3rd Dimension Veritas et Visus August 2010 Vol 5 No 7/8

Autodesk Research, p53 Microsoft, p70 Barco, p94 Nokia Research, p104

Letter from the publisher : Is poor quality 3D a danger to industry success? by Mark Fihn 2

News from around the world 3

Conference Summaries: 53

 Conference on Advanced Human Interfaces, May 26-28, 2010, Rome, Italy 53  TV 3.0 – The Future of TVs, May 26-27, 2010, Seattle, Washington 56  SID Display Week 2010, May 25-28, 2010, Seattle, Washington 60  SID DisplaySearch Business Conference, May 24, 2010, Seattle, Washington 67  CHI, April 10-15, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia 69  NAB 2010, April 10-15, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Michael Starks 77  5th China International 3D World Forum, April 9-11, 2010, Shenzhen, China 92  Eye Tracking Research and Applications, March 22-24, 2010, Austin, Texas 95  Stereoscopic Displays and Applications, January 18-20, 2010, San Jose, California 100

New product introductions: lessons lost by Norman Hairston 107

To 3D or not 3D, that’s no longer the question by Jon Peddie 110

Is 3D doomed? – Point/Counterpoint  Five reasons 3D display is doomed by Steve Peterson 112  Five reasons 3D display ISN'T doomed (a rebuttal) by Neil Schneider 113

MTBS visits Best Buy in Wilmington, DE by Neil Schneider 117

Frenzy in the Third Dimension by Marty Shindler 120

Last Word: “Avatar” as the “Jazz Singer” by Lenny Lipton 122

Display Industry Calendar 123

The 3rd Dimension is focused on bringing news and commentary about developments and trends related to the use of 3D displays and supportive components and software. The 3rd Dimension is published electronically 10 times annually by Veritas et Visus, 3305 Chelsea Place, Temple, Texas, USA, 76502. Phone: +1 254 791 0603. http://www.veritasetvisus.com

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Mark Fihn [email protected] Managing Editor Phillip Hill [email protected] Contributors Norman Hairston, Lenny Lipton, Jon Peddie, Steve Peterson, Neil Schneider, Marty Shindler, and Michael Starks

Subscription rate: US$47.99 annually. Single issues are available for US$7.99 each. Hard copy subscriptions are available upon request, at a rate based on location and mailing method. Copyright 2010 by Veritas et Visus. All rights reserved. Veritas et Visus disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks or names of others. Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010

Is poor quality 3D a danger to industry success? by Mark Fihn

With increasing frequency, I hear dire predictions about the dangers associated with “poor quality” 3D to the ongoing success of the stereoscopic display market. Actually, there are three related, but different, concerns that are being expressed – by both industry experts and by more casual observers:

1. Poorly created 3D or conversion from 2D will turn off viewers to the detriment of the interests of 3D that has been well crafted. 2. Price premiums for 3D films are turning people off to 3D. 3. After the Avatar-derived buzz of excitement, it’s natural to see a responding craze, and then a predictable “chasm” related to most new technology introductions, where excitement diminishes after early adopters take their first looks…

Some detractors go so far as to suggest that 3D movie ticket price premiums will even deter people from buying 3DTVs or 3D gaming consoles.

A recent New York Times headline, “Resistance Forms against Hollywood’s 3D Push,” has inspired considerable discussion about whether or not 3D is really here to stay or if it’s nothing more than a passing fad.

I’m reminded of another favorite quip from the New York Times:

“The problem with television is that the people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn’t time for it...for this reason, if for no other, television will never be a serious competitor (to radio).”

-- New York Times, commentary after television was introduced at the World’s Fair in 1939

OK. I don’t like to pay premium prices for 3D at the local theater. And I’ll certainly admit that the 2D-to-3D conversion that I saw in The Last Airbender was less than desirable – to the point that I’d consider saving the $2.50 3D premium at my local theater in the highly unlikely case that I’d ever pay to see the movie again.

I agree that we should all encourage Hollywood to stay focused on making sure only “good” 3D is introduced, but we all know that there will inevitably be “not-so-good” 3D productions that reach the cinemas. But this is no different than movies in general; in fact there are certainly plenty of movies released that do not meet production quality expectations… So why aren’t industry pundits questioning the future of cinema generally?

Personally, I trust the consumer’s ultimate ability to determine the success or failure of a new technology. If a poor quality 3D movie results in large audiences heading to the bathroom, guess what – that movie will probably not do well. If a movie is bothersome in 3D mode on a 3D Blu-ray release, guess what – people will switch to 2D mode. If a game is rendered poorly into 3D, guess what – people will play in 2D. And if premiums being charged for 3D movie ticket prices or 3D Blu-ray releases stall sales, then guess what, the premiums will drop.

The consequence of poor quality 3D will not be that all 3D technologies will suffer, but that price premiums will be adjusted downward. VHS succumbed to DVD when the price delta (both for the players and the titles) dropped to almost nothing. DVD is now succumbing to Blu-ray as the price delta (both for the players and the titles) continues to narrow. 2D (whether in the theater or on an optical disk or via download), will succumb to 3D when the price gap narrows. This is true whether the production quality is best-in-class or worst-in-class.

3D is here to stay. Quality will continue to improve, albeit we’ll see poor quality along the way. Prices will continue to drop to further reinforce the technology developments. Ultimately, the sort of negative predictions about the future of 3D we’re now seeing in the press, will seem as silly as the above New York Times quote about the future of television…

2 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 3D news from around the world compiled by Phillip Hill and Mark Fihn

3D cinema continues to do well at the box office Despite some suggestions that 3D is losing its luster at the box office, 3D movie titles continue to do extremely well, with the biggest problem seeming to be that of finding enough venues at which to showcase the many 3D titles. While Avatar is the obvious #1 blockbuster, Alice in Wonderland is now the 5th highest grossing film of all time, (more than $1 billion worldwide, moving ahead of the Dark Knight), and Toy Story 3, already ranks #11 on the all-time list for the US market. In just the past two months, Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, and Despicable Me have come out to an accumulated $1.7 billion in revenues worldwide (and still climbing). Those are huge numbers for the 3D films…

Rank Title (click to view) Studio US Lifetime Gross Date 1 Avatar Fox $749,748,874 12/18/09 2 Toy Story 3 BV $390,606,539 6/18/10 3 Alice in Wonderland (2010) BV $334,191,110 3/5/10 4 Up BV $293,004,164 5/29/09 5 Shrek Forever After P/DW $235,753,203 5/21/10 6 How to Train Your Dragon P/DW $217,581,231 3/26/10 7 Monsters Vs. Aliens P/DW $198,351,526 3/27/09 8 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Fox $196,573,705 7/1/09 9 Despicable Me Uni $192,743,765 7/9/10 10 The Polar Express WB $181,320,482 11/10/04

http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=3d.htm

Upcoming 3D cinematic releases

Step Up 3-D BV 8/6/10 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows WB 11/19/10 (Part One in 3D) Piranha 3D W/Dim. 8/20/10 Tangled BV 11/24/10 Resident Evil: Afterlife (in 3D) SGem 9/10/10 Yogi Bear WB 12/17/10 Alpha and Omega LGF 9/17/10 Tron: Legacy BV 12/17/10 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of WB 9/24/10 Ga'Hoole Gulliver's Travels Fox 12/22/10 Jackass 3-D Par. 10/15/10 The Cabin in the Woods (in 3D) MGM 1/14/11 Saw 3D LGF 10/29/10 The Green Hornet (in 3-D) Sony 1/14/11 My Soul to Take (in 3D) Uni. 10/29/10 Drive Angry (in 3D) Sum. 2/11/11

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Gnomeo and Juliet (in 3-D) Mira. 2/11/11 Contagion (3D) WB 10/21/11 Mars Needs Moms (in 3D) BV 3/11/11 Puss in Boots (working title) P/DW 11/4/11 Sucker Punch (in 3D) WB 3/25/11 Arthur Christmas (in 3D) Sony 11/11/11 Rio Fox 4/8/11 Happy Feet 2 in 3D WB 11/18/11 The Three Musketeers (2011) Sum. 4/15/11 Hugo Cabret (in 3D) Sony 12/9/11 Priest (in 3D) SGem 5/13/11 Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D Fox 12/16/11

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of BV 5/20/11 Par. 12/23/11 Tides (3D) the Unicorn (in 3D) Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom P/DW 5/26/11 Stretch Armstrong Uni. 2012 Green Lantern (in 3D) WB 6/17/11 Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Uni. 3/2/12 Cars 2 BV 6/24/11 The Croods (working title) P/DW 3/30/12 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Madagascar 3 (working title) P/DW 5/18/12 WB 7/15/11 (Part Two in 3D) Brave BV 6/15/12 The Smurfs (in 3D) Sony 8/3/11 Spider-Man (in 3D) Sony 7/3/12 The Darkest Hour Sum. 8/5/11 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox 7/13/12 Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World Wein. 8/19/11 (in 3-D) Hotel Transylvania (in 3D) Sony 9/21/12 Final Destination 5 WB 8/26/11 Monsters Inc. 2 BV 11/2/12

Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 The Guardians (working title) P/DW 11/21/12 WB 9/23/11 (3D) Reboot Ralph BV 3/22/13 Fright Night (in 3-D) BV 10/7/11 http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=3d.htm

Industry executives discuss rollout of 3DTV at CEA Line Shows The 3D@Home Consortium capped off the 2010 CEA Line Shows with a fact-filled 3D Summit that examined the major issues and challenges of delivering 3D to US homes – from content creation to the consumer experience and everything in between. Noting that retail sales of 3DTVs in the US are outpacing forecasts, Rick Dean, THX senior vice president and chairman of the 3D@Home Consortium, provided an overview of the multifaceted 3D eco- system. Early adopters are reporting a largely positive 3D at home experience, according to Chris Chinnock, founder and president of Insight Media and 3D@Home board member, who shared interim results of an ongoing survey. “Preliminary feedback reveals that 3DTV owners are not having any problems setting up their TVs and are generally pleased with the experience, including the comfort of 3D glasses,” he said. “We are also encouraged to learn that the early adopters we spoke with consider 3DTV pricing to be fair and uniformly rated the quality of 3D imagery as good, despite the presence of ghosting on some TVs.” Noting that 3D gaming and theatrical releases will help sell 3DTVs as the first wave of cable and satellite 3D broadcasts roll out in 2010, Chinnock said: “The bottom line is content creation companies are motivated to see 3D succeed at home as it has in movie theaters. 3D is a very attractive source of revenue for Hollywood, which these days derives 50 to 60% of its revenue from non-theatrical products.” http://www.3dathome.org

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3D@Home Consortium forms new group on human factors for 3D The 3D@Home Consortium, dedicated to accelerating the adoption of quality 3D into homes worldwide by providing accurate and non-branded information on emerging 3D technology and the marketplace, announced the formation of a new steering team to assist 3D stakeholders in understanding the impact of viewing digitally-created stereoscopic and auto-stereoscopic images on the human physiology. The team will be chaired by Philip Corriveau, principal engineer and director of the User Experience Research Group at Intel Corp. and vice-chaired by Paulette Pantoja, CEO of BluFocus. Researchers from around the world have long been studying the human response to 3D, but have lacked an ongoing, organized method to share results, communicate, and compare findings with the technology community. 3D@Home’s membership of 40+ companies worldwide, with products across the 3D eco- system can provide the community-wide forum necessary to support the new team. Additionally, in its first two years of operation, 3D@Home has established relationships with many organizations involved in 3D, including the 3DFIC in Korea, the 3DConsortium of Japan, C3D of China, and 3DIDA of Taiwan. These relationships will be leveraged to ensure that the human factors activity covers the globe. http://www.3DatHome.org

Kakaku survey reveals that Japanese consumers want little to do with 3DTV Unfortunately for the makers of 3D TVs and other 3D capable home theater gear, there is a huge disconnect between the expectations they have and the reality of what consumers are willing to buy according to a recent study. The study was conducted by Kakaku in Japan and was conducted online from June 10-16 and had 8,957 respondents. The results might be surprising to TV makers. The overwhelming majority of those who responded to the survey indicate that most people have no intention of buying a 3DTV. The biggest reason for not wanting a 3D TV in the home according to 70% of the respondents is the requirement of glasses. Kakaku.com's Tsuyoshi Kamada wrote in a report along with the survey, “Television makers' expectations for 3D are high but looking at the degree of interest among consumers, there is a big gap with the enthusiasm of manufacturers.” Not only are the glasses ugly and at times uncomfortable, they are expensive too. Sony's active-shutter 3D glasses sell for about $150 per pair making the glasses cost as much for a family of four as a decent non-3D TV. Another 57% of those who responded listed the price as the barrier of entry for them. Another 40% cite the lack of 3D content as the reason they aren’t interested. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66115P20100702

Insight Media releases real-time 2D-to-3D conversion report Insight Media has issued its one-of-a-kind look at 2D-to-3D conversion: “Real-Time 2D-to-3D Conversion: An Overview of the Market for 2D-to-3D Conversion in the Home”. This completely new report looks at the efforts to provide consumers with content for their new 3DTVs by converting existing 2D content on-the-fly. The report focuses on the inclusion of real time 2D-to-3D technology in 3DTVs, set top boxes and Blu-ray players. The market for real time 2D-to-3D conversion will grow dramatically and IM expects nearly 50 million 3DTVs to include the capability by 2016. Real time 2D-to-3D conversion, as applied to mobile 3D products, has just been recognized by MIT’s Technology Review as “one of the top ten technologies that will change the world”. Initially, conversion will be addressed by the 3DTV makers themselves, through the inclusion of media processors (SoC) running conversion algorithms. Insight Media expects the market to expand to Blu-ray players and digital set-top- boxes (STBs). “We looked into the real-time 2D-to-3D conversion market due to the lack of existing content for all of these new 3DTVs,” said Chris Chinnock, President of Insight Media. “While the quality of the resulting conversion is still fair at best, the reality is that this feature is quickly being viewed as a ‘check-box’ item for many, which has significant implications for the amount of processing power that will be available in 3DTVs, and therefore, the types of SoC (system on chip) that we will be installed in these sets.” The Real-Time 2D-to-3D Conversion report provides a look at the conversion process, profiles of the key players in the industry, forecast for inclusion of real-time conversion in 3DTVs, Blu-ray players and STBs and an overview of recent Insight Media articles on conversion. http://www.insightmedia.info/reports/20102d3ddetails.php

