[Screen Digest]

…

Based on this year’s International CES, 3D is no longer the headliner technology that it was a year ago. This does not mean that the industry has given up on 3D, but rather that 3D is now, as predicted, a standard feature of high-end home entertainment products. Both Samsung and LG separately said that over half of their respective 3D screen models in 2012 support 3D, while Panasonic claimed that for new models announced in 2012, 93 per cent of plasma displays, 40 per cent of LCD TVs and four out of six new Blu-ray players are 3D capable. On the content side, an increasing number of new blockbusters movies are now filmed in 3D, screened in 3D theatres and will be released on BD3D for home video audience. Now it is up to the marketing teams to try to convince consumers that the technology is worth investing in.

Read the full story here: http://www.screendigest.com/news/2012_01_3d_technology_becomes_mainstream_at_ces_2012/view.html

[zdnet asia]

Japanese electronics giant Sony has increased its dependence on liquid crystal display (LCD) screens from Korean company LG, following a split from a previous partnership with Samsung Electronics in October last year.

LG Display is shipping more film-based 3D screens to Sony which are used in the latter’s Bravia television sets, LG CFO Jeong Ho-young told The Korean Times in a report Tuesday. The LG-Sony collaboration comes as the penetration rate of LG’s film-based 3D panels is projected to grow by more than 50 percent, the report said.

It added that the partnership indicated Sony’s switch from relying on Samsung, and its battery-powered 3D technology, to LG which is pushing its cheaper film-based 3D technology, undercutting its Korean rival Samsung.

Sony terminated its previous LCD joint venture with Samsung in a bid to boost its loss-making TV business, as prices of LCDs dropped due to Japan’s move to digital terrestrial broadcast which stifled demand for TV sets. Sony sold back its stake to Samsung in October last year, ending the partnership. …

Read the full story here: http://www.zdnetasia.com/sony-ups-reliance-on-lg-for-lcd-screens-62303664.htm

[Philip Lelyveld comment: read brief descriptions of each of these at the link.]

[itvt]

–Revamps its NetCast Connected-TV Platform
–Launches Google TV-Based Connected 3D TV Line
–Unveils “Magic Remote” for its 3D Connected TV’s
–Partners with Gaikai to Bring Cloud-Gaming Service to its 3D Connected TV’s
–Will Launch Verizon FiOS TV App on its Connected-TV Devices Later This Year

Read the full story here: http://www.itvt.com/story/8764/lg-electronics-ces-news-round

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is a brief article containing three 'yes' spokespeople and three 'no' spokespeople.]

[mcv uk]

… Previously, MCV has discussed what it will take for the masses to embrace 3D, but perhaps the more pressing question is whether or not demand for the technology even exists.

YES

Simon Benson – Senior Development Manager, 3D Team

… 3D can greatly increase visual immersion – possibly more so than the transition from SD to HD gaming. …

Alex Wiltshire – Online Editor, Edge

… Since 3DS’ release I’ve begun to feel a deep affection for stereoscopic 3D. … Few companies get 3D like Nintendo does. …

Lee Kirton – Marketing Director, Namco Bandai Partners

3D has been around for a very long time and in some cases I really do like it. … Overall, it’s good to have it available in gaming and it’s down to personal choice in the end as to what each gamer or movie fan wants. For me, it depends on what the product is.

NO

David Houghton – Content Editor, GamesRadar

Every so often, a new technology turns up and instantaneously opens up a raft of new possibilities in the creation and consumption of games. Online connectivity has transformed how we share gaming. Even the much-maligned motion control has, at times, provided genuinely immersive experiences in naturalistic game-world interaction.

But so far I have found 3D to be nothing more than an opportunistic chancer, trying to blag its way into that exclusive club of game-changers using a dog-eared, photocopied fake ID and hastily assembled bum-fluff.

…

Joe Robinson – Deputy Editor, Strategy Informer

The main issue I have with 3D technology in general is that I personally think it’s come too early.

…

Simon Kilby – Founder, Playr2

There’s a reason Nintendo had to cut the cost of the 3DS after only a few months – and that’s because your casual gamer just doesn’t care about 3D gaming.

…

Read the full story here: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/feature-does-gaming-need-3d/090508

[ProvideoCoalition]

Whether you love it or hate it, 3D Stereography is here for awhile. And if you’re totally into it like I am, you quickly realize that there are few turnkey workflows out there to capture and process 3D Stereo video that’s easy to setup, shoot and edit Stereo pairs. Sure, there are a lot of high-end (expensive to rent) systems for two cameras to shoot, software to sync/mux the footage and rigs you can build to edit it, but GoPro has brought it together with a fun and easy-to-use system that anyone can use.

Read the full, lengthy article and watch the videos here: http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/lightscameraaction/story/stereo_3d_with_the_gopro_hero2/

[NewScientist]

CRIME scene investigators could one day help solve murders without leaving the office. A pair of augmented reality glasses could allow local police to virtually tag objects in a crime scene, and build a clean record of the scene in 3D video before evidence is removed for processing.

The system, being developed by Oytun Akman and colleagues at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, consists of a head-mounted display receiving 3D video from a pair of attached cameras controlled by a laptop carried in a backpack. This arrangement lets the wearer see their surroundings as normal while also allowing them to overlay virtual objects, which are placed using hand gestures.

A menu appears to float over the left hand when the wearer holds it in front of them. Moving the left hand back and forth selects from a variety of tools, while the right hand serves as a pointer to tag objects in the scene, like blood spatter or bullet holes. The system stores the markers as part of a 3D model of the scene, which investigators can use to help their investigation. It may also be admissible in court as evidence.

