astella file server and the 3D Stereoscopic Optimizer, to its portfolio, and will introduce Bright to customers across the South American continent. …

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is the first mainstream article I've seen with specific advice to parents.]

[Excerpt]

…  ”Children who have even a small vision misalignment or those who lack equal vision in both eyes may not be able to perceive 3D images properly,” explains Dr. Carl Hillier of the California Optometric Association. “Watching 3D imagery, which creates the illusion of depth by presenting each eye with a slightly different image, can unmask ulterior issues such as lazy eye, convergence insufficiency, poor focusing skills and other visual problems students might not have previously known existed.” …  These conditions often manifest in poor reading ability and performance in sports as well as low self-esteem; all problems that could follow a child throughout life. …

Early detection and treatment are critical in correcting vision problems and helping students reach their highest potential, but how is a parent to know? Look for these five warning signs that your child may be part of the 25% who will be at a disadvantage in the classroom this year.

• Returns from seeing a 3D movie feeling dizzy, nauseous or with a headache; or child doesn’t see a difference between 2D and 3D images
• Trouble hitting or catching a ball
• Clumsy, often bumping into things
• Frequently loses place when reading or uses a finger to follow words
• Discomfort and avoidance of reading and 3D viewing

…

Read the full article here: http://www.mspnews.com/news/2011/07/28/5668243.htm