Ofcom Consultants Put Forward the 3D Difference

A major report commissioned for the regulator Ofcom has recommended the use of the 2D plus Difference method of 3DTV transmission. The proposal for the system, also known as 2D plus Delta, is made in Beyond HDTV: Implications for Digital Delivery, written by the consultants ZetaCast. Under the method one eye is chosen as the 2D video, which is encoded conventionally, allowing a viewer with only a 2D decoder to view the 2D video normally. When a stereoscopic decoder is used, the difference signal modifies the 2D video to recreate the view from the other eye. The difference signal can be compressed using a standard video encoder. ZetaCast estimates that the total bitrate would be between 1.4 and 1.8 times the 2D video alone.

The report carries significant weight because of an earlier report in which ZetaCast recommended DVB-T2 could be used in combination with a revision of the multiplex layout to launch HD services over the terrestrial system. BSkyB, which has plans to launch a pay-per-view 3D channel during 2010 is proposing the use of Frame compatible, side-by-side AVC.

“Of the ‘2D plus metadata’ methods, ‘2D plus difference’ is the most practical today,” says the report. “2D plus depth has the potential to reduce the required bit-rate further, but the depth map is likely to be difficult to create with any great precision, particularly for real-time events”.

Part of the ZetaCast scenario is that by 2020 a combination of a new compression algorithm and more sophisticated encoder implementations will take the bitrate down to 50% of the levels required today for 1080p/50 content, ie, 6.5 Mbps. The consultancy also assumes there will be no fundamental breakthrough in “3D” display technology before 2020. This leaves the same options for 3D display as today, requiring the use of either polarised or shutter glasses.

By Julian Clover, Broadband TV News

NVIDIA Demonstrates 3D Blu-ray Playback

NVIDIA has been demonstrating a complete 3D movie solution consisting of a PC equipped with a GeForce GPU and NVIDIA 3D Vision active-shutter 3D glasses, as well as new 1080p, 3D LCD displays from Acer to showcase how consumers will experience this new 3D Blu-ray content once it is commercially available. In anticipation of an official announcement by the Blu-ray Disc Association and expected product unveilings at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this January, NVIDIA has been working closely with the world's leading movie playback software developers, including Arcsoft, Corel, Cyberlink, and Sonic, to ensure seamless support for 3D Blu-ray titles when they are ready to ship in 2010.

Over the last few weeks, NVIDIA has successfully demonstrated playback of 3D content encoded with the AVC Multi-View Codec (or AVC-MVC), the codec that is expected to become the foundation for how 3D content is encoded onto Blu-ray discs. 3D Blu-ray content encoded in AVC-MVC can be decoded in real time on select NVIDIA GPUs. NVIDIA GPUs that can decode 3D Blu-ray content include the GeForce GT 240 ($99 U.S. MSRP), as well as upcoming next-generation GF100 GPUs based on the NVIDIA "Fermi" architecture. This will allow consumers to build desktop PCs powered by GeForce GPUs and NVIDIA 3D Vision active shutter glasses for under $1000 in total, making them the ideal platform for watching 3D Blu-ray movies, viewing 3D photographs, browsing 3D Web sites, or playing more than 400 PC game titles in 3D.

Of course, consumers will need a compatible 3D Vision display to watch upcoming 3D Hollywood blockbusters in the home. As a result, the world's leading display manufacturers are readying new 3D-Vision-ready, 1920x1080, 120Hz 1080p LCDs for introduction in 2010, and Acer will be first to market with its new GD245HQ and GD235HZ models that are perfect for gaming, videos and other home entertainment uses, including 3D Blu-ray content.

Source: CNN Money

NFL’s Cowboys Plan Texas-Size 3D Demo

The National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys plan to demonstrate this Sunday how conventional two-dimensional HD video can be converted to 3D HD through sophisticated software processing, using technology from Edison, N.J. start-up HDLogix.

During their game against the San Diego Chargers at Cowboys Stadium, the Cowboys will use the giant (160 by 72-foot) video wall that hangs 90 feet above the field to show 3D “anaglyph” images that will be created using HDLogix’s 2D to 3D conversion system, ImageIQ3D. It will take feeds from the teams’ in-stadium cameras and convert them to 3D for display on the giant LED video wall. The Cowboys will distribute the red & blue glasses required to watch the anaglyph 3D images to the 80,000-odd fans attending the game, and plan to begin showing the 3D images during halftime and throughout the second half.

The Dallas Cowboys Giant Screen

HDLogix, a privately-owned firm started a year-and-a-half ago by veterans of Sun Microsystems, IBM, Clique Communications and AgileVision, has developed a variety of image processing software for upconverting standard-definition video to HD and other applications. According to chief technology officer Will Gaddy, some of the “super-resolution” technology the company developed, such as sophisticate motion estimation algorithms, is also applicable to creating 3D images from 2D video. By closely analyzing each individual pixel of video, the HDLogix software can generate highly detailed information about a scene’s depth of field, and then modify the image to create the 3D effect.