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Insight Media’s 2D-to-3D conversion report vindicated When Insight Media published the “2010 Real-Time 2D-to-3D Conversion: An Overview of the Market for 2D-to- 3D Conversion in the Home” report, it noted that real time 2D-to-3D conversion would move beyond 3DTV and into Blu-ray players, set top boxes and even migrate up the food chain to the broadcast level. The report provided forecasts and a good “heads-up” as to where the market was going. Videonet recently reported that one of the main themes to emerge from last month’s 3DTV World Forum in London was the relative merits of shooting native 3DTV content versus up-conversion from 2D to 3D material. The most popular view was that creating native 3DTV is the best approach, but it was also clear that 2D/3D conversion also has its supporters. In other news, Videonet recently reported on the comments of Jose Dias, Director of Multimedia R&D Department at TV Globo, the Brazilian content producer and broadcaster. He spoke at the 3DTV World Forum in London where he said, “We are very interested in the market opportunity for 3D, but we need a continuous flow of 3D content if we want to open a television channel. I believe conversion of 2D into 3D could be a key factor in opening a channel fairly soon. TV Globo has 2,500 hours of production every year. If we were to show our soap operas in 3D, the cost would be maybe 30% higher and we would also need a large investment in equipment. So we did some trials to convert our soap operas from 2D to 3D.” The content was converted in real-time and the effect is what Dias calls “negative 3D” meaning that all the depth is behind the screen. Dias offered a number of 2D-to-3D conversion demonstrations at the conference, including a sequence from a soap opera that very effectively combined studio shots with computer generated images of the background. http://www.insightmedia.com

CEA to put on National 3D Demo Days National 3D Demo Days is a nationwide campaign sponsored by CEA to help educate consumers about 3D technology and how they can bring that experience into their home – not only with 3DTV, but also with audio. National 3D Demo Days will take place the weekend of September 10-12, 2010, at participating CEA member retailers across the country. During 3D Demo Days, retailers will host consumers for 3D demos conducted with surround sound audio so they can see and hear what the 3D experience is all about. CEA retail members have the opportunity to join National 3D Demo Days by agreeing to hold 3D demos at their locations. Even if a customer isn't ready to purchase a 3DTV, retailers can take the opportunity to demonstrate audio and other products that will enhance a customer's current entertainment experience at home. CEA manufacturer members have the opportunity to support National 3D Demo Days by agreeing to help promote the event through their existing promotional channels. Participating members will have access to a special members-only section of CEA's website where they will find a toolkit and other resources to help retailers and manufacturers. Items included in the tool kit include:

 Frequently asked questions and answers your sales team should know  Sample press releases  Sample radio ad script  Direct mail postcards and e-mail postcards  In-store fliers and signage  Web banner ads  Promotion checklist with suggested tweets and Facebook messages

Contact Allyson Pahmer at [email protected] with any questions.

LG aims to up 3D notebook shipments by 30 percent LG Electronics aims to raise shipments of 3D notebook computers by 30 percent in 2011, as it makes a huge bet on booming sales of 3D products led by televisions. LG, the world's second-largest maker of TVs, forecast global sales of 3D notebook computers would increase fivefold next year to 1.1 million units and jump to 13.8 million units by 2015. LG recently introduced three models of 3D notebook computers priced at between 1.6 million won ($1,331) and 1.9 million won, a roughly 20 percent premium to conventional 2D products. With the need to wear glasses to watch 3D content singled out as a major obstacle to the technology's takeoff, 3D is more likely to succeed on screens watched by a single viewer like computer and cell phone displays where such glasses are not necessary, some experts say. http://www.lg.com

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3D TV shipments expected to reach 3.4 million in 2010 and 42.9 million in 2014 says DisplaySearch A new generation of TVs has reached retail, with 3D models now available from all leading TV manufacturers. DisplaySearch forecasts 3.4 million 3D TVs to be shipped in 2010, with the market expected to reach 42.9 million in 2014. Based on this forecast, 3D TV market penetration is expected to grow from a 5% share of total flat panel TVs in 2010 to 37% in 2014. The emerging 3D TV market is tracked in the latest issue of the DisplaySearch Q2’10 Quarterly TV Design and Features Report. Despite the forecasted growth for 3D TVs, the consumer electronics industry is running ahead of content availability, as 3D content for TV remains limited to a small number of movies, plus some sports events on pay TV, which are dependent on cable providers. Blockbuster movies in 3D, such as Avatar, will not be available for 3D TV in 2010. In addition, the low penetration of Blu-ray players, and especially HD broadcasts, outside of North America and Japan affects content availability. Consumers may be tempted to wait for the ecosystem to develop in order to have enough material to watch. This, coupled with other significant obstacles for 3D implementation in the home, like consumer perceptions of 3D glasses, remain unresolved.

3D TV Forecast

DisplaySearch research also shows how other technologies, such as LED backlighting, are important. Analyses of the latest energy regulations and the best sets on the market shows how much progress has been made. The 200+ page report examines and forecasts video processor and signal processing IC market development, including 120/100 and 200/240 Hz frame rates and market shares for major IC vendors. In addition, the report also features forecasting for MPEG-4 decoding and the digital broadcast environment around the world; TV connectivity, such as wired and wireless networked TVs; LED backlighting; 3D capability and implementation; remote controls and chassis design; and power consumption. http://www.displaysearch.com

3D TV market growth to be led by TV makers in 2010 says Displaybank The TV market is not a consumer-led but instead is a manufacturer-led market. In the past, FPD, FHD, LED and 120Hz have all seen growth through makers' marketing and sales strategy. With makers' aggressive strategies, 3D is also expected to see sharp growth in the\future. In 2010, major global TV makers including Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic and all are expected to show aggressive 3D TV sales strategy in order to maintain each company's competitive edge. The number of 3D TV models that are either launched or planned to be launched in 2010 by these 4 makers reach 42 models and their combined sales target is 6.9M units. In the second-half of 2010 when 240Hz panels will actively supplied the market, the number of models and sales quantity will sharply jump as other makers begin participating in 3D TV sales.

3D TV sales target by maker in 2010

Displaybank predicts 6.2 Million 3D TVs expected to be sold globally in 2010 Displaybank announced that 3D TV market is expected to represent 3% of all TVs sold with 6.2M units in 2010 and among these; 5M units are expected to be 3D LCD TV and 1.2M units for PDP TV. Displaybank forecasts 6.2M 3D TVs will be sold in 2010 growing to 33M units in 2012 and 83M units by 2014 to represent 31% of all TV market. These and other findings are disclosed in Displaybank’s newly published 3D TV Industry Trend and

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Market Forecast Report. In terms of device type, 3D LCD TV market is expected to reach 5.1M units in 2010 to represent 81% of total 3D TV market and is expected to be mainly applied to premium products utilizing Full HD and 240Hz in large-sized TVs over 40-inch in size. By 2014, 3D LCD TV market size would reach about 70M units to represent 28% of all LCD TV market. In 2010, 3D PDP TV is expected to penetrate 8% of all PDP TV market but by 2014, most of PDP TV makers are expected to apply 3D as one of TV’s function that 3D PDP TV is expected to represent 99% of all PDP TVs. http://www.displaybank.com

On the left: Total 3D TV Market Forecast (Unit Based); on the right: 3D TV Market Forecast by Device

(Source: Displaybank, 3D TV Industry Trend and Market Forecast Report, May 2010)

3D plasma display panel TV will represent over 86% of all PDP TVs in 2013, says Displaybank Displaybank claimed that the share of 3D PDP TV is expected to represent over 86% of all PDP TVs in 2013. According to recently published “3D TV Industry Trend and Market Forecast” report, the PDP industry is to gradually expand 3D capable products that allow technical benefit and increased profitability. Panasonic currently manufactures 3D TV in all HD and FHD models (excluding 37-inch) and Samsung SDI manufactures 3D TV in 50-, 58-, and 63-inch FHD models. LG Electronics is preparing 50 and 60-inch FHD models to sequentially launch 3D PDP TV starting from July. PDP makers are expected to equip 3D function to 42-inch HD PDP TV products that comprise highest share, from next year and 50- inch HD 3D TV is expected to be launched within this year. 3D PDP TV is expected to appeal to consumers from the more reasonable price perspective point compared to highly priced 3D LED LCD TV. http://www.displaybank.com

3D PDP TV penetration forecast

Panasonic Samsung LGE No. of Models 9 4 2 Size 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 65, 85, 103, 152 50, 58, 63 50, 60 Resolution FHD/4K2K HD/FHD FHD 2D->3D Covert O O X

3D lineup by major PDP TV maker (based on currently available or expected models)

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Jon Peddie Research brings out report on 3D PCs JPR has brought out an in-depth look at the emerging Stereo 3D (S3D) PC market. Titled “Stereovision in PCs”, the report finds that the S3D market is poised for rapid growth in the immediate future. Close to one million dedicated S3D PCs will ship in 2010. That number will grow to 75 million by 2014 as S3D becomes ubiquitous. Although most PCs will be S3D capable due to the GPUs that are in them, not all PCs will be Growth rates from 2010 to 2014 (Shipments in M units) S3D PCs because they need a special monitor, glasses, and appropriate content. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 CAGR However, S3D PCs will be very attractive PCs sold for S3D 0.86 6.10 29.54 60.65 75.00 206% to several important market segments. JPR S3D capable GPUs 125.03 134.4 141 144.62 149.99 5% expects to see S3D PCs achieve a much higher growth rate than their more traditional counterparts and, of course, they will have a higher ASP. As a result, the S3D PC market will be very attractive to PC manufacturers and content suppliers. JPR’s report, provides forecasts for the unit sales of the seven major applications that will take advantage of S3D on the PC: PC games; Blu-ray DVD movies; streaming TV (IP TV); photo-editing; home video editing; streaming video (from YouTube and other sites); and professional graphics (CAD and visualization). http://www.jonpeddie.com

IMS Research predicts worldwide 3D sales to top 5.99 million units in 2010 According to IMS Research, 5.99 million 3D TV sets will ship worldwide in 2010 and forecasts that over 218 million 3D TV sets will ship cumulatively from 2010 to 2015. In a recently published study entitled 3D Video & Gaming in the Home, IMS Research identifies popularity of 3D theatrical releases and intense competition in the home entertainment space as some of the key drivers behind the deployment and aggressive pricing of 3D TV sets. Anna Hunt, report author and principal analyst at IMS Research, said in statement, “Within five years, the majority of high-end large-screen TV sets and Blu-ray Disc players are likely to offer 3D capability. The price premium of 3D models in these markets over similar 2D products is expected to diminish quickly. Without a significant price premium, consumers are likely to future proof their purchases by opting for devices with 3D.” The company forecasts that by the end of 2015, over 241 million homes will have a 3D Blu-ray Disc player and over 280 million TV households will have an HD set-top box. Hunt added, “Aside from Blu-ray, many HD set-top boxes can facilitate delivery of 3D service from operators that use a frame compatible format. With such a large installed base of 3D-capable devices, content makers should see enough of an incentive to aggressively pursue 3D content creation.” Numerous pay-TV operators are offering or planning to offer 3D content to HDTV subscribers at no additional cost over the existing HDTV package pricing. Initially, this may be a common practice until more 3D content is available. http://www.imsresearch.com

In-Stat reports explosive market growth in the US for mobile Internet devices/tablets and 3DTVs Demand for consumer electronic (CE) devices is soaring in the US – especially in key segments like 3DTVs and mobile Internet devices (MIDs)/tablets. Year-over-year shipment growth for these two segments will be 142% and 231%, respectively, between 2010 and 2011, reports In-Stat. 3DTVs and MIDs/Tablets will also represent a bright spot for CE manufacturers and content providers because the installed base for these segments will continue to expand steadily. “The US installed base units for 3DTVs and MID/Tablets will double from 2010 to 2011 and on through 2013,” says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. “In fact, In-Stat expects the total US installed base of CE devices to almost double between 2009 and 2013.” Recent research by In-Stat found: the US installed base for smart phones to reach 198 million by 2013; mobile PCs will continue to lead the computing category in units shipped through 2013; despite many bright spots in the US CE market, maturing segments like portable media players (PMPs) and desktop PCs will show declining growth rates through 2013; by 2013, there will be 1.9 billion installed CE devices in the US. http://www.in-stat.com

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iSuppli says 3DTV sales forecast to triple in 2011 Consumer electronics manufacturers are on track to sell 4.2 million 3DTV sets worldwide in 2010, with the market projected to triple to 12.9 million units next year, according to research firm iSuppli. The emerging category initially will be a fraction of the overall TV market, given that 170 million LCD TVs are expected to ship this year. In the first quarter of 2010, 4% of US consumers that purchased a new television indicated they were buying one that was 3D capable, according to iSuppli. By 2012, 27.4 million 3DTVs will ship worldwide and by 2015 shipments will reach 78.1 million units, representing a compound annual growth rate of 80.2% between 2010 and 2015, iSuppli projected. Three issues need to be resolved before there is mass consumer acceptance of 3DTVs, iSuppli analyst Riddhi Patel said: standardized video formats, content available and 3D glasses interoperability. In the US, the Consumer Electronics Association has projected that around 1 million 3DTV sets will ship this year. According to iSuppli, the majority of 3DTV sales in 2010 will occur in the US, Japan and Western Europe. Other countries primed for 3DTV include South Korea and Australia. http://www.isuppli.com