If the person wearing the glasses requires assistance, they can contact someone back in the lab who can watch their video stream, speak to the wearer through a headset and place markers in the scene using a mouse and keyboard. This would also allow a police officer to take the first look around a crime scene.

…

Read the full article here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328495.700-ar-goggles-make-crime-scene-investigation-a-desk-job.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

[Good 3DTV]

LG and Samsung have been locked in a battle that involved the technology they are using on their 3D TVsets. The latest development has been a verbal assault launched by LG in which they claim the Samsung’s technology is outdated.  …

Kwon Hee-Won, Chief of LG TV said, “LG is in a fight with Samsung over the standardization of global 3D technology. But we are quite confident as more television majors have joined the film-based camp.”  …

Panasonic has adopted the LG used passive technology and this is good news for the LG camp. The statements made by Kwon hold water for the fact that he is close to the CEO of LG, Koo Bon-joon. …

In the words of Kwon, “We are negative about the outlook for televisions in Europe and it will be difficult for LG Electronics to see growth there. The upcoming Summer Olympics in London will help boost the anemic demand for 3D TVs and that’s a good sign.”  …

Read the full story here: http://good3dtv.com/3d-tv/lg-gunning-for-the-top-3d-tv-slot-aims-to-get-past-samsung/

[NZ Gamer]

Innovative and stylish headset that delivers a total visual and audio experience.

Making its Western market debut at CES a few weeks ago (after being released in Japan in November last year), the idea behind Sony’s new HMZ-T1 “Personal 3D Viewer” was to deliver a true 3D experience – rather than the cheap pair of glasses and a blurry film you might get at the theatre. This high-tech vision is delivered by way of a separate screen for each eye, which you can adjust to ensure they work optimally for you.  …

Technology….

Comfort…

Robustness…

Operation…

Movies and media…

Gaming…

Overall

We applaud Sony for this unit and their courage to innovate. Despite its quirks and its totally selfish experience, this unit is fun to use and takes media to a new level. We liked it a lot, and were very reluctant to give it back. No word on what it will cost here in NZ yet, but it retails in the UK for around 800 pounds (gulp).

See the original story here: http://nzgamer.com/ps3/features/1055/sony-hmz-t1-personal-3d-viewer-reviewed.html

[Press Release]

CyberLink Corp. today launched the new PowerDVD 12 Ultra, the latest version of the world’s leading Blu-Ray and Media Player. With its new companion apps PowerDVD Mobile v.4 and PowerDVD Remote v.2, PowerDVD 12 is the ideal single solution for the multi-platform home, as the world’s only universal multimedia player to provide a unified solution for the Windows, iOS and Android platforms. Now, users can easily stream, store and share their multimedia content across any device in their home–including iPhones, iPads and Android tablets and smartphones. With enhanced TrueTheater(R) technology, users can enjoy a unique experience and enrich any content to its best possible HD & 3D quality, including DVDs, low-resolution videos and content from popular social media sites.

“PowerDVD 12 Ultra delivers the total freedom to enjoy all types of media content in enhanced quality on any device at home or on-the-go,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “With the proliferation of devices and operating systems, PowerDVD automatically converts videos at the optimal quality to play on iPads, iPhones and Android devices. PowerDVD 12 Ultra is truly a premium media experience for the consumers.”

The latest version of PowerDVD comes with more than 30 new features and additional media format support, including the ability to intelligently sync media gallery content with Android devices, convert Blu-ray movies from 2D to 3D, and deliver 7.1 channel surround sound audio from DTS and Dolby, together with new lossless audio format support for OGG and FLAC files.

Offered free with PowerDVD 12 Ultra, the PowerDVD Mobile device app enables users to effortlessly play, share and wirelessly stream their videos, music and photos from their PCs to portable devices, while PowerDVD Remote lets users control Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and high-definition videos as well as the music and photo playback features in PowerDVD, remotely. Both new apps support Apple iPhones and iPads as well as Android phones and tablets.

Key Features in PowerDVD 12 Ultra

– Play Blu-ray, 3D, DVD and any HD media: Whether it’s Blu-ray, upscaled DVDs, videos or photos, PowerDVD 12 Ultra can play them all flawlessly with optimized CPU/GPU hardware acceleration; new ultra-fast Instant Seek lets you search for movie scenes in your Blu-ray or DVD movies in a flash.

– Turn any media into HD & 3D with TrueTheater(R) technology: Premium TrueTheater(R) enhancements upscale DVD movies to HD quality, or turn 2D movies and photos into 3D, including new support to convert Blu-ray movies to 3D.

– Enhance player experience for ultimate enjoyment: PowerDVD 12 Ultra provides several enhanced features to provide total flexibility and ease of use for media browsing, including Smart Media Library, Instant Seek, Instant zoom, Instant View and Instant Scale.

– Sync media gallery to portable devices: Smart Sync allows users to set up rules for syncing the PowerDVD media library to Android devices automatically; better yet, PowerDVD 12 will automatically choose the best fit video format for your mobile devices.

– Social Media — enhanced & convenient: Watch videos from YouTube and view Facebook and Flickr photos and slideshows all from PowerDVD. You can also apply TrueTheater(R) enhancements to the media for a “better-than-browser” viewing experience.

See the original press release here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cyberlink-unveils-powerdvd-12-ultra-extends-the-worlds-leading-blu-ray-media-player-to-the-iphone-ipad-and-android-devices-2012-01-31

[CNET]

Sharp is hawking sub-$2000 70-inch LCDs for the big game, and in 2012, its TV lineup will only get bigger and, I’ll wager, more affordable.  …

Read the whole story here: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57368155-221/sharp-tvs-2012-60-is-the-new-small/