“We’re doing motion estimation for every pixel, with one-hundredth of a pixel accuracy, and we’re [tracking] occlusion and disocclusion. When you’ve an got object moving in front of a background, you’ve got a leading edge that is hiding pixels and a trailing edge that is revealing pixels,” explains Gaddy. “In combination with camera motion, that gives you a lot of information about the depth of scene.”

That “optical flow” processing software, which runs on graphical processing units (GPUs) from chip makers like Nvidia and ATI, is the basis of how HDLogix creates what it calls “synthetic 3D” from conventional video. According to Gaddy, the software can sit anywhere in the transmission chain, and can be used to create all the varieties of 3D, including anaglyph, stereoscopic, which also requires special glasses, and autostereoscopic, which doesn’t need glasses. It can also be used to convert anaglyph 3D content to stereoscopic 3D, which is the format being adopted by major TV set manufacturers and used by several networks in early 3D trials.

HDLogix aims to sell its technology to programmers as a cost-effective way to produce 3D content, either for live broadcasts like an NFL game or for remastering movies and other archive content to 3D. The company says it can create a powerful 3D effect for live broadcasts, without requiring a specialized 3D HD production truck and a separate set of cameras, and can do an even better job with non-real-time content while costing a fraction of current manual processes for converting 2D to 3D. The company demonstrated the technology to cable executives at the CTAM show in Denver this fall, and will use the showcase of the Cowboys game to bring it to a much broader audience, including top sports executives.

A technology executive familiar with HDLogix says that the company thinks it has a groundbreaking technology for cheaply creating 3D, but that it remains to be seen whether programmers are satisfied with the image quality its system produces.
3D HD content is expected to be available on Blu-ray disc next year, and some 3D insiders have suggested that a 3D pay-TV service may also debut in the U.S. in 2010; British satellite broadcaster BSkyB already says it will launch a 3D service next year in the U.K. But HDLogix VP of sales and marketing Simon Tidnam expects there will still be very little 3D programming made available in the near term using traditional production methods, and says that HDLogix has a “golden opportunity” to fill the current void in 3D programming.

“It’s great that people are buying 3D sets, but there’s probably not enough content to justify that significant price premium,” says Tidnam. “To get to where there’s value, you need to have content.”

By Glen Dickson, Broadcasting & Cable

Industry Tech Mavens Talk Future of 3D

Get ready for 3D in the home, because it's going to hit big in the next 18 months, a panel of top industry tech mavens predicted at Variety's Future of Film confab in Santa Monica.

Ed Leonard, chief technology officer of DreamWorks Animation, said he sees a fast adoption of 3D-capable screens in the home because the technolgy is there. "It's extraordinary," Leonard said during the sesh moderated by David S. Cohen, Variety's associate editor of features.

Chris Carey, exec VP of worldwide technical operations for Paramount, noted that there's very little additional cost for people with HD TV sets to be able to access 3D. Those technologies should be very prominent at next month's Consumer Electronics Show, Carey said.

The march of 3D into the home will complement the push in theaters, Leonard said. Panelists agreed that in years to come, most megabudget pics will be made in 3D.

"3D provides us an opportunity to reinvigorate the experience in the theater," Leonard said. "3D done well is an incredible tool for our creative teams. Not as a gimmick but as a vehicle to really pull you into the story."

Cohen surveyed the panel, which also included Warner Bros. prexy of technical operations Darcy Antonellis, on what big technological leaps lay ahead in the next ten years.

Carey predicted continued morphing, or what he called "widgetizing," of TV and the Internet. "It's all going to be ported over into a 10-foot experience" on the TV set rather than the computer screen. "TV is increasingly going to be at the center if your entertainment experience," he said. "It's going to become appliance-like. Like your toaster. You just push a button and it works."

Antonellis emphasized the changes coming with the spread of cloud computing, which will help eliminate the need for consumers to store physical copies of DVDs, CDs, etc. She said search and recommendation functions will also continue to evolve and become more important to consumers. Other than that, she predicted the biz will endure "the wholesale change of all of our business models. Other than that it's pretty static," she quipped.

Leonard continued to pound the 3D drum, emphasizing that it will "change the way we think about entertainment."

By Cynthia Littleton, Variety

RedBrix Vision

The RedBrix Vision is an embedded, yet compact real-time Stereoscopic Camera/Image Processor. Designed primarily to support a broad range of image sensors, it also incorporates a number of input/output ports to facilitate the image information transport. It performs a HQ debayering (demosaicing), color calibration, color correction of 2x HD CMOS or CCD sensors in real-time (1080P60).