Alibre and Luxion bundle photorealistic lighting rendering technology with 3D CAD products Alibre and Luxion announced that the Luxion KeyShot 2 photo realistic lighting rendering technology will be bundled with v. 12.1 of Alibre Design Expert and Professional 3D CAD software, priced under $500. With Alibre Design Expert and Professional, customers will get powerful 3D modeling and 2D drafting technology with stunning realistic lighting visualization. KeyShot 2 is a new application built on Luxion’s production-proven real- time interactive ray tracing lighting and global illumination technology. KeyShot 2 makes it easy to create photographic images from 3D models with realistic lighting, giving anyone with 3D data the ability to create a photographic image in a matter of seconds, regardless of the size of the digital model. KeyShot 2 delivers amazing real-time “shots” without the need for special graphics cards. Alibre Design Expert and Professional v. 12.1 also offer the new BIP export format specifically designed for KeyShot 2. In addition, Alibre Design Expert and Professional v. 12.1 also take advantage of the new capabilities in KeyShot 2 by taking 3D data and exporting it directly into Luxion’s native format. http://www.alibre.com http://www.luxion.com

Siemens showcases advanced 3D imaging and software applications Featuring advanced clinical applications that bring OB/GYN imaging to the next level, Siemens Healthcare showcased its exclusive syngo.fourSight Workplace image management software. Siemens highlighted a comprehensive selection of the latest innovations in OB/GYN imaging, including a new 3D immersive imaging experience using professional graphics solutions. With Siemens’ new syngo.fourSight Workplace, volume imaging takes on a whole new dimension with true stereoscopic views of 3D images delivering a 3D imaging experience more immersive, detailed and real-to-life than ever before. Conventional 3D ultrasound technologies use two- dimensional monitors for the evaluation of 3D images. The combination of Nvidia 3D Vision technology, Nvidia Quadro FX high-end professional graphics solutions and syngo.fourSight Workplace, based on Nvidia CUDA architecture, offers the experience of 3D imaging in “real 3D”. Siemens also showcased one of the most comprehensive ultrasound portfolios in the OB/GYN market segment. The new 2.0 release of the ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system – Women’s Imaging represents the pinnacle of innovative technologies and workflow-enhancing clinical applications, which dramatically improve the efficiency and quality of ultrasound exams. The latest acoustic technologies deliver a powerful system optimized with superb 2D, Doppler and 3D/4D imaging for the most demanding requirements in maternal-fetal medicine. Unique industry applications, such as Skeletal Rendering, further enhance the clinical excellence of the system. This Siemens-proprietary 3D/4D rendering technique results in true volumetric imaging, with accurate spatial resolution for enhanced visualization of the fetal skeleton. Siemens also introduced the latest addition to the ACUSON ultrasound family of products, the 2.0 release of the ultra-compact ACUSON X150 ultrasound system. This new release offers enhanced image quality and workflow as well as a comprehensive spectrum of clinical features and applications including 3-Scape real-time 3D imaging. http://www.siemens.com/healthcare

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Unlimited Detail enables the creation of real-time 3D graphics Unlimited Detail is a new technology for making real-time 3D graphics. Unlimited Detail is different from existing 3D graphics systems because it can process unlimited point cloud data in real time, giving the highest level of geometry ever seen. If this all sounds a bit technical to you, just press the "What is it?" button on the side and we will try and explain things in a bit more detail.

This picture contains billions of points which can be run in real-time.

The Unlimited Detail technology is best explained as follows: Every time a new 3D graphics card or games console (Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation) is built, they make it more powerful in order to run more geometry (Put more objects on the screen and make them look more rounded). Games today still have a long way to go before they look like 3D movies. Unlimited Detail is a software algorithm that gives unlimited geometry. Most 3D graphics today are based on what’s called the polygon system; it’s a system that builds things out of little flat shapes called polygons. Games today all suffer from such problems as tree bases with only 6 sides or objects that are supposed to be round are hexagons.

A tree base from the game Crysis (you can clearly see the 3 flat sides); Octagonal lettuce from Crysis

As computers increase their power, they will be able to have more of these little shapes, more shapes mean more roundness and more objects on screen. If we were to keep increasing computer power to make more polygons, and we were to make the polygons smaller to add more roundness, then in about 50 years time they would be so small that they would just be little dots, (think of like little floating atoms). When technology reaches this stage we now have true roundness and it is hoped that in about 50 year’s time we will have enough computing power to run these 3D atoms in vast quantities. When we reach this stage, graphics are now declared to be “true realism standard” because they are made of 3D atoms like the real world.

It turns out there is a very different way to make 3D graphics, one that isn’t based on polygons, but can still import them, convert them and run them (thus making a compatible bridge between old and new technologies). This is called the “Unlimited Detail algorithm”.

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This figure on the left shows a tree base made on Unlimited Detail with 300,000 flat sides. A similar polygon tree needs special high powered graphics cards and multi-core computers to run it. The Unlimited Detail tree will run on anything from a PC to a mobile phone and no special graphics cards are needed. The figure on the right shows some strange creatures with very complicated modeling, there are no straight or flat edges to be seen on them. Considering their high level models it is fair to say we could probably display about 4 of them on screen at once if you used today’s polygon system.

To the right are thousands of them being displayed on an ordinary laptop, using only one core. No special 3D graphics hardware is used, and it all runs in real-time.

The Unlimited Detail method is very different to any 3D method that has been invented so far. The three current systems used in 3D graphics are ray tracing, polygons, and point cloud/voxels. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Polygons run fast but have poor geometry, Ray-trace and voxels have perfect geometry but run very slowly. Unlimited Detail is a fourth system, which is more like a search algorithm than a 3D engine. Unlimited Detail is basically a point cloud search algorithm. The algorithm can build enormous worlds with huge numbers of points, and then compress them down to be very small. The Unlimited Detail engine works out which direction the camera is facing and then searches the data to find only the points it needs to put on the screen it doesn’t touch any unneeded points, all it wants is 1024x768 (if that is the screen resolution) points, one for each pixel of the screen. It has a few tricky things to work out, like: what objects are closest to the camera, what objects cover each other, how big should an object be as it gets further back. But all of this is done by a new sort of method that is called MASS CONNECTED PROCESSING. Mass connected processing is where the company has a way of processing masses of data at the same time and then applying the small changes to each part at the end. The result is “a perfect pure bug-free 3D engine that gives Unlimited Geometry running super fast”. http://unlimiteddetailtechnology.com

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Side Effects Software releases Houdini 11 Toronto's Side Effects software announced the 11th release of its high-end animation package Houdini. Houdini's specialty is procedural effects, and the crumbling buildings of Killzone 2 and Spiderman 3's Birth of Sandman sequence are a couple examples of the power of this program, out of the box. This isn't a program that relies on plug-ins to make it useful – but it's always demanded input via scripting and other building block schemes, which gives it a steep learning curve. Version 11 adds more turn-key elements like a simpler one-size-fits-all material model and built-in Voronoi mesh destruction. At $6,695 for the Master version, Houdini 11 is priced well out of the reach of most consumers, but there is an Apprentice version that's available for free. http://www.sidefx.com

Houdini’s Mantra renderer is being used more and more in production and with Houdini 11 it becomes more accessible to artists. Houdini 11 ships with a robust general-purpose material which includes features such as sub- surface scattering and per-light exports. Houdini 11 includes new lights to make it easier to set up and render shots.

PFISTER uses SensAble’s FreeForm 3D modeling to design custom faucet SensAble Technologies announced that its customer PFISTER Custom Faucet Solutions has made SensAble’s FreeForm 3D modeling solution the centerpiece of its strategy to win upscale hospitality faucet business. PFISTER Custom is using FreeForm to design high quality innovative faucets and coordinated accessories on the fly – in seconds – as interior designers watch on large-screen monitors. With PFISTER branding centered on providing custom designed faucets in as little as eight weeks, SensAble’s FreeForm allows the design team the exceptional speed and creative freedom they need – and the efficiency of transferring FreeForm concept designs and detailed embellishments to other CAD/CAM software for further engineering, tooling and manufacturing. Designers use FreeForm’s unique digital clay to create beautiful curves, shape, sculpt, model and manipulate a design so that it evokes the intent of the customer, such as drawing from interior designs, textures, furniture or materials, with just the right touches that brand the look as the builders’ own. For example, FreeForm makes it fast and easy to emboss logos on the handles, or capture natural, organic shapes such as leaves or vines on the graceful arc of a faucet. Because of FreeForm’s speed when digitally defining complex, organic shapes, the industrial design team can represent PFISTER’s 8-9 week concept-to-final-design process in just three days – moving quickly through traditionally time-consuming CAD modeling. http://www.sensable.com

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New LightWave 10 released by Newtek NewTek recently showed off the newly announced LightWave 10. New features include a new viewport preview rendering, which offers realistic views of scenes and objects with interactive light, nodal shading, and scene set-up. There's also CG hardware real-time viewpoint shading and linear workflow support. Version 10 also adds support for the Autodesk Geometry Cache, COLLADA, FBX, and ZBrush interchange, along with handful of new real-time and game tools. LightWave 10 will begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2010 in both 32- and 64-bit versions for Windows and Mac OS. MRSP is $1,495 and upgrades will be US$695. http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/

LightWave 10 now includes a photoreal real-time version of the application’s Viewport Preview Renderer and real-time CG hardware viewport shading, delivering Anaglyph Stereo, Ambient Occlusion, Transparency, Refractions and Bloom.

HI’s embedded 3D rendering engine supports stereopsis HI Corporation announced that it has developed an extended function for its 3D rendering engine MascotCapsule eruption that can automatically render left and right eye images required for stereopsis using the same 3D graphics model data in real-time. When viewing an object, humans perceive depth (three dimensional space) due to parallax because it is viewed from different positions on the head -- the left eye and right eye. By artificially creating and viewing left and right eye images specialized for parallax, humans can recognize images displayed on the two dimensional screen as three dimension. Through this solution, designers can use the conventional 3D model data to support stereopsis without having to create new 3D data for each eye because images for both eyes are automatically rendered, enabling the efficient development of content for stereopsis. It is capable of creating content with stereopsis using the same method as conventional 3D content. It is capable of using 3D model data developed for MascotCapsule V3 and eruption. It is capable of adjusting how stereopsis is viewed with an API that enables the setting of the focus position. “MascotCapsule eruption” is an OpenGL ES 1.0/1.1 compliant 3D engine that achieved a dramatically improved processing speed compared to the existing 3D rendering engines. By using eruption, game developers and content developers can fully leverage the performance of 3D hardware accelerators offering increased speed as well as developing content with rich expression at a high-frame rate. http://www.hicorp.co.jp/english/index.html.

Example of automatic rendering of left and right eye images using one model data

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Numerous company’s debut PTex 3D texturing solution A great deal of the time involved in 3D texturing is spent dealing with UVs, the coordinate system that all 3D applications use for applying textures to models. Unfortunately, you have to manually create them, like dressing a model with a flat cloth and some scissors, so UV-mapping complex shapes is very tedious. Then you have the problem of seams, especially when bump and displacement maps are involved. And often you have to redo UVs at the end of sculpting because they have been stretched and compressed from the movement of polygons. So you're then forced to bake your textures from a bad-UV model to a good-UV model leaving you with a mountain of cruft of old meshes, new meshes, old textures, new textures. This is where PTex comes in. Developed by Brent Burley at Disney Animation Studios, Ptex generated a ton of buzz a couple years ago with its simple promise: no more UVs. It was like someone saying “self-cleaning apartment”—everyone wanted in. With Ptex, textures are parametrically stored per polygonal face and there are no visible seams. The famous image released by Disney showed PTex's seamless texture coordinate system in action:

Look closely at the base model: the displaced bumps are actually texture tiles, joined at the edge of each face –with no seam. It's like a person laying pieces of arbitrarily-sized tiling, but you can't tell it's not one piece of bumpy floor.

After PTex was made open source last year, it was simply a matter of time before it made it into packages. First came to Pixar's PRMan 15, then 3D-Coat support for PTex arrived a couple months ago, and Houdini 11 recently added PTex support. Pixar and Autodesk reps are also showing demos of a Mudbox alpha with PTex. The Foundry's Mari (the texture painting app that was used for Avatar) also has some PTex integration in Mari 1.0. http://www.disneyanimation.com/library/ptex/ptex-slides.pdf

Kreuz robots speed up with Spatial’s 3D components Spatial Corp. announced that Kreuz Co. Ltd., a manufacturing company specializing in deburring machines, has released Deburring CAM. The product incorporates Spatial’s 3D ACIS Modeler, 3D InterOp, and HOOPS 3D Application Framework components to significantly shorten the complex path creation time for their robots. Kreuz’s cutting edge deburring technology is utilized by companies such as Toyota Motor Corporation, Denso Corporation, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Kreuz, headquartered in Japan, selected Spatial’s 3D components because they enabled them to achieve significant competitive advantage with the release of Kreuz’s robot simulation software. With Deburring CAM users are able to decrease teaching time by up to 90%. Previously they had to prepare for the teaching point map in advance and create teaching points by using the real robot online. When they compare the teaching time of the die-cast part, manual online teaching required 30 hours to create 269 teaching points. The offline teaching using Deburring CAM with Spatial’s 3D development components required three hours to create the same teaching points. http://www.spatial.com

3M demonstrates suite of display film solutions 3M showed at SID its field sequential 3D optical film for handheld devices enabling true auto stereoscopic 3D viewing on mobile phones, gaming and other handheld devices without the need for glasses. The film only requires one LCD panel, operating at a 120Hz refresh rate. Backlight module assembly is nearly identical to existing systems allowing for simple integration at the assembly stage. http://www.mmm.com

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Spatial introduces development platform for cloud-based and desktop applications Spatial Corp., the provider of integrated 3D development components for engineering and manufacturing software applications, announced Beta availability of RADF R3.0, a 3D development platform for desktop and cloud-based applications, and “Convergence Geometric Modeler” (CGM), a 3D geometric modeler used in Dassault Systèmes’ V5 and V6 products. RADF is the industry’s first Web-enabled development platform, enabling the use of a single code base for both desktop and Web-based applications. The platform reduces development complexities by providing an application framework and integrated components in an extensible architecture. CGM offers proven, 3D modeling capabilities for application developers with an end-user need for native V5 compatibility.