RedBrix Vision Prototype

The sensor heads are interchangeable giving access to different type of resolution and applications. The basic model comes with a 10MPixels sensor for still images and full HD for video in 3D. Could be converted to high-end video Sensor for movie making and/or for very high resolution still image camera.

More information:
Preliminary Specifications

Sony-Samsung Battle Gets Fiercer in Flat-Screen Industry

The competition for supremacy in the global flat-screen industry is expected to get fiercer as Japan's Sony, which has failed to enjoy profits from its Bravia LCD TVs, is now trying to compete with Samsung Electronics in 3D TVs. Although analysts and industry watchers are still doubtful due to the low amount of 3D TV-only content, they say the Tokyo-based company's new focus seems enough to threaten Samsung, considering Sony's strength in content-based software businesses.

"Quite a few years would be needed for Sony to reap profits on the level the company hopes from its new focuses. But the key point is that Sony has the edge in home entertainment content," Park Hyun, an analyst at Prudential Investment, a local brokerage, said Monday.

Officials at Samsung Electronics said the world's biggest maker of LCD TVs is planning to make efforts to accelerate its sales of "converged LCD TVs with LED backlights" in the global market for the whole of next year. The upgraded flat-screen television sets make it possible to realize 3D figures on screen, and guarantee a greater accessibility to Internet-linked wireless content.

As industry latecomers to the LED TV business, such as Dutch-based Philips, and Toshiba and Sharp of Japan, are ready to commercialize LED TVs in 2010, Samsung is planning to add functions such as 3D effect to upcoming models to sustain its industry leadership, officials say.

"The market for 3D televisions will grow at a faster pace earlier than expected as Sony has clarified its intention for the segment," according to the analyst.

3D TV: Sony's Savior?
Sony Chairman Howard Stringer is confident that the Japanese company will finally reap the benefits of being a company whose businesses span video games, gadgets, music and movies. The company has often pointed to its ownership of content as an advantage over competitors but, so far, the benefits have proved to be illusory.

The TV titan failed to narrow the market gap with Samsung Electronics in the global TV industry as the strengthening yen and a management reshuffle distracted the company from joining the LED TV race. Sony relinquished the top spot to Samsung in 2006. Since then, its TV business has been stalling. For example, Samsung is now holding some 80 percent of the global market for LCD TVs with LED backlights. But Sony is just preparing to jump into the market.

"Just like LED TVs for Samsung, 3D TVs could be the new segment for Sony to eventually crack into Samsung's leadership," Park of Prudential said.

Sony CEO Stringer said the company hopes to regain its competitive edge in the global television market with the launch of three-dimensional TVs and expansion of its online services. 3D TVs allow viewers to perceive an illusion of depth on screen when they wear special glasses. Sony has said it expects one-third to a half of Sony TVs to be packed with 3-D features in three years time.

"While others, including Disney and DreamWorks, are aggressively bolstering their 3D production, Sony is also supplying animation and other content through Imageworks, and we confirmed that a company having its own content is a big strength," Morgan Stanley, a U.S.-based brokerage house, wrote in a memo to clients.

"The number of 3D movie screens has been on the rise globally, from 2,500 in 2008 to over-7,000 in 2009, and to 15,000 screens by 2013," it said, adding that Sony expects a full launch of 3D broadcasting in 2011, driven by sports programming.

Content Problem
Although analysts generally have no big questions over the long-term market outlook for 3D TVs and Sony's capability to produce 3D content, content is still cited as the biggest concern.

"What is limiting 3D is the lack of content. I think it's something that will become desirable over the next few years," a top-ranking industry official said.

"Despite all the advances, content is still important. You can have all the best technology in the world but if you don't have content people want to watch, they're not going to switch on," according to the official.

Sony plans to record up to 25 World Cup games in 3D via an agreement with FIFA, an international football governing body.

"But that's just for a one-time. I can say it's a show-off," the official added.

Sony Chairman Stringer said it would step up efforts to add 3D-related functions to Blu-ray players. But some say Blu-ray itself has done little to perk up the flagging consumer video businesses, whose revenue has traveled on a slight downward curve over the past few years.

Another question is how to ensure that 3-D scenes are shot to seem realistic. Filmgoers are comfortable with the "fantasy world" depicted in 3-D animation.

"Will consumers be asked to wear (the glasses) all the time? Most people today watch TV while doing something else," another industry official said, adding cost is another consideration.

"Vendors haven't yet disclosed pricing for 3-D Blu-ray players or TVs. But in a weak economy, another high-ticket gadget might hold limited appeal," he said.

At a time when Sony is expanding its aggressive footsteps to capitalize on such next-generation TVs and strengths in content-related services, Samsung plans to increase its sale of LED TVs by four-fold to 10 million units in 2010 from an estimated 2.5 million by the end of this year, Samsung officials say.

By Kim Yoo-chul, The Korea Times

AMD Demonstrates Blu-Ray Stereoscopic 3D Playback

AMD announced that it will demonstrate the forthcoming Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D standard at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, showcasing how consumers will soon get to enjoy high-fidelity 3D entertainment once reserved only for theaters.