Rapid Application Development Framework (RADF) R3.0 is an integrated development platform for the development of Windows-based desktop and Web-based applications. Application code written for the desktop client is reusable in the Web client – enabling prototype workflows in the desktop scripting engine to be published for use by Web clients. The platform greatly simplifies the development and delivery of applications at the desktop or in the cloud. RADF Core is a development platform that integrates 3D software components for higher software reliability while enabling custom application workflows in an extensible .NET framework. RADF Desktop is an application starter kit with 3D model views; tabbed docking of viewports; WPF GUI elements and ribbon toolbars; 3D view controls; high performance rendering; and a plug-in architecture. RADF Web is a client-server infrastructure that enables interactive high- performance browser clients to drive server-based fully- functional 3D engineering applications. Custom modeling operations and business logic written for the RADF Desktop client are reusable in the Web client.

RADF R3.0 is a 3D development platform for desktop and cloud-based applications

Convergence Geometric Modeler (CGM) is a componentized version of the geometric kernel used in Dassault Systèmes’ V5 and V6 products. The component offers exceptional geometry robustness with very powerful blending, Booleans, surfacing, and native interoperability with CATIA V5. V5 interoperability ensures model integrity and geometry fidelity across applications, an important benefit for many manufacturers. CGM also brings an advanced architecture that integrates wire, surface and solid modeling functionality for history-based or direct modeling applications. CGM key capabilities include: Boundary Representation (B-rep) Modeling – the standard modeling paradigm for design, manufacturing and engineering applications; Multi-Dimensional Modeling – a rich toolset to define and manipulate solid, surface and wire geometry; History-Based Modeling – a design structure that tracks model changes and supports relationships between entities; Model Construction – a comprehensive set of functionality to create and edit wire, solid and sheet bodies; Free-form Model Design – a design option with advanced surfacing functionality; and Faceting – a function for generating a polygonal representation of the 3D model. http://www.spatial.com

Texas Advanced Computing Center develops EnVision for scientific visualization through Web browsers Scientific visualization tools are unnecessarily complicated to use. This complexity increases the time required to gain insight into a given data set, and thus inhibits casual use. The difficulty arises from the need to support data from a large variety of sources and the need to support a wide variety of visualization algorithms. Though the number of data file formats is unbounded, the format of any given data set can be described using a small set of parameters. Further, the set of visualization algorithms applicable to a given type (e.g. dimensionality) of data is small and the number of these algorithms commonly used in a specific scientific domain is even smaller. These two insights have led the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to the development of a new tool for scientific

16 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 visualization. This tool dramatically simplifies data importation and visualization algorithm selection through user- directed semi-automation. The strategy is consistent with a larger trend in data analysis and visualization towards ease of use. This tool, called EnVision, aims to achieve an interface similar to Google Maps, making the visualization process easy and helping to make scientific visualization a more common activity for researchers. EnVision is a tool to remotely visualize dataset through a Web browser. It allows to transparently use remote visualization resources through a thin web based client from anywhere in the world. http://www.tacc.utexas.edu

ArcSoft launches 3D plug-in for TotalMedia Theatre 3 Platinum users ArcSoft announced that its best-selling multimedia player application, TotalMedia Theatre 3 Platinum now features a new 3D plug-in, which includes Blu-ray 3D and Sim3D. With ArcSoft’s 3D plug-in, users now can enjoy Blu-ray 3D and native stereo 3D movies and video files, as well as turning regular 2D photos and movies into realistic 3D. Sim3D, encoded in AVC-MVC, creates a realistic stereo 3D viewing experience in real-time. Native stereo 3D movies and videos include 3D-DVD, YouTube 3D files, and 3D videos that are encoded in Left/Right, Up/Down, Anaglyph, and more. The 3D plug-in features full Blu-ray 3D support; true 3D depth restoration, an algorithm based on scene and motion changes; adjustable depth perception; runtime switching between 2D and 3D modes; support for various 3D encoded source videos; support for various 3DTV displays, such as HDMI 1.4 3D Ready display – Frame Sequential (120Hz and up), micro-polarized display – Row/Line Interlace, DLP 3D TV/projector – Checkerboard, and regular LCD and CRT display – anaglyph format. http://www.arcsoft.com/intouch/3Dplugin

3D software company Bump Technologies taken over by Google 3D desktop computer software company, Bump Technologies, has been bought by Google. The Canadian startup was created by a University of Toronto student as a masters thesis project. Its software works on both Windows and Macs to make screens appear more similar to real desktops where boxes can be moved or stacked using gestures or a stylus. The software will no longer be available for sale, and users won’t be able to download updates. Its technology might one day see the light of day in a Google product. http://bumptop.com

Sky to start broadcasting in 3D on October 1 Sky is launching a 3D TV channel, Europe's first, on October 1. To see it you have to be a Sky HD subscriber with a 3D-ready TV. No set-top box adjustments or additional fees are necessary. The satellite TV broadcaster says the channel works with active and passive 3D formats and is compatible with “all of the TVs” being introduced by Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic. Sports and movies are the main draws. The launch weekend includes three days live coverage of the Ryder Cup; Premier League football will also showcase on the channel. The launch film line-up includes Bolt and Monsters vs. Aliens. Coming down the line are Alice in Wonderland; Ice Age – Dawn of the Dinosaurs; Coraline; Fly Me To The Moon, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince and My Bloody Valentine. http://www.sky.com/shop/3d/home/?DCMP=ilc-aa1_Jan10_3d

SES ASTRA and Samsung to promote 3DTV SES ASTRA and Samsung Electronics announced that they will jointly promote 3D television to the market. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung will support SES ASTRA with 3D television content for its new 3D demo channel launched on 4 May 2010. The demo channel will be broadcast free-to-air via ASTRA’s orbital position 23.5 degrees East, and is intended to help retailers promote 3D television to end-consumers at the point of sale. http://www.ses-astra.com http://www.samsung.com

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Tru3D converts 3D for Samsung DLP TVs Tru3D is planning an inexpensive way to allow viewers with Samsung DLP TVs to get more 3D content. Current Samsung DLP 3D TVs can only do 3D PC content. Tru3D recently released a kit that will allow all of those DLP 3D TV owners to play 3D satellite, cable, and Blu-ray. Like Mitsubishi’s 3D DLPs, Samsung’s DLP models use the “checkerboard” format. While Mitsubishi does have a converter kit available to customers, Samsung does not. Enter Tru3D. The company’s $289.99 kit includes a Mitsubishi 3DA-1 adapter and an EDID “spoofer,” which fools the converter into thinking it’s connected to a Mitsubishi TV. It also has all of the cables you’ll need, but you’re on your own when it comes to getting 3D glasses. The Tru3D site says that the 3D TV Adapter KIT for Samsung DLP 3D Ready HDTV has been delayed “due to unforeseen manufacturer delays.” However, the company is taking orders and should be shipping kits starting in early August. http://www.tru3d.com

Toshiba to release Cell Regza LCD TVs in October Toshiba recently released its Cell Regza LCD TVs. The new devices use Toshiba's Cell Broadband Engine to handle multimedia processing. The three LCD TVs – the Cell Regza 55x2 and the Cell Regza slim 55xe2 and 46xe2 – with this engine also use Toshiba's 3D “Super Resolution Technology” that upgrades 3D content to superior near high definition content. In addition, the Toshiba devices come with 2D/3D conversion technology that Toshiba tells us “allows users to see 2D content as near high definition quality 3D”. It does this by capturing and analyzing image composition and movement in the 2D content and converting it to 3D with “precise rendering”. Toshiba’s new CELL REGZA models have built-in digital tuner and 3TB hard drive for video recording. They offer HDMI, USB port and DLNA support and are internet- ready. The TVs will first be released in Japan, starting in October. http://www.tacp.toshiba.com

Panasonic ships 152-inch 3DTV The Panasonic TH-152UX1 is probably the next best thing to watching a 3D movie in a theater. At 152 inches, this 11x6-foot PDP giant dwarfs just about every existing 3DTV on the market. This flat screen's 4096x2160 resolution also means it can deliver four times the clarity of a regular full-HD panel coupled with a 5,000,000:1 native contrast rich for rich inky blacks. Shipments will start in the Japanese and American markets this Fall.

The 152-inch PDP can project life-size images of people

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Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America adds new 75-inch LaserVue 3D TV Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America announced two significant 3D additions to its line-up of theater-like 3D TVs: a 75-inch LaserVue TV (Model L75-A91) with several new features, and a 3D Starter Pack (Model 3DC- 1000) containing all the necessities for watching 3D at home. The new Mitsubishi 3D Starter Pack contains two pairs of active shutter 3D eyewear, a 3D emitter, 3D Adapter with remote, an HDMI cable, and also features a Disney 3D showcase Blu-ray disc featuring 3D trailers of “A Christmas Carol”, “Alice In Wonderland” and “Toy Story 3” along with an educational short on 3D presented by Disney’s infamous Timon and Pumba. Available at retail in July, the 3D Starter Pack enables existing and future owners of Mitsubishi 3D DLP Home Cinema TVs and LaserVue TVs to instantly enjoy immersive, large-screen, theater-like 3D home entertainment. Mitsubishi’s newest laser-driven TV expands on the features of its 65-inch predecessor, by adding a first-ever Cinema Color mode and StreamTV Internet media. The precision and clarity of laser light enables the new 75-inch LaserVue TV to be an ultra eco-friendly TV, measuring over 50% better than Energy Star qualifications. The 3D Adapter within the 3D Starter Pack was initially announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and has had a model number change to 3DA-1. Now available, the 3D Adapter will convert side-by-side, top-bottom, and frame- packing 3D signal formats as prescribed by HDMI 1.4a for display on all 3D-ready and 3D DLP Home Cinema TVs. The 3D Adapter will support Mitsubishi 3D-ready DLP TVs shipped since 2007, as well as this year’s 638 series of 3D-ready DLP Home Cinema TVs and new LaserVue 3D-ready TVs. Mitsubishi is planning to provide 3D signal format upgrades for both the 738 and 838 series of its 3D DLP Home Cinema TVs by late summer 2010 to update these models to meet the 3D requirements of HDMI 1.4a. http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com

Vutec presents 3D ready projection screens Vutec Corporation showcased its high-definition active 3D SILVERSTAR and introduced the new passive SILVERSTAR 3D-P. FUSION-HD is engineered for today’s HD projectors and high-resolution image files with outstanding color reproduction, excellent image quality and clarity with rear-projection. FUSION-HD has an unequalled (180º) off axis viewing area with excellent ambient light rejection for varied-room or digital display applications. Its durable scratch resistant multi-layer design diffuses the image evenly across the entire screen surface to create exceptional screen uniformity, clarity and high image resolution. Standard sizes include: 16:9, 16:10, 2.35:1 and 4:3 aspect ratios. Custom sizes are available. http://www.vutec.com

Digital Projection’s 3D product line receives major enhancements Digital Projection International (DPI) announced major enhancements to their 3-chip 3D projector lines. With over 21 distinct 3D models in total, DPI offers both active and passive, full-resolution 3D solutions with sufficient lumens, native resolution and contrast to suit any application. DPI’s 3D products have recently found their way into a diversity of applications, including medical imaging, product design, immersive visualization, theme park entertainment and elite home cinema. Inspired by this multi-market success, DPI's engineers have focused specifically on expanding the performance and capabilities of the 3D product line. After months of preparation, Digital Projection International announced the following new and enhanced capabilities for both TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D displays. MultiBlend is DPI’s four side image blend technology. MultiBlend supports the tiling of multiple projectors to create screens of nearly any resolution and aspect ratio. DPI’s MultiBlend technology provides an unprecedented 16 bit-per-color gray-scale resolution, ensuring blends are smooth, seamless and invisible. The user interface for adjusting MultiBlend is straightforward, and can be accessed via the on-screen display, or via desktop application. Silent Operation: all single and dual-lamp TITAN 3D models have received major enhancements in thermal management. This results in projectors that perform at a fraction of the noise level of the prior models, while actually enhancing the thermal performance of the chassis. As an example, single-lamp TITAN 3D models, which produce up to 5000 lumens, now operate at less than 35dBA. Dual-pipe connectivity: 3D sources and formats come in a variety of standards. One, which DPI refers to as “Dual-Pipe”, sends the left eye and right eye content down two parallel cables. With this new connectivity, Dual-Pipe sources can now be input directly to the 3D projector. Ultra-high bandwidth capability: the electronics in DP’s TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D displays accept sources running at up to 144 Hz with up to 12 bits grayscale resolution per color, and directly display these