Expected to hit store shelves in the second half of next year, Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D combines the crisp, high-definition images the format is known for with high-quality 3D visuals that seem to jump from the screen. As a contributing member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, AMD is working closely with technology partners as the format specifications are finalized over the coming year in order to help ensure compatibility with upcoming AMD hardware.

At the upcoming 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, AMD and CyberLink will jointly preview Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D entertainment for those in attendance. The new standard is one of many 3D technologies AMD openly supports, along with 3D DLP televisions, dual-panel and line interleaved 3D monitors, and is part of AMD’s initiative to further both the art of 3D entertainment, and its adoption in homes worldwide through close collaboration with 3D technology partners, including OEMs, software developers and content distributors.

Source: AMD

NAMCO BANDAI Games Adopts RealD Stereoscopic Gaming API

RealD, the world's leading 3D technology provider for cinema and professional applications, announced that video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games has introduced RealD's proprietary Stereoscopic Gaming API into their development environment. The technology delivers an automated continuous approach to 3D that is compatible with real-time rendering and promises to bring RealD's world-renowned 3D cinema experience to console gaming.

"RealD 3D introduced a new era of movies, giving filmmakers the ability to take audiences inside distant worlds, immersing them deeper into stories than ever before," said Joshua Greer, President of RealD. "RealD technology can now do the same for gaming by creating ultra-realistic 3D experiences where players can literally step inside a game and interact with a fully dimensionalized environment. This new generation of RealD 3D powered video games will for the first time truly replicate on screen the way we see and interact with our world."

"RealD has the world's best 3D technology, as evident by their leading the current 3D movie revolution," said Shin Unozawa, President & Chief Executive Officer, NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. "We look forward to our developers leveraging RealD's decades of 3D expertise and this breakthrough technology to deliver an unsurpassed and true-to-life 3D gaming experience."

The RealD Stereoscopic Gaming API is a toolkit of proprietary 3D technology designed to solve issues inherent with existing 3D gaming technology. This includes creating the perception of depth across the entire line of sight, eliminating any 'cardboard cut-out' background affects. The API also gives developers new gameplay tools like head tracking and automatic camera adjustments, creating a fully immersive 3D gaming experience that interacts with a player visually and physically.

Features of the RealD Stereoscopic Gaming API include:
- RealD stereoscopic output format - visually lossless universal 3D format for multiplexing a left/right stereoscopic image stream into a single image channel.

- Auto-camera - auto adjustment technology for viewing angles in changing scenes to assure comfortable viewing of crisp, clear 3D effects.

- Depth budget allocation - automated continuous 3D effects compatible with real-time rendering to create natural looking depth from the foreground to the farthest horizon.

- Negative disparity control - eliminates edge-intercepting objects from breaking frame and creating broken 3D effects.

- Head tracking - player head movements are tracked by a peripheral web-camera with 3D environments that rotate naturally about the screen plane to ensure image separation is always parallel to a player's eyes for more realistic effects.

RealD's Stereoscopic Gaming API will be implemented in upcoming as yet unannounced NAMCO BANDAI Games titles.

Source: PR Newswire

Spain’s TV3 Goes 3D

Catalan regional public broadcaster TV3 will start 3D transmissions in 2010 using stereoscopic image creation. TV3 is making 3D a bet for the future. It says it needs to explore new ways of watching television. Televisió de Catalunya - TV3's public owner- is signing up new productions for 3D-suitable material, including a theatre play. In order to be able to watch these broadcastings the viewers have to use special glasses.

Some 3D programming has recently been screened by broadcasters, including the UK's Channel 4. The United Arab Emirate's have tested 3D on some soccer matches, and the USA's Super Bowl final was broadcast in 3D after some 125 million 3D glasses were distributed for viewers.

By Iñaki Ferreras, RapidTV News

In-Three, Reliance Ink 3D Deal

A new partnership between 2D/3D conversion company In-Three and Mumbai-headquartered media giant Reliance might signal that a surge of new 3D content is on the way next year.

Reliance MediaWorks, a film and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance ADA group, inked a deal with Westlake Village, Calif.-based In-Three to create a massive Mumbai-based facility dedicated to 2D/3D conversion. The operation will use In-Three's proprietary Dimensionalization process to convert new productions as well as library titles to 3D.

"We feel next year is going to a big year for 3D for theaters and the home," said Neil Feldman, CEO of In-Three, which recently worked on Disney's 3D G-Force. "We anticipate such a large volume of work that we need capacity, and that is where Reliance comes in. We are setting this up in advance."

Slated to launch in February, the operation intends to hire hundreds of employees -- possibly as many as 600 -- during its first year. They will be trained and equipped to handle 15-25 feature film projects a year. Further out, the companies expect the staff to number in the thousands.