19 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 sources without compromising resolution, grayscale or color. On screen display for all 3D frame rates: the OSD for the TITAN 3D and LIGHTNING 3D is now visible as an overlay on all 2D and 3D sources - even those running at 120 Hz. This makes optimizing setup for any source easier than ever. Dual-flash processing for all inputs: DPI’s Dual-Flash Processing technology allows 60Hz 3D sources to be frame doubled and displayed at 120Hz on screen. The doubled frames are also interleaved to assure smooth presentation with maximum 3D separation and no flicker. The Dual-Flash capability is now available for every input on TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D projectors. Triple-flash processing for all Inputs: in applications where 1080-24p 3D content is to be displayed (24 frames for the left eye, 24 frames for the right eye), triple-flash is applied. In short, each of the 24 frames of the left and right content are tripled, such that 72 frames per eye, or 144 frames in total, are presented to the screen every second. Triple flash processing assures the smoothest, flicker free presentation of 24P 3D content. The majority of digital projection in commercial cinemas relies on this same triple-flash standard. FastFrame for all inputs: exclusive to DPI, this technology reduces motion artifacts associated with rapidly moving content, such as what may be seen when viewing sporting events, participating in video games or in fast jet simulation. With FastFrame properly set, moving edge sharpness is dramatically enhanced and motion blur reduced, if not eliminated. FastFrame is now available for every input on TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D displays. Plug and play connectivity with the mainstream 3D standards defined in the HDMI 1.4 addendum: as of July 2010, all of DP’s TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D systems will offer plug and play connectivity with the four primary consumer 3D standards, including “Frame Packed” (3D Blu-ray). Left eye/right eye sequence will be automatically detected and properly displayed, eliminating the need for frame swapping. http://www.digitalprojection.com

Sanyo introduces two ultra short-focus 3D ready projectors Sanyo North America Corporation announced the introduction of two new ultra short-focus projectors with 3D capability. Both projectors feature compact chassis of about half the size of conventional short-focus projectors. The PDG-DWL2500 is WXGA resolution (1280x800; 16:10 aspect ratio) with 2,500 lumens of brightness, and the PDG-DXL2000 is XGA resolution (1024x768; 4:3 aspect ratio), producing 2,000 lumens. Scheduled for release in July 2010, the PDG-DWL2500 has an MSRP of $1995, and the PDG-DXL2000 has an MSRP of $1795. Through a newly developed ultra short-focus mirror projection optical unit, both projectors operate at an extremely short distance from the display surface or screen. The PDG-DWL2500 creates an 80-inch image at a position only 12.6 inches from the screen, making it the shortest-throw unit on the market today. The PDG-DXL2000 requires only 15.1-inches for an 80-inch image. Both projectors offer a maximum image size of either 110 inches (DWL2500) or 90 inches (DXL2000). Fully enabled for large screen display of 3D material, both projectors use the Frame Sequential Display Format to display 3D, which works in conjunction with active shutter 3D glasses to rapidly alternate display between the right and left eyes. By using a new compact one-chip DLP optical engine and minimizing the size of the optical components as well as optimizing the physical layout, these projectors have been reduced in size to half the volume of conventional and previous generation Sanyo models, making their installation footprint even smaller. They can be used in a horizontal or vertical orientation, allowing placement under a table, on a table top behind a screen, or on a floor, ceiling or wall. The 3D capability opens a new range of possibilities for applications in the education, digital signage and amusement markets. Venues where short-throw projection is the preferred or only option can now make presentations in 3D, including new possibilities such as 3D arcade gaming and rear projection museum exhibits. http://us.sanyo.com

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Mitsubishi Electric introduces 3D-ready wide screen and short-throw portable projectors Mitsubishi Electric’s Presentation Products Division has announced two new wide-screen format projectors targeting cost-conscious customers looking for good value in classroom or meeting room projectors. Mitsubishi’s EW230U-ST (short throw) and EX270U WXGA projectors are 3D-ready and produce high-quality, wide-XGA images at competitive prices. Each feature a six-segment color wheel (red, blue, green, white, yellow and cyan) to produce rich and accurate colors, and are built using Texas Instruments’ DLP technology and BrilliantColor for superior color performance. The Mitsubishi EW230U-ST and EW270U projectors are enhanced with an RJ-45 connector and integrated Crestron RoomView support for simple plug-and-play connectivity as well as HDMI for high-definition video sources. They also include closed-captioning from supported content sources, and display 3D content viewable with DLP-Link-compatible active shutter 3D glasses. The EW270U and EW230U-ST are both WXGA (1280x800 resolution) and give out 2500 lumens and 2600 lumens, respectively. At 5.3 pounds and 6.2 pounds, respectively, both projectors are easily portable from room to room, with a direct power off function that eliminates power-down time and allows presenters to make quick exits. Each projector offers a substantial 4000- hour lamp life (in low mode), meaning fewer replacements over time, saving time and money. As a short-throw projector, the EW230U-ST can project a 60-inch diagonal image from less than 26 inches away, so teachers and presenters do not create distracting on-screen shadows. http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com

Sharp expands 3D ready DLP BrilliantColor professional projector suite Sharp announced the addition of five 3D Ready DLP BrilliantColor professional projectors to its growing 3D lineup, offering a variety of brightness levels, resolutions and features for almost any venue or application. Available in two different chassis sizes, the new projectors are well suited for classrooms, corporate meeting rooms, scientific and medical imaging, architecture and engineering, houses of worship, rental/staging and other public venues. The series incorporates DLP Link technology used with compatible 3D content, PC/graphics card and optional 3D active shutter 3D glasses that support the DLP Link system. The new projectors feature DLP BrilliantColor technology for superior color accuracy, creating truer, more vibrant colors. These models also offer several features for energy savings, including low standby power consumption and expanded lamp life when operated in eco mode. These new projectors offer extensive connectivity. The new PG-D50X3D and current PG-D45X3D include an HDCP compliant DVI-I terminal for use with both analog and digital RGB sources. The new PG- D3550W, PG-D3050W and PG-D2870W, and current PG-D40W3D offer HDMI connectivity. All ten models provide analog RGB and component inputs, S-video, composite video, as well as RGB loop-through, an RS-232C port and a USB input for mouse control. http://www.SharpUSA.com/projectors

LG Electronics brings 3D experience to commercial projection environments LG Electronics demonstrated a 3D projector, 3D HDTVs and 3D gaming monitors. LG Electronics, which already has introduced a Full LED 3D TV for consumers, plans to introduce 3D screens for the commercial landscape. While LG’s consumer 3D technology works with active shutter glasses and an emitter built directly into the television, the commercial models will use passive glasses. With passive 3D technology commercial environments will have a lower cost per user while still providing a strong 3D viewing experience. LG’s 3D projector (model CF3D) is a Full HD Single Lens Type 3D projector and provides a more life-like viewing experience. Featuring a brightness rating of 2,500 ANSI-lumens and a high contrast ratio of 7,000:1, the 3D projector can be applied anywhere from lodging environments for special theater rooms to teaching environments. This model also features TruMotion 120Hz for smoother images – a technology previously only seen on flat panel HDTVs. Incorporating both Dual Engine and 3D Auto Picture Calibration technology, the CF3D offers color correction to help ensure images are displayed naturally. For education or even healthcare environments looking to provide a more immersive teaching experience, LG also has a unique 3D LCD monitor. Full HD 1920x1080 display resolution provides exception picture clarity together with Tru-Surround HD, dual HDMI interfaces and 3ms response times. http://www.LGSolutions.com

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Vizio announces passive 3D HDTV Vizio is one of the first to announce a passive 3D HDTV with tuner that uses cheap polarized glasses. Most 3D TVs for the home market require active glasses that cost $150 to $200 per pair. Vizio showcased two 3D televisions that demonstrate active and passive 3D HDTV solutions. The 55-inch TruLED active 3D HDTV incorporates a frame sequential display and active-shutter glasses that work together with Vizio’s 480Hz SPS high frame rate technology for Full HD 3D images. The Vizio 65-inch passive 3D HDTV uses less expensive polarized glasses. Some argue that passive solutions don’t give the full resolution of an active 3D display. http://www.vizio.com

Sony delivers the industry’s largest array of 3D-capable HDTVs Sony announced that its 3D-capable BRAVIA HDTVs are now available for pre-sale at Sony Style stores and that its new integrated Blu-ray 3D devices will hit retail shelves beginning July. Sony now offers consumers the most diverse line of 3D-capable home entertainment products including 19 BRAVIA HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players and theater systems, and audio/video components that offer various levels of performance and features. Focusing on that high quality experience, Sony's 3D-capable BRAVIA HDTVs incorporate a frame sequential display with active-shutter glasses that work together with Sony's proprietary high frame rate technology reproducing smooth, full high-definition 3D images. The line-up includes the 3D-integrated BRAVIA XBR-LX900 HDTV, which features a built-in 3D sync transmitter and two pair of active shutter glasses and the 3D ready BRAVIA XBR- HX909 and KDL-HX800 series 3D ready models which offer the option of adding the 3D sync transmitter and glasses at an additional cost. The line features screen sizes including 40-, 46-, 52-, 55-, and 60-inches and ranges in price from around $2,100 (KDL-40HX800) to about $5,000 (XBR-60LX900). Consumers who purchase and register one of the new 3D BRAVIA models will receive a copy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Blu-ray 3D title “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” as well as Blu-ray 3D title “Deep Sea”. The sets will also include a PlayStation Network voucher enabling 3D BRAVIA purchasers to download stereoscopic 3D gaming experiences on the PlayStation3 system (sold separately). The titles include PAIN (partial game) and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (demo) and full game downloads of WipEout HD and Super StarDust HD. http://www.sony.net/united/3D

PopBox leverages Real D technology to bring 3D cinema experience to HDTVs PopBox announced that in tandem with Real D it will equip all PopBox devices with the ability to display high- definition 3D content. PopBox is the first over-the-top set-top box to support the stereoscopic Real D format for the delivery and display of high-quality 3D content. PopBox will ship 3D-ready at launch, so consumers can enjoy 3D content on all 3D-ready HDTVs. PopBox makes it simple and affordable to play all the movies, music, home videos, and photos from a home PC and network-connected devices, and content streamed from the Internet, on a HDTV. PopBox will be available soon, and is currently available to pre-order at Amazon.com. PopBox retails for $129.99, and PopBox Wireless for $149.99. http://www.popbox.com

Apollo Carmarthen Cinema claims to be Europe’s first all-3D multiplex The Apollo Carmarthen Cinema in South West Wales, which opened its six-screen picture house earlier this spring, says it has become the first all digital 3D-ready multiplex in Europe. The multiplex has Harkness Screens Spectral 240 3D screens in all six theatres. With a total of six screens and a seating capacity of 1,000, the Apollo Carmarthen Cinema features luxury stadium seating and other amenities. Apollo’s Carmarthen multiplex is the ninth of Apollo’s 14 UK sites to introduce digital projection and follows installations in Redditch, Altrincham and Fareham. Since the company switched to digital, it has transformed 27% of its business to 3D. http://www.apollocinemas.com

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Sony developing 3D screen-sharing technology for two players Sony recently published patents which will allow two-player 3D gaming on a single screen. Current stereoscopic technology uses shuttered glasses to allow your left and right eye to see subsequent frames of the images on a TV or monitor. Sony's method would allow player one to see frames one and three whilst player two would see frames two and four. Current technology requires a display with a 120 Hz refresh rate so it seems likely that we'll have to wait for 240Hz screen technology to become commonplace before two-player 3D becomes a reality. Current single screen two player games use a split screen view which means that you can always see what your opponent is up to. The new technology could, of course, be used for dual-player 2D games where the shuttered glasses simply shut off every second frame to both eyes making it possible for players to sneak around in secret and shoot each other in the head from point-blank range undetected.

Stereoscopic screen sharing method and apparatus: Apparatus, systems and methods of providing respective video signals to at least two viewers using a common display are disclosed. An image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene are alternately displayed with the display. A first shuttered filter is synchronized to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed and a second shuttered filter is synchronized to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images. In addition, display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display is synchronized with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20100177174.pdf

3D shutter glasses with mode switching based on orientation to display device A shuttered filter apparatus comprises a frame, one or more shuttered filters attached to the frame, and a tracker attached to the frame. Each shuttered filter is configured to selectively prevent a viewer from seeing through the filter in response to a signal from a controller. The tracker is configured to sense an orientation of the one or more shuttered filters relative to a video screen. The controller may use a signal from the tracker indicative of an orientation of the shutter filter(s) relative to enable shuttering when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the video screen and disable shuttering when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing away from the video screen. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20100177172.pdf

Sony PS3 games go 3D In April, Sony released a software update for the PS3 so it can start playing 3D videogames. Starting June when Sony’s 3D televisions went on sale in Japan, the first four 3D titles for the PS3 will be available for download from the PlayStation Store. The games will only be available in Japan at first with the US and other markets expected to follow shortly. The four titles – “Mr. Pain,” “Star Strike HD,” “WipEout HD” and “MotorStorm2” – are existing games converted into 3D, not original 3D titles. The games range in price from 800 yen ($8.75) to 1,800 yen ($19.75). “MotorStorm2” will be a trial version and it will be free. More 3D titles are sure to follow soon since the conversion of existing titles is not that difficult and this is one way Sony can differentiate itself from Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.’s Wii. The PS3 is slated to get another software update so it can also play 3D Blu-ray films without the need for another machine.

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Existing PlayStation games from Sony already support 3D and Move Sony would love nothing more than to have you waving your glowing, ball-tipped controller while wearing glasses in front of your brand new 3D Sony television. While both technologies will require an investment above and beyond the system you already own, the software side of the effort is doing exactly what it needs to do to get you ready to buy: making sure that you already own games that support each option before you buy either one.

Fans of the Sucker Punch-developed Sly Cooper series have much to celebrate. The trilogy of games is coming to the PlayStation 3 in one package, for only $40. The games will feature updated, high-resolution graphics, and if you're lucky enough to already own a 3D television you'll be able to enjoy the games in 3D as well. Just to drive the point home, the package will include mini-games that use the PlayStation Move. If you don't have a 3D TV or the Move hardware, the three full games still justify the cost, and then the extra content will already be there in your home, waiting for you to upgrade.

The Sly Collection isn't the only game that will use this strategy: Killzone 3 will launch not only supporting 3D but Move support as well. The Gold version of Resident Evil 5 will also be playable with the PlayStation Move, and the team behind Heavy Rain stopped working on their own DLC in order to bring motion controls to the game. SOCOM 4 will of course work with standard controllers, but it will also support the PlayStation Move. For many of these games, 3D support is a patch away. PlayStation owners will be buying games that are ready for the Move and 3D support even before you buy either of the technologies. In fact, it may get to the point where you have multiple games with Move-related content by Christmas, which would make purchasing the hardware a simple thing to justify. http://us.playstation.com

iZ3D drivers power 3D gaming on Zalman monitors iZ3D announced a new relationship with Zalman, Inc. The goal of the liaison is to provide Zalman display customers with the very best in 3D gaming visualization. The iZ3D Drivers are now being included in all new Zalman 3D monitors. The Zalman 3D format has been implemented into the iZ3D Driver v. 1.10 Final. This version of the driver is included in all new Zalman 3D monitor sales. http://ww.zalman.com http://www.iz3d.com

George Themelis shares pictorial report from NSA 2010 Convention George Themelis has uploaded the full list of his reports along with side-by-side 3D photos providing his impressions of the recently concluded NSA 2010 Convention in Huron, Ohio. Lots of stereoscopic fun! http://www.ohio3d.com/DrTs-NSA2010-Diary.htm

Side-by-side stereoscopic view of the long staircase inside Marblehead, looking up – from the NSA 2010 Convention

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Lenovo goes 3D with the IdeaPad notebook Lenovo launched the IdeaPad Y560d as their first 3D laptop. It features a 3D display unique for multimedia, and comes with software and one pair of glasses. The 15.6-inch laptop comes complete with SSD and HDD solutions, Windows 7 Lenovo Enhanced Experience and some special performance tweaks for Blu- ray and video cards. Lenovo is calling the technology TriDef 3-D technology, which has the ability to turn 2D videos and photos into a 3D experience. Although this is a consumer- based technology, it’s got some serious potential in the working world as far as helping people visualize things more realistically. Something like this 3D mobile tech (which is reasonably priced) could be applied to the medical field. 2D X-rays and CAT scan images could be shown in a more realistic 3D, and even VARs working with businesses who need to show a visualization of a network or a new data center structure could potentially use this technology to sell the product. It is priced at $1,199.99.

MSI and ASUS show off 3D PCs at Computex The growing 3D trend has spread from cinemas to TVs and now to computers, with PC makers including MSI and Asus showing off systems at Taiwan's Computex show that can play back 3D movies, games and Internet content. The PCs are home entertainment systems and come with 3D screens, glasses and high-quality speakers, the companies said. Some PCs also include software to convert 2D content to 3D, and HDMI 1.4 ports to play back 3D content on TVs. A few 3D PCs are already available, but the adoption has been slow because of cost and lack of interest. The 3D technology is now being built into laptops with larger screens and new form factors such as all-in- one PCs to drum up renewed interest.

 MSI showed off the Wind Top AE2420 3D, an all-in-one 3D PC that comes with a 24-inch multi-touch screen, the company said. It comes with 3D glasses developed by the company, and software included can convert 2D content – ranging from DVD movies to on-screen images – into 3D. The Wind Top includes Intel's latest Core series of processors and Advanced Micro Devices’ ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics processors, according to MSI. Asus showed the EeeTop PC ET 24-inch, another all-in- one 3D desktop designed to replace home theater systems. The desktop will come with USB 3.0 connectivity, which will allow for fast data transfers between PC and external devices. That should make it faster to move 3D content from external hard drives to PCs. The company also said it would offer its fastest Blu-ray writer that will instantly convert 2D movies in the 720p resolution to 3D. Pricing and specifications for the Asus PC were not immediately available. Asus also announced 3D laptops with Nvidia's graphics cards. The laptops include the G73Jw laptop, which includes a 17.3-inch screen and the G53 laptop, which comes with a 15.6-inch screen and includes an HDMI 1.4 port to display 3D content on TV sets.

Toshiba launches 3D-ready laptop Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., announced the introduction of its first 3D-ready laptop for the U.S. market. The Satellite A665 3D Edition laptop features a 15.6-inch diagonal TruBrite wide-screen LCD display with LED backlighting and a 120Hz refresh rate. Nvidia 3D Vision software and hardware technologies drive the stereoscopic 3D experience, delivering out-of-the-box compatibility with hundreds of PC games, as well as videos and photos. Equipped with a rewriteable Blu-ray Disc drive, the A665 is also ready to support content playback in the Blu-ray 3D format as it becomes available in the marketplace. The Nvidia 3D Vision kit, which comes standard with the Satellite A665, includes software, a pair of wireless active shutter glasses and an emitter. The Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Edition laptop has a starting price of $1,599.99. http://www.toshibadirect.com

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iBuypower intros 3D gaming PCs Gaming PC maker iBuypower introduced its first 3D gaming notebook along with two new desktop systems. The Battalion 101notebook features Nvidia's new GTX 460 graphics card; uses an Intel Core i5-520M mobile processor; and has 4GB of DDR3 memory, a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive, and Nvidia's 3D vision kit. Base cost is $1,749. The desktop models are the Paladin E370 and the F860. These are also equipped with Nvidia GTX 460 card and are 3D ready. They have a 700-watt power supply. The E370 is powered by an Intel Core i5 750 processor with an MSI P55- SD450 chipset. It has 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard drive and a dual-format/double-layer DVD burner. Starting price is $834. The F860 steps up to an Intel Core i7 930 processor with an Asus PP6T SE chipset. It has 6GB of DDR3 memory, a combo Blu-ray/DVD drive, a 1TB hard drive and an $1,849 starting price. http://www.ibuypower.com

Fujitsu unveils a 3D all-in-one PC Fujitsu has unveiled a 3D all-in-one PC. The PC will be launched before the end of 2010, but will be available only in Japan. The all-in-one PC will have a 3D LCD display screen, dual 3D cameras and dedicated passive 3D glasses. As Fujitsu is opting for cheaper 3D technology with polarized glasses, the company will be rolling it out for the mass market in Asia. The PC will be able to shoot 3D videos and images using the dual cameras. Fujitsu said it will also develop software so users can 3D chat using Windows Live Messenger. http://www.fujitsu.com

Khronos drives cross-platform 3D graphics with release of OpenGL 4.1 specification The Khronos Group announced the release of the OpenGL 4.1 specification, bringing the very latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface). OpenGL 4.1 is the sixth update to OpenGL specification in two years, continuing the rapid evolution of this royalty-free specification. This new version continues to maintain full backwards compatibility to enable developers to begin using new features whenever they choose, while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms. The OpenGL 4.1 specification has been defined by the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group at Khronos, and includes the GLSL 4.10 update to the OpenGL Shading language and is accompanied by a number of extensions introducing cutting-edge functionality to the OpenGL standard. The full specification is available for immediate download at http://www.opengl.org/registry http://www.khronos.org

AMD unlocks 3D Internet potential with OpenGL ES 2.0 driver AMD announced availability of the first software driver for desktop computing environments to support the WebGL industry standard, which is designed to bring plugin-free 3D graphics to the Internet. The AMD OpenGL ES 2.0 driver is intended to help developers easily create exciting 3D content that can be rendered more quickly for consumers using open-source web browsers, thereby helping create an application-like browser experience. In addition to enabling 3D and application-like experiences on the web, AMD’s new driver empowers software developers to use desktop PCs and workstations powered by AMD graphics, as opposed to embedded systems, when creating applications based on OpenGL ES 2.0 for smart phones, tablets, and other portable devices. And a common OpenGL ES programming environment makes it easier for developers to port software applications between PCs and handhelds, bringing a seamless computing experience, regardless of device, within our grasp. The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver from AMD will be generally available with the upcoming ATI Catalyst 10.7 beta for OpenGL ES 2.0, expected to be available later today. The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver will be supported on all currently available AMD graphics products introduced since 2008, including ATI Radeon desktop graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon graphics, and ATI FirePro professional graphics cards. http://www.amd.com

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Laser Light Engines says laser technologies enhance capabilities of 3D projectors Building a case for its technologies, Laser Light Engines says that through the use of laser lighting, video projectors could someday produce as much as five times the amount of light as a traditional bulb-based projector to better illuminate the sometimes murky 3D movie experience. Over the past 18 months, starting with the debut of Luminus’ PhlatLight LED technologies at 2009 CES, the consumer electronics industry has shown increasing interest in moving into the next generation of projector light engines. The case for laser-based lighting is similar to the advantages offered by LED lighting in that both technologies eliminate the need to replace bulbs through longer life spans and energy efficiency, requiring half the power of traditional bulbs. The technologies used by Laser Light Engines were first developed for military purposes. But as the technology matures, its lighting capabilities could be used to enhance the greyscale and contrast capabilities of 3D projectors, which currently suffer from image problems due to the demands of displaying 3D content. http://www.laserlightengines.com

IMAX invests in Laser Light Engines IMAX signed an agreement to invest in Laser Light Engines, who is developing technology that would allow IMAX to convert all its large format theaters from 70mm film to digital projection and significantly increase the brightness of all 3D movies. One of the most daunting challenges of any 3D program in any theater is the reduction of brightness caused by the polarizing switch at the projector so that each eye only sees half of the two combined images, which is then reduced another 50% by the glasses that only allow each eye to see an image half the time. Further reducing the brightness is the dark lenses of the glasses. Bill Beck, co-founder and executive VP of business development of the Salem, N.H.-based LLE, says that depending on the 3D system — Real D, XpanD, Dolby, or MasterImage – brightness is reduced from 60% – 85%. That problem is exacerbated in the large format IMAX theaters (the original biggest of the IMAX screens), where the screens are so massive that no traditional lamp-based digital projector can provide sufficient light for a 3D movie. Beck says LLE technology, beaming the light with a laser that does not even have to be in the projector itself, will allow the option for those venues and future large format venues to use a single projector and achieve even greater brightness. http://www.imax.com

Disney and IMAX sign three-picture 3D deal The Walt Disney Company will release three 3D movies to IMAX Corp theaters in 2011, including the next Pirates of the Caribbean film. Chuck Viane, president of distribution for Disney, said in a statement that the recent performance of the studio's movies in IMAX theaters has “demonstrated that the combination of IMAX and Disney resonates with moviegoers worldwide.” The movies covered under the new agreement are Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz; the animated Mars Needs Moms with voice work from Seth Green and John Cusack; and the Disney/Pixar cartoon Cars 2. IMAX has emerged as a major player in 3D exhibition, taking advantage of an audience appetite for a more in-depth visual experience that has helped drive box office growth. Toy Story 3, Disney's latest 3D release from its Pixar animation division, played in more than 4,000 theaters in the United States and Canada during its opening weekend. Of those, 180 were IMAX theaters, which contributed $8.4 million to the film's overall gross of $110 million. http://www.imax.com

Turner to take NASCAR 3D Turner Broadcasting joined the race among networks to broadcast sports in the emerging 3D format in the home. The programmer delivered a 3D prime-time feed of a NASCAR event on July 3. The Turner TV feed was available to subscribers of DirecTV, who also own one of the new 3D sets and accompanying glasses. Turner did not offer commercials in the 3D stream. Jay Abraham, COO of the NASCAR Media Group, said “fans had been asking us about 3D for several months” and the 3D-cast “will likely change how NASCAR is consumed moving forward.” http://www.turner.com

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Eutelsat, Eurosport deliver French Open in 3D European satellite operator Eutelsat provided capacity to sports programmer Eurosport for a dedicated 3D signal that delivered live 3D coverage of the French Open tennis championship in Paris to Panasonic sets in retail outlets across Europe. The 3D signals, which began on May 23 and ran to June 6 through the men's and women's finals, were transmitted to Eutelsat’s “HOT BIRD 6” satellite at 13 degrees East. As part of the sponsored “Panasonic 3D Experience,” they were received at thousands of retail outlets and business clients in 28 countries across Europe and displayed on Panasonic Viera VT20 3D Plasma TVs. http://www.panasonic-broadcast.com

Over 100,000 Indian cricket fans see first ever live 3D event Sigma Designs, a provider of system-on-chip (SoC) solutions used to deliver entertainment and control throughout the home, announced that over 100,000 Indian Premiere League (IPL) Cricket fans in India swarmed to 3DTV- enabled movie theaters to watch live Cricket Semi-finals and final broadcasts that were processed by Sigma Designs SMP 8634 chipsets. Valuable Group brought the first-ever live 3D sports broadcast in India on their “moviebeam” platform. The last four matches of the recently concluded Indian Premier League were beamed live via satellite, directly to movie theaters and public venues, played on the moviebeam HD media device based on the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset. http://www.sigmadesigns.com

DIRECTV, Major League Baseball and FOX Sports deliver 3D broadcast of the 2010 All-Star Game DIRECTV, Major League Baseball and FOX Sports, continuing to lead the industry in sports programming innovation, will offer the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in 3D exclusively on DIRECTV's new 3D channel, n3D powered by Panasonic (Channel 103). The telecast of the mid-summer classic from Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California made sports TV history as the first national broadcast of an MLB game in 3D. The 3D broadcast required a separate FOX Sports production crew using nine cameras to cover the game, offering viewers camera angles not normally seen in a regular 2D broadcast. http://www.directv.com/3D

3D telecasts to form part of Japan 2022 FIFA World Cup bid As part of Japan’s 2022 bid for the hosting of the popular FIFA World Cup tournament, they have added live 3D telecasts of matches, allowing Japanese fans to watch real matches in full 3D form, rather than through the eyes of a single camera. What they plan to do is install 200 mounted cameras at various points aimed at the pitch, to record as many possible angles to help generate the 360 degree 3D image. Also, they plan to embed many microphones in various points on the field to capture the sound of the ball being kicked, grunts, etc. To power such a thing, they are going the eco-friendly way by generating electricity from spectators cheering and stamping their feet, as well as from solar panels on the roof of the stadium. The final output would be a 3D match that can either be displayed on huge screens or even projected onto other football fields so fans get a realistic sense of the game without having to visit the real match stadiums.