The companies said that work on the first joint title will commence early next year, with several more projects planned for a start in the year's first half. Titles were not disclosed.

The number of 3D cinema screens worldwide recently topped 6,000, and the transition continues to move forward albeit at a slower pace than many had hoped. It is expected that the first projects from the facility will include new features and legacy titles as well as theatrical commercials.

TV series might not be far off as the consumer electronics industry is preparing a big push for 3D-ready TVs and Blu-ray Disc players at next month's Consumer Electronics Show. A steady stream of content will be required to drive the fledgling market.

The cost of creating content can be a barrier, and the agreement also takes aim at that issue. Conversion costs for 3D vary greatly depending on the complexity of the material and the process as some techniques are moving toward an automated commodity business, while others, including In-Three's system, often involve the filmmakers who make depth-related creative decisions.

For the Dimentionalization process, Feldman said the Reliance deal could help reduce turnaround time while bringing down production costs, which could realize savings of 25%-45% compared with the current In-Three model.

The alliance is enabled by the creation this year of Reliance's business process outsourcing operation in Mumbai that houses a massive restoration and image processing unit -- it also will include the In-Three unit -- in about 90,000 square feet of space.

Reliance last year acquired Burbank-based restoration/imaging processing business Lowry Digital and is expanding its capabilities and services in the new space, and the company sees the addition of In-Three as a good fit.

"Reliance MediaWorks already does image enhancement and restoration for the leading Hollywood studios, and the expansion of services into 2D-to-3D conversion was a natural next step for the company," Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun said.

This move is the latest in Reliance MediaWorks' bullish growth plan. Arjun said the company eventually wants to offer "everything to do with creating a film, as well as exhibition."

Reliance MediaWorks' film services include motion picture processing, digital intermediate, visual effects, film restoration and image enhancement, digital mastering, studios and equipment rentals. It also operates television venture Big Synergy and cinema chain BIG Cinemas. Reliance, of course, famously inked a financing deal last year with DreamWorks.

"Reliance MediaWorks is in the business of enabling storytellers," Arjun said. "Our entire suite of services is geared toward this objective. We see 3D as a compelling opportunity and believe the next two years are major milestone years and aim to be catalysts in this for growth."

By Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter

Wistron Lands 3D TV Orders from Vizio

Wistron is said to have recently received 3D TV orders from Vizio who plans to launch related products in 2010 with a consumer-friendly price to compete against Japan-based brands, according to market sources. Both Vizio and Wistron declined to comment.

Wistron sign an agreement with US-based Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD) and paid a license fee of NT$43 million (US$1.34 million) for the rights to use its TriDef 3D technology on notebooks and LCD TVs, the sources noted. Wistron has also invested NT$21 million in DDD and acquired a 15% stake in the company, the sources added.

The sources noted that LCD TV vendors such as Panasonic, Toshiba and Sony are also planning to launch 3D TVs in 2010, while Sony expects 3D TVs to account for up to 50% of its total TV shipments in the fiscal year of 2013 (April 2013 to March 2014).

Shipments of 3D TVs are expected to reach 50 million units in 2012, of which 10 million units will be 3D PDP TVs, and shipments of 3D LCD TVs are expected to reach 40 million units, 20% of the total 200 million LCD TVs forecast for 2012, the sources added.

By Yen-Shyang Hwang and Rebecca Kuo, DigiTimes

Element Technica Quasar 3-D Camera Rigs Ready for Production

Element Technica, whose Technica 3-D Rigs precisely position a pair of cameras to achieve realistic stereoscopic digital video for broadcast and cinema, is now delivering the first new Quasar 3-D Rigs.

The Quasar is designed to accommodate full-size digital cinema cameras like the Sony F23 and F35, Red One, Panavision Genesis, as well as full-body and box-type digital broadcast cameras like the Sony F950 and 1500, Philips LDK and others. The Quasar is a platform for matching zoom or prime lenses to accommodate any shooting style or format.

Prior to introduction of the Technica 3-D Rigs, 3-D production typically used heavy equipment requiring specialized tools and a dedicated crew. The Technica 3D series overcomes these stumbling blocks by providing 3-D systems that are lighter in weight and less costly — bringing 3-D acquisition down to the simplicity of traditional 2-D production.

Technica 3-D rigs require only a set of Allen wrenches and a mirror gauge for complete camera/lens installation and precise alignment, which can be completed in less than 15 minutes as opposed to the hours required with other professional 3-D systems.

Technica 3-D systems will soon be available in three different sizes. The largest system, Quasar, the mid-sized Pulsar mounts box-style digital cinema cameras such as the Scarlet, Epic and the Si-2k. The ultra-small neutron is designed for the tiny 2/3in or 1/3in imager cameras using C-mount lenses such as the Si-2k Mini and the Iconix. All three Technica 3-D systems can convert from parallel to beam-splitter configuration and back, depending on the application.