Ziggo and Sony team to air a debate in 3D Ziggo, a Dutch cabler operator, and Sony teamed together in June to provide the first live program in 3D for mass consumption within The Netherlands. The program chosen for this “first” for Dutch television was a political debate. Paradiso, a well-known public venue in Amsterdam, played host to competing candidates of the major political parties in a final debate before the Dutch General Election. Sony 3D cameras and other equipment were used for the production. Both Sony and Ziggo claim this is the first time that a major political debate was aired live in 3D. Sony used the event to showcase its upcoming line of 3D-enabled HDTV sets. The program was produced by pubcaster BNN, which also provided an SD simulcast of the debate. According to Ziggo, the cabler will start up a 3D demo channel this summer – and begin adding 3D movies to its VOD service. https://www.ziggo.nl

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Fusion-io introduces new memory technology to support stereoscopic 3D film production Stereoscopic 3D film production requires frequent reviews of real-time, full quality playback with double the throughput of regular movies, putting immense stress on current film pipelines and often crippling studios’ production pipelines. With Fusion-io’s new tier of high speed persistent memory, studios can now play back and write data at the same time, meaning artists can start review sessions of their work as soon as they have enough shots copied. Fusion-io technology also makes it possible for directors and artists to conduct mini-reviews between major sessions, ensuring that creative teams don’t sit idle while waiting for feedback on their progress. Previously, this time-consuming process forced artists to transfer data and review among multiple workstations. Before the advent of Fusion’s ioMemory technology, this process could cost studios several weeks of production time. By significantly speeding workflow and review sessions, Fusion-io eliminates hours of labor needed to sequence data for playback and defragmenting hard drives, while completely eliminating the risk posed by RAID crashes and data recovery. In addition, the implementation of ioMemory technology is much more simple and streamlined than the alternative of adding RAID arrays. Studios can now eliminate this cumbersome legacy infrastructure, and instead deploy Fusion’s easily implemented and monitored solution to significantly reduce IT overhead, improve data security and accelerate production. With ioMemory technology, the power of a high-performance SAN can be realized in every production workstation. http://www.fusionio.com

Cineworld converting 50% of screens to 3D Cineworld is extending its lead in 3D digital in the UK. About half of the UK exhibitor’s screens will be 3D within three years. At present 33% of its 790 screens are digital. Cineworld has just announced a £30 million ($44 million) initiative with technology company Arts Alliance Media, rolling out across all of its 77 cinemas. AAM will collect virtual print fees from distributors, helping to repay Cineworld’s £40 million total investment. AAM has virtual print-fee agreements in place with five of the Hollywood majors. It services VPF arrangements with 7,500 screens in Europe. The company operates the UK Film Council Digital Screen Network, so it has installed and maintains screens for nearly every UK exhibitor – multiplexes and independents alike. The technology company also has a deal with UK operator Reel Cinemas to digitise all 60 of its screens. http://www.cineworld.co.uk

SENSIO and GEO expand SENSIO 3D footprint in broadcast and media equipment SENSIO Technologies announced that GEO Semiconductor has licensed the SENSIO 3D IP Core for integration into the GEO Realta sxT2 (T2) chip used worldwide by manufacturers of leading broadcast and media systems. Building on SENSIO’s 3D expertise and the unmatched quality of the company’s 3D encoding format, GEO Semiconductor is extending the flexibility, value, and performance of its acclaimed T2 chip within the 3D space. The Realta is an advanced video and geometry processing IC that deploys a massively parallel array of SIMD processors to implement video processing algorithms at 1080p resolutions in software. http://www.sensio.tv

TDVision claims its 3DTV technique conserves bandwidth TDVision Systems claims it has a way to deliver 3D in full high-resolution format – without needing twice the bandwidth. The firm is pitching its “2D+Delta” encoding technology, which delivers one full HD signal along with a subset of information for the second eye. That “delta” includes only the differences between the left-and-right-eye images, allowing two full-HD streams to be reconstituted on a compatible 3DTV. Initially, cable and satellite-TV operators are delivering 3DTV in so-called frame-compatible format, which squeezes left-and- right-eye views into one screen. While that has the advantage of working with existing set-tops and transmission equipment, the approach amounts to “just mercilessly ripping out half the pixels and throwing them away,” said Ethan Schur, TDVision’s head of marketing. According to Schur, a frame-compatible 3DTV broadcast requires roughly 115% of the bandwidth for a regular 2D channel, to account for some overhead, while delivering only half the resolution of 1080i HD. Using TDVision’s 2D+Delta encoding, a “full-resolution” 3D stream would need about 145% the bandwidth of its 2D counterpart. TDVision is planning to license its technology to video-encoder makers and other equipment vendors through Italy’s Sisvel, which handles licensing for patents associated with international standards. Its first partner on this front is Magnum Semiconductor, which plans to embed the 2D+Delta codec into its video-compression chip sets. http://www.tdvision.com

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Avatar returns on August 27 – only in 3D The only way to see Avatar again in 3D before November (when the 3D Blu-ray will be released) will be a return limited two-week theatrical re-release exclusively in about 400 3D theaters, including at least dozens of IMAX screens, beginning August 27. That will also be your first chance to see eight minutes of additional footage featuring new creatures and action scenes, all in 3D, bringing the already lengthy movie even closer to a full three- hours at about 170 -minutes. The 3D Blu-ray version of Avatar from Fox and Panasonic is being planned for release in November but only with the purchase of Panasonic 3D equipment. A general retail release of Avatar in 3D Blu-ray was not expected until 2011, but that could change given the negative backlash surrounding the original report of the strategy. The 2D version released on Blu-ray with no bonus features quickly became the all-time top- selling Blu-ray disc title. http://www.avatarmovie.com

DIRECTV and Panasonic launch nation’s first suite of 3D channels DIRECTV and Panasonic launched three 3D channels, including n3D powered by Panasonic - a linear channel dedicated exclusively to 3D programming and viewable on 3D television sets including Panasonic’s line of VIERA Full HD 3D TVs. n3D is now available at no additional cost to millions of DIRECTV HD customers on channel 103. Throughout the month of July, n3D customers will have access to exclusive, original 3D programming such as Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane's Addiction, as well as additional titles such as “Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia”, “Wild Safari: A South African Adventure”, “N Wave Picture’s S.O.S Planet”, “African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango”, and “Encounter in the Third Dimension”. In addition to n3D, DIRECTV is also launching DIRECTV Cinema(TM) in 3D on channel 104, which is currently offering IMAX titles “Deep Sea 3D” and “Under the Sea 3D”, and n3D On Demand on channel 105, which is currently delivering replays of ESPN’s 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches. DIRECTV also launched ESPN 3D on channel 106 on June 11. http://www.panasonic.com/3D

Korea chooses MasterImage 3D 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. 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. http://masterimage3d.com

Kerner Group restructures; adds 3D production services Award-winning physical visual effects company The Kerner Group (originally Kerner Optical and Kerner Studios) has undergone a major restructuring to add 3D production services and several key executives from ILM and other industry leaders. The Kerner Group was acquired last year by British entrepreneur Eric Edmeades, who is now CEO and majority owner. Edmeades co-founded Bristol, England-based mobile computing and wireless networking firm The ITR Group, where he was Managing Director for nine years before the company was sold to private buyers in 2006. Since 2006, the Kerner team has been developing camera, camera rig, and optical technologies for 3D technologies, such as Kernercam 3D capture systems, beam-splitter rigs of varying sizes, available for broadcast or cinematic applications. The restructured company now offers special effects, emerging 3D technologies and production services, model creation, and a variety of problem solving, applied research and prototyping services. http://www.kerner.com

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Panasonic Electric Works brings out new 3D image sensor Panasonic Electric Works announced the release of its new time-of-flight 3D image sensor, the “D-IMager”. It is ideally suited for markets like out-of-home entertainment, immersive multi-media, interactive digital signage and video arcade games. It also has potential for movement based industrial machines and security markets using shape or anti-tailgating detection. Panasonic's D-IMager enables precise motion capture of spatial objects with wide field-of-view by processing high precision (pixel by pixel) data. The D-IMager has a robust and attractive design to blend nicely with TV displays and is capable of resolving 160x120 pixels (20 or 30 frames per second). It is available with a USB2.0 interface with future models already in development. http://panasonic-electric-works.net/

Panasonic unveils the “world's first” 3D consumer camcorder Panasonic announced the launch of the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, the world's first consumer 3D camcorder, which includes a 3D conversion lens that enables the camcorder to shoot powerful and true-to-life 3D video content. In addition to shooting 3D, the SDT750 can record full 1080p High Definition (HD) in AVCHD, when the 3D conversion lens is unattached, and includes powerful features such as a 3MOS system, a Leica Dicomar lens and a 12x optical zoom. To shoot 3D video with the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 camcorder, the user needs to attach the 3D conversion lens that comes included, to record dynamic images. The specially-designed 3D conversion lens records right-eye and left-eye images simultaneously through its two lenses, thus resulting in video that can be viewed in 3D. The right and left images (each with 960 x 1080 pixels) that enter through the lenses are recorded using the side-by-side method. The high-sensitivity 3MOS System has 7.59 million effective motion image pixels (2.53 megapixels x 3), so this advanced image sensor separates the light received through the lens into the three primary colors - red, green and blue - and processes each color independently. As a result, the Panasonic SDT750 produces beautiful images with rich color quality, detail and gradation. Users can play back 3D videos recorded on the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 on 3D- capable televisions, such as Panasonic VIERA Full HD 3D televisions, including the TC-P50VT25, TC-P54VT25, TC-P58VT25, TC-P65VT25 and the TC-P50VT20 models. Playback using a VIERA TV is done by connecting the 3D camcorder to the television using an HDMI cable. In addition, it is also possible to play 3D images recorded on SD Memory Cards by using an AVCHD compatible player, such as a Panasonic 3D Blu-ray Disc player – the DMP-BDT350 or DMP-BDT300 models are currently available. http://www.panasonic.com/pressroom

Hammacher Schlemmer launches “world’s first” 3D camcorder Hammacher Schlemmer recently unveiled the first 3D video camcorder available. The camcorder has two lenses which work in unison with its 3-megapixel image sensor to record slightly differing images. They are then interlaced to create a 3D video. Videos are recorded in 640x480 pixel resolution as AVI files. A 4 GB SD card (sold separately) stores up to four hours of video or 2,000 3D still images. The camcorder features a 31/4" TFT display and shows content in 3D with no glasses required. Hammacher's website states that “movies can be viewed on the included media player's 7-inch screen because it is overlaid with a parallax barrier that displays video in 3D without the need for 3D glasses.” However, to view on the media player, content has to be transferred to the player via SD card. The camcorder can also shoot standard 2D movies and pictures. Hammacher's 3D Video Camcorder has an MSRP of $599.95 and comes with a USB cable for copying content onto a computer. http://www.hammacher-schlemmer.com

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Sony introduces world’s smallest 3D digital still cameras Sony unveiled two new Cyber-shot digital still cameras (models DSC-TX9 and DSC-WX5) that are the world’s smallest 3D cameras, capturing 3D images with a single lens system using a sweeping motion. Both models offer a 3D Sweep Panorama feature, which lets you take panoramic pictures in one press-and-sweep motion. The high- speed burst of frames is stitched together using innovative processing techniques to automatically create detail- packed 3D panoramas. These images can be enjoyed in 2D or stunning 3D on compatible 3D televisions (3D- compatible HDMI cables and 3D glasses are also required and are sold separately).

The DSC-TX9, which has a 3.5-inch 921k resolution LCD touchscreen, and the DSC-WX5, which has a 2.8-inch LCD screen, also let you view images in a whole new way. Unlike 3D Sweep Panorama mode, which lets you view your 3D images on compatible 3D television systems, Sweep Multi Angle lets you view images moving in simulated 3D right on the cameras’ LCD screen by tilting the camera back and forth. This new shooting feature captures 15 images at different angles and then compiles them into one photo, creating a 3D-like effect on the display. In addition to Sweep Multi Angle, the 12.2 megapixel TX9 and WX5 models offer new features including Background Defocus, which simulates depth of field control and Superior Auto mode, which provides low image- noise levels previously only available from DSLR cameras. The TX9 will be available for about $400 in (dark gray and red). The WX5 will be available for about $300 in (silver and black). http://news.sel.sony.com

TowerJazz CIS technology selected by Canesta for consumer 3D image sensors TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry company, announced that Canesta Inc. is using TowerJazz’s CMOS image sensor (CIS) technology to manufacture its CanestaVision 3D image sensors. CanestaVision chips are the industry's world’s first single-chip CMOS 3D image sensor system on a chip (SoC) for use in consumer desktop computing, TV and entertainment applications. Next-generation consumer 3D image sensors designed to enable a device to understand and interact with its environment will fuel the image sensor market. According to iSuppli, the CMOS image sensor market was $7.3 billion in 2007. It is expected to grow to $9.7 billion in 2012. 3D image sensors enable consumers to interact with devices in natural ways and are expected to be widely deployed in a variety of markets including PC, consumer electronics and entertainment as well as many industry applications. New mechanisms in which a user’s actions or gestures drive the functions of a device have been proven by the success of recent video game and mobile phone products. http://www.canesta.com http://www.towerjazz.com

4DDynamics launches 3D scanner – the PicoScan 4DDynamics introduced a new 3E gadget, The PicoScan. PicoScan is a compact, easy to use, practical, ‘Gadget like’ scanner that produces quality 3D data, based on the professional Mephisto 3D scan engine. A standard Canon DSLR camera combined with a Pico projector on top, will be controlled by the scan engine and creates 3D data when it comes 'alive' if hooked up to a laptop. 3DDynamics, the mother-company of 4DDynamics, based in Belgium, spent the last 7 years developing high-end 3D scanners going from micro scanners to full body-scanners. Now it is devoted to bringing 3D scanning to a larger audience, giving every 3D or Photography enthusiast the opportunity to experiment or work with 3d. http://www.picoscan.eu