Source: BroadcastEngineering

LG Display Rolls Out 3D LCDs with Full HD Resolution

LG Display, a leading innovator of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, announced the world’s first commercial launch of 3D LCD panel boasting full HD resolution. The new product is a 23-inch 3D monitor LCD panel for use with shutter glasses that delivers full HD resolution. It offers picture quality that is almost twice as crisp as HD 3D displays currently available in the market.

The panel adopts the company’s proprietary technologies such as “high performance 3D exclusive controller” capable of processing more than twice as much image data as other HD 3D LCDs and “copper bus line” to improve on the resolution and picture quality. In addition, the panel is able to reproduce both 2D and 3D images, meaning that users can switch back and forth from 2D and 3D modes.

Although full HD 3D images have been developed for contents such as video games, movies and animations, 3D display products with full HD resolution were unavailable in the market. The commercial launch of LG Display’s full HD 3D LCD panel is expected to help to boost development of high resolution 3D contents while allowing users to view true-to-life 3D images.

The 3D display market is expected to grow at rapid pace as the industry players are shifting their focus from two-dimensional to three-dimensional technologies. The Korea Communications Commission recently announced plans to start a trial service for the world’s first full HD 3D terrestrial broadcasting from the second half of 2010. A launch of trial services for 3D satellite broadcasts had been also announced earlier in Japan and the UK.

Source: LG Display

Sony and FIFA Announce the World's First 3D FIFA World Cup

Sony Corporation and FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) announced an agreement for selected media rights of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in 3D. FIFA is to produce the world's first FIFA World Cup in 3D. Up to 25 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa matches will be produced using Sony's 3D professional cameras, which will provide coverage of the action that is unprecedented in depth, vividness and excitement to people around the world.

FIFA will utilize Sony's experience and know-how of 3D content production to spread the passion inside the stadiums at the greatest sport event in the world to more people than ever before.

"Global sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup are very important drivers of new technology, particularly in the TV market", explained Tom Morrod, Senior Analyst, TV Technology at Screen Digest. "The news that the FIFA World Cup will be filmed in 3D for the first time will certainly increase the uptake rate of 3D TVs in the home and develop the installed base earlier than would otherwise have been the case. As a result of this news, and an increasingly bullish industry outlook on 3D, Screen Digest has increased its forecast, and now estimates that 13.6m 3D TV sets will be installed in Europe by 2013."

"3D will undoubtedly will transform the way we enjoy content in the Living Room," said Fujio Nishida, President of Sony Europe. "At Sony, the 3D entertainment experience will not only focus on the 3D TV alone, but from 2010 will also encompass a range of 3D compatible products such as Blu-ray Disc players, VAIO notebook computers and PlayStation 3. During June and July 2010 we will provide our European consumers with the most compelling 3D content to enjoy and experience first-hand, for example at the FIFA International Fan Fests."

Viewers will be able to enjoy 3D experiences at the following locations:
- During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA will host the "International FIFA Fan Fest" public viewing events in 7 cities around the world (Berlin, London, Mexico City, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Rome, and Sydney). At Sony's commercial displays located within the "Fan Fest," people will be able to enjoy and experience promotional highlight trailers of the FIFA World Cup in 3D.

- In anticipation of the Official 3D Film, viewers will be able to watch promotional trailers for the film of the World Cup in 3D at retail outlets (including Sony stores) that sell Sony products around the world.

- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment plans to produce and distribute the Official 3D Film on the Blu-ray Disc and other formats.

Source: PR Newswire

Switchers Produce Captivating Live 3-D Results

The Grass Valley high-end Kalypso HD and the new Kayenne video production centre switchers both include features that make them ideally suited to the unique demands of live production of 3D telecasts. To date, at least three major live sports productions were produced with Grass Valley Kalypso HD switchers and more are planned for this fall.

The Kalypso HD and Kayenne switchers both include such features as DoubleTake, a split M/E mode that allows operators to partition primary and secondary M/E channels to synchronise images to produce true stereoscopic 3-D effects, and Buss Linking. Using these tools first introduced by Grass Valley in the Kalypso, live 3-D production is as straightforward as 2-D production.

The Kalypso switcher features four keyers per M/E, so for true 3D production, the two additional background busses (Utility 1 and Utility 2) are used in addition to the A and B busses normally used for an M/E effect. This process is made even better on the new Kayenne switcher, that provides an additional half M/E and six keyers on each M/E buss. In this case more M/Es and more keyers mean more resources available for a mix effect and as much layering capability as a typical 2D production.

This allows operators to perform a split M/E production for 3-D in which a primary feed and secondary feed are separated without occupying a separate M/E channel for each feed. On other switchers, this process often limits an operator using a four M/E switcher to have access to only two full mix/effects.

With a Grass Valley switcher, you have four full M/Es plus four shadow mix effects, which gives you the left-eye/right-eye feeds in parallel throughout the internal processing of the switcher. The secondary feed shadows the primary feed. This means there are no new production techniques to master, as the user operates the switcher as if they were handling a single feed.

Another feature found on Grass Valley switchers is called Buss Linking, which when used in tandem with DoubleTake allows you to track or shadow the primary feed and keeps all of the 3D elements in perfect synchronisation. With M/Es split and linked busses, left-eye and right-eye content is automatically switched in parallel, with all resources available.

Depending upon the 3-D processing system in use, some of the 3-D productions being done don't need the DoubleTake feature and can be handled as a standard single feed, four M/E production.

This was the case in December of 2008, when a live 3-D telecast of a National Football League (NFL) game from San Diego, Calif. was broadcast to theaters in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York using a Grass Valley Kalypso HD switcher on board a Cross Creek Television production truck (HDV8). The telecast was designed and captured by 3Ality Digital, a 3-D specialist in Burbank, Calif.

In January, Fox Sports produced its Bowl Championship Series title game in 3-D broadcasting it to a number of movie theaters, as well as to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This production was also done with a Grass Valley Kalypso HD switcher on board the Freedom, a Game Creek Video production truck.

In these single-feed 3D productions, freelance technical director Colby Bourgeois was able to use the internal Kalypso DVEs, available on every keyer, to adjust left-eye/right-eye elements to align the stereoscopic graphics elements.

Source: IBE

Sky on 3D Learning Curve

Sky Sports is ramping up its operational facilities as it heads towards the launch of a 3DTV service earmarked for the first half of 2010. The latest of a series of 3D trials saw a live satellite transmission of the ATP Tennis tournament at the O2 Arena. "Until now, we have conducted one-off tests. Now we are developing the production process," said Brian Lenz, BSkyB director of product development. "We're shooting on multiple days, learning techniques, testing equipment and proving - or disproving - what works for camera angle, graphics presentation or handling transitions."

The ATP event was captured using three 3ality rigs, processed by 3ality's Stereo Image Processor (SIP) and output via fibre as two side-by-side 1080i, 540 pixel images compressed to fill one full HD frame to BT Tower. The feed was uplinked to satellite via BSkyB Chilworth and the image recombined in a 46-in JVC 3D LCD at the O2 for viewing by a select audience. Replays were played back from an EVS XT[2].

The trial was produced by a Sky Sports production team using technical support and facilities supplied by Telegenic in a modified OB unit. Sky is building a dedicated 3D truck with 3ality rigs for Telegenic to manage from mid-2010, but it is also compiling a kit and standards specification for other outside broadcast and production companies to follow, just as it did with HD a decade ago.



"We're producing a specification of the standards we expect content to be delivered in when people go to produce 3D," explained Darren Long, head of operations, Sky Sports. "The problem is that we're still learning where to set the bar."

The production employed one 'convergence operator' per rig, directed by a stereographer, sited in the modified OB - a manual and expensive process that Sky hopes will eventually be replaced by new automated convergence-pulling software. Sony's prototype 3D Processor is one possibility.



"It's important for us to learn how to produce 3D from a base level of equipment that works, rather than from developing technologies," said Long. "No book on 3D has been written. There's nothing you can pick off the shelf. There's no course. We're not arrogant enough to suggest we are writing the book - everything is a learning process."

That said, Steve Schlair, 3ality's CEO, has in fact devised a course for Sky Sports' engineers, production teams and freelance camera operators to learn stereography and convergence pulling. A 3ality representative will begin that course in the UK next week.



Of note is that Sky plans to augment live coverage of events with HD camera shots converted to 3D on the fly. At the ATP trial, close-up shots of the players were processed through the SIP, giving more depth to the background layer, providing an approximation of 3D. This will cut down the cost of, and space required for, 3D rigs and according to Long "give the director more tools and specialist shots to tell the story."

By Adrian Pennington, TVB Europe

MasterImage 3D Acquired by Symphony 3D Holdings

MasterImage 3D, makers of the fastest growing theatrical 3D imaging system in the world, is proud to announce its new investment and parent company, Symphony 3D Holdings. The acquisition of MasterImage 3D is evidence that the company has become a major player in the 3D marketplace.

Thanks to a substantial capital infusion and its new ownership, the U.S. based MasterImage 3D is now poised to advance in every area of its business. With a significant focus upon the expansion and diversification of its markets and customer base, new manufacturing agreements and enhanced research and development goals have been set. MasterImage 3D will continue to supply superior products and services, and heavy investments are being made to allow for extensive growth in team and infrastructure.

MasterImage 3D, with it’s sister company N4D, will have an industry presence that crosses a variety of platforms including stereoscopic and auto-stereoscopic consumer products for the Mobile Phone, Medical Imaging and Plasma / LCD markets. By January 2010, MasterImage 3D will have approximately 1,000 theatrical 3D imaging systems installed worldwide. Additionally, they currently have 300,000 mobile phone devices that produce 3D images without the use of glasses deployed in Japan.

Source: DCinemaToday

Report: 3D Films Biz Growth will be Gradual

Barring dramatic over-achievement by Jim Cameron's Avatar or other high-profile 3D pics, only slow growth is likely through 2014 in the number of 3D film productions because of lingering budgetary and creative concerns. That's among key findings in a PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the future of 3D in Hollywood. The financial consultancy also said that most 3D live-action production will be limited to sci-fi, horror and concert genres, and 3D-animated slates at Disney and DreamWorks will be closely scrutinized by rivals.

"The commitment of most U.S. majors will depend on the future success of these films and is expected to remain marginal compared with their film slate," report co-authors Matthieu Aubusson and Vincent Teulade wrote.

Overall, 3D releases will represent 10%-15% of annual film output, the firm estimates. Cinema conversions to digital projection are "expected to be strong among the multiplex and large urban theaters and more limited among the small theaters," the report said.

Among the report's findings in other areas of 3D entertainment:

- 3D TV content "will be mainly driven by 3D video content, 3D console games and 3D TV programs," with 3D TV programming limited mostly to telecasts of sporting and musical events.

- The rollout of 3D computer games will outpace those for gaming consoles.

- The development of 3D mobile phones is likely to remain "marginal" in most markets, with such devices finding limited embrace so far even in tech-fervid Japan.

By Carl DiOrio, The Hollywood Reporter

Nvidia Software to Enable 3D Blu-ray Viewing at Home

Nvidia is helping to enable 3D Blu-ray viewing in the home, extending beyond its current experience with eye-popping videogame imagery. The company will tie its 3D Vision software application to the expected early-2010 launch of the first 3D-capable 1080p PC desktop display from Acer. This display will be 120 hertz, the required speed for viewing and playing today’s 3D games. But Acer will break ground in that it will be the first to additionally output 1080p high-definition video.

To this point, there hasn’t been a desktop display available that offers the combination of 120 hertz speed and Blu-ray-compatible 1080p resolution. Acer is expected to publicly announce its launch plans, including pricing details, for the desktop in the next several days.

People will be able to playback 3D Blu-ray Discs on most existing Blu-ray computer drives, when coupled with the new Acer display and current 3D Vision software, promises Nvidia. Studios have not yet confirmed their first 3D Blu-ray releases, but the product is anticipated to start trickling into stores in 2010.

During an Acer 3D demo on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Nvidia showed how Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s G-Force would look in 3D Blu-ray.

Nvidia hopes that Acer offers its 3D Vision as part of a bundled package, matching how Nvidia’s software is often offered with 3D gaming desktop displays. For example, rival manufacturer Asus just began shipping the industry’s first 120 hertz netbook, which comes bundled with Nvidia’s 3D Vision software for $1,699. People also can buy just the netbook, without the 3D Vision support, for $1,499.

Currently, the 3D Vision software renders more than 400 PC games in 3D, including recently launched Batman Arkham Asylum and Avatar the Game.

Nvidia also is working on advancing its 3D Vision software so that it also renders other Web-based properties in 3D. By early 2010, the company plans to offer 3D viewing of Google Earth, photo programs Flickr and Snapfish and streaming site Hulu.

Bryan Del Rizzo, Nvidia senior PR manager of consumer products, believes that the company’s suite of advanced 3D support in the home will eventually prove appealing to the mainstream.

“People’s experience with a lot of 3D films in the home has been lackluster, where the [anaglyph] paper glasses just don’t work,” said Del Rizzo. “It hasn’t been a compelling experience. For this to take off, it really needs to be immersive, with movies and photos and games that add to it too. This is why we think our solution can drive everything forward.”

By Susanne Ault, Video Business

Optoma Introduces 3D Ready HD Home Theater/Gaming Projector

Delivering HD and 3D together in a single home entertainment projector, Optoma Technology introduces the HD66, Optoma’s first 3D Ready HD home theater projector, that delivers subtle details with striking clarity in 720p and targets consumers looking for the latest in gaming and entertainment technologies. The HD66 will have an end-user price of $699.00.

Optoma HD66

Powered by Texas Instruments’ 0.65 DMD DLP chipset with BrilliantColor technology, the HD66 builds on Optoma’s strong performer, the HD65, and delivers a brightness rating of 2500 ANSI lumens and a robust 4000:1 contrast ratio, enabling users to project a clear, bright image in most ambient light conditions. As with all 3D displays, a 3D source, 3D content and 3D glasses are required for 3D viewing, and in addition to delivering 3D in 720p HD (1280 x 720), the HD66 can also project 3D content in XGA (1024 x 768) and SVGA (800 x 600) resolution.

Source: Optoma