PureDepth announces new patent for multi-view displays PureDepth announced that the United States has allowed another of the company's application patents. The newly allowed patent has a wide array of potential applications in areas including in-car navigation and entertainment systems, gaming, security and public information displays. For example, this technology could be used in a car's dashboard to display navigation information to the driver while showing movies or other entertainment content to the passenger, an application multiple car companies have already begun using or announced plans to use. The technology could also be used for ATM machines so that a person directly in front of the machine can see the data on screen, while a person standing off to the side can view promotional video. The patent, which is the latest addition to PureDepth's international intellectual property portfolio of more than 150 patents allowed, granted and in application, covers a variety of displays, including single-layer displays and MLDs. PureDepth's MLD technology offers 3-D-like imagery without the need for special glasses. http://www.puredepth.com

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CyberLink Releases PowerDVD 10 ULTRA 3D Mark II to Enable Blu-ray 3D on PCs CyberLink announced its release of PowerDVD 10 ULTRA 3D Mark II to the retail and online market that enables Blu-ray 3D movie playback on desktop, notebook and All-in-One PCs. PowerDVD is the first software player to receive Blu-ray 3D certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association. Optimized with CPU and GPU hardware acceleration, PowerDVD delivers two 1080p frames to create a flawless and smooth high definition 3D video effect to the display. Now PowerDVD 10 Mark II comes with Enhanced TrueTheater 3D for converting existing 2D DVD titles and 2D videos into a 3D movie experience. Enhanced TrueTheater 3D gives users a significant increase in sharpness, picture clarity and 3D depth while reducing artifact and motion-blurriness, allowing consumers to upgrade all media experience to 3D immediately. PowerDVD 10 Mark II release also features TrueTheater 3D for videos. This lets consumers to watch video files in lifelike 3D effect. For those with a collection of DVD titles, TrueTheater 3D also converts video discs to a 3D movie experience. http://www.cyberlink.com

CyberLink announces upgraded “BD & 3D Advisor” for free download CyberLink announced the release of CyberLink BD & 3D Advisor for free download, helping users verify whether their computer is capable of enjoying the amazing Blu-ray Disc 3D experience. The newly-upgraded BD & 3D Advisor is designed for diagnosis of computers in terms of capability to play Blu-ray Discs, Blu-ray 3D Discs and 3D video contents. http://www.cyberlink.com/stat/bd-support/enu/index.jsp

CyberLink bundles its PowerDVD 3D with NEC’s 3D all-in-one PC CyberLink Corp. announced its 3D software player, PowerDVD 3D has been adopted to NEC’s 3D all-in-one desktop PC. The all-in-one PC, VALUESTAR N VN790/BS, comes with polarized LCD technology to display 3D video content. PowerDVD 3D is the first software player to receive Blu-ray 3D certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association. Optimized with CPU and GPU hardware acceleration, PowerDVD 3D delivers two 1080p frames to create a flawless and smooth high definition 3D video effect to the display. PowerDVD 3D also features TrueTheater 3D to convert existing 2D DVD titles and 2D videos into a 3D movie experience, allowing consumers to enjoy 3D immediately. http://www.cyberlink.com/3dzone

CyberLink PowerDVD 3D together with Media Suite chosen by Buffalo for optical drives CyberLink Corp. has partnered with Buffalo Inc. to bundle CyberLink PowerDVD 3D and CyberLink Media Suite with Buffalo’s new Blu-ray and DVD optical drives offering a complete series of software for enjoying the latest Blu-ray 3D movies; creating movies and backing up data on Blu-ray and DVD discs. CyberLink PowerDVD 3D is the first software player to receive Blu-ray 3D certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association. Optimized with CPU and GPU hardware acceleration, PowerDVD 3D delivers two 1080p frames to create a flawless and smooth high definition 3D video effect to the display. PowerDVD 3D also features TrueTheater 3D to convert existing 2D DVD titles and 2D videos into a 3D movie experience, allowing consumers to enjoy 3D immediately. CyberLink Media Suite includes the following applications other digital media needs: PowerDirector for HD videos editing; MediaShow for speedy photos and videos organizing; PowerProducer for Blu-ray and DVD discs authoring; Power2Go for secure burning to Blu-ray Discs and DVDs; PowerBackup for archiving application data and files to discs; InstantBurn for using a Blu-ray Disc or DVD as a secondary hard disk-like storage device. CyberLink Media Suite also allows users to access to two online communities: DirectorZone.com, for downloading thousands of free resources for video projects, for illustrating movie-making techniques, and for sharing customized effects and templates with other PowerDirector users; and MoovieLive.com, for sharing movie information online, including movie ratings, reviews, and Movie Remixes created by PowerDVD. CyberLink has recently announced the 3D Zone to provide a clear and concise guide to consumers about 3D videos, Blu-ray 3D and how to set up 3D entertainment on PCs. http://www.cyberlink.com/3dzone

Atlona offers huge array of 3D connectivity/interface solutions Atlona recently opened a specialty showcase of 3D-related connectivity and interface products, primarily related HDMI extenders, switches, and cables. http://www.atlona.com/3d

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Gefen expands support for 3DTV Gefen announced the availability of its new product line, Gefen ToolBox. The mix of products include a selection of audio/video matrixes, switchers, splitters, and extenders, which are small in size, easily transported and can be wall-mounted. All products support audio/video systems using HDMI v1.4a connectivity including 3DTV pass- through, and are equipped with a locking HDMI connector to eliminate cable disconnects. http://www.gefen.com

IDT develops Embedded DisplayPort-based 3D timing controller for notebook panels Integrated Device Technology announced the development of the industry’s first embedded DisplayPort-based timing controller (TCON) to support 3D resolution in notebooks that use an LCD. The new IDT eDP 3D TCON brings the 3D viewing experience into the portable realm, allowing gamers and video enthusiasts to enjoy the 3D experience on the go. http://www.IDT.com

Adobe’s Flash Player has a 3D future Flash engineers are starting to work on a method to make Flash work in 3D. Adobe has made no official announcement of its cunning plans. However Sebastian Marketsmueller, an Adobe Flash Player engineer, apparently will be giving a talk for web and apps developers on the subject of 3D Flash APIs. Apparently he will do all this using Actionscript and a specially crafted version of Flash Player. Marketsmueller will unveil exciting new APIs and demos never shown before, including some exclusive content you cannot miss as a Flash Platform developer. He will be speaking on October 27 just before lunch, according to this schedule: http://max.adobe.com/schedule/by-session/

Adobe outsources 3D PDF support to TechSoft 3D Adobe’s long-term partner Tech Soft 3D announced it is taking over responsibilities to develop and deliver Adobe's 3D technologies that are currently in the Acrobat 9 Pro Extended product. In 2009, Adobe conducted an in-depth evaluation of how the company’s product lines were helping to meet business goals for 2010 and beyond. As part of this review, when they looked at the 3D capabilities in their products for technical professionals and organizations, they determined they needed to focus on what they do best. That is, to provide the strongest, broadest platform technologies on which their partner ecosystem can build vertical-specific solutions for customers, and find vertical-focused partners that can best provide the 3D technology to the market. Ultimately, they determined they needed to work with a partner who is deeply rooted in the manufacturing segment. To that end, Adobe has signed a long-term contract with Tech Soft 3D in which it will provide the continued development, delivery, sales and support of 3D technologies currently in Acrobat Pro Extended. Tech Soft 3D will have the capability to release updates, bug fixes and enhancements independently of Adobe's product release cycles when new versions of CAD formats like CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, and others are released. And moving forward, Tech Soft 3D plans to make updated CAD translators available to end users as plug-ins to applicable Adobe software for reading and outputting 3D PDF. http://www.adobe.com

Futuremark releases 3DMark 11 benchmarking software Futuremark, the developer of the benchmarking software, announced 3DMark 11, the latest version of their industry standard benchmark for real-time 3D graphics. Designed to measure the performance of DirectX 11 gaming PCs, 3DMark 11 uses a native DirectX 11 engine created in-house. To accompany the announcement Futuremark has released a trailer and screenshots taken from a 3DMark 11 tech demo called “Deep Sea”. Deep Sea is a demonstration of DirectX 11 technologies created using an early development build of the 3DMark 11 engine. The Deep Sea trailer features submersibles exploring the sea floor. Volumetric lighting illuminates the seabed with tessellation used to add rich detail to the rock, coral and manmade structures. Post processing delivers depth of field and other lens effects. The music is an original composition. 3DMark 11 will be released in the third quarter of 2010. 3DMark 11 will join existing Futuremark benchmarks 3DMark Vantage for DirectX 10 and 3DMark06 for DirectX 9. http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmark11/teaser/

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Nvidia demos 3D online streaming With the help of Microsoft, Nvidia has formulated a way to allow 3D streaming online and some of its early product lines are now available. Users will need a specially equipped PC or notebook, proprietary and free software, and special stereoscopic 3D glasses to do it at home. In its latest demo, Nvidia used a 3D Vision-brand PC along with Microsoft's Silverlight player software and streaming technology from IIS. The demo (streaming a 3D music video of “We Are the World” 3D) was designed to prove that enabling 3D live streaming via an Internet browser was simple to use. The new arsenal of resources would include no less than an Nvidia 3D Vision-based desktop or notebook PC, the latest proprietary 3D drivers, the Silverlight browser plug-in from Microsoft, and the prerequisite eyeglasses. As for the 3D content itself, all applicable Web sites would have to use Nvidia’s 3D Vision-based streaming technology. http://www.nvidia.com

TN Games introduces the 3RD Space Trigger for console games TN Games announced a major advance in 3D entertainment: the 3RD Space Trigger, enabling use of the 3RD Space Vest with videogame consoles. Unlike rumble or motorized force feedback devices, 3RD Space delivers actual impact forces to the body, creating a physical 3D experience that makes you an integral part of the action. The 3RD Space Trigger will support Vest functionality for the top action/shooter game titles playable on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 computer entertainment systems and begins shipping in the US on October 30, 2010. Visual technologies use 3D to enhance the perception of depth and the relative positions between objects and viewer. Within a broader context, a three-dimensional relationship also exists between an individual and their environment. These spatial relationships are perceived using all of one’s senses, which each differ in their capacity to provide location-based information. As it is possible to hear the effects of an event occurring beyond our range of vision, the closer we get to the source, a threshold is reached where it begins to be felt. Physical 3D develops those spatially accurate physical cues for the virtual environment that would normally be associated with what is seen happening, giving the user a unique multi-sensory, three-dimensional experience. TN Games has developed a modular system to advance its 3RD Space PC technology to console games. Console use requires three elements: the Trigger, new game driver software, and the Vest. The 3RD Space Trigger is a specialized microcomputer that seamlessly integrates information output to the TV from the game console with the game driver, creating the appropriate Physical 3D controls for the Vest. The Trigger communicates with the 3RD Space Vest either via wired USB or wirelessly. The Vest is a lightweight, wearable, pneumatic peripheral containing eight active contact points that strike the player’s chest and back to generate a diverse range of spatially accurate impact effects. All 3RD Space Vests are compatible across all supported gaming platforms. The Console Kit (Vest with Trigger) can be pre-ordered for $189 at http://www.tngames.com. The 3RD Space Vest is currently available for $139. A wireless communicator for the Vest will also be available and sold separately.

University of Jyväskylä releases BlendELF 3D game engine Samuel Anjam at the University of Jyväskylä has created a new 3D gaming engine he calls “BlendELF” has part of a student project. Supporting skeletal animation, LUA, C++ and .NET API’s, some advanced lighting effects and much more, it runs on both Windows and Linux. He has released this engine under the assumption that it could be useful for other people in making prototypes, games and virtual realities. http://blendelf.com/

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MTBS’ 3D game analyzer launches with 100 games tested in 3D Meant to be Seen (MTBS), the world’s first and only stereoscopic 3D certification and advocacy group with the help of gamers around the world, has launched the MTBS’ 3D Game Analyzer (M3GA). M3GA is a PC video game database that will inform consumers about how to play their favorite game titles on nearly all the available 3D solutions. In PC gaming, there are several stereoscopic 3D solutions that are based on DDD, iZ3D, and Nvidia’s GeForce 3D Vision software drivers. While vendors are proud of compatibility statements as high as 400+ games, these expectations are hard to confirm, they are not publicly defined, and there is little or no consistency between games and driver solutions. Through a website, gamers submit a title by sharing details about the hardware and software they use, and then answer a series of multiple choice questions about the game and how it behaves in stereoscopic 3D. M3GA then takes this information, and creates both a numeric score and a certification grade. The end result is a growing database of games that have been tested on DDD, iZ3D, and Nvidia GeForce 3D Vision drivers complete with recommended game settings, consistent rules and visual expectations, and a customer driven stamp of approval. The software that drives M3GA was written and designed by Neil Schneider, Vadim Krivosheyev, Yuriy Nikshych, and Cris Villalobos. http://www.mtbs3d.com/m3ga.

S-3D Gaming Alliance and top gaming companies join forces on the largest study of what gamers want Leading display manufacturers and game developers are committed to stereoscopic 3D gaming, and a crucial piece of the 3D puzzle is having a firm grasp of what customers want, and which experiences will ultimately sell. The U- Decide Initiative is an industry-wide effort to survey PC and console gamers around the world to find out more about the consumer perspective. The survey opens today and ends October 1, 2010. Once the study ends, a drawing for over 50 great prizes will be held. Respondents could win a Panasonic 3D HDTV, a Zalman FullHD 21.5-inch 3D Monitor, quality gaming headsets by Steelseries, and over 40 PC and console games by Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Blitz Games Studios. The survey is multiple choice and only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Interested gamers should visit S3DGA's consumer arm Meant to be Seen at http://www.mtbs3d.com and select U-Decide from the top menu. While Meant to be Seen registration is required, it is both free and instantaneous.

YDreams and Canesta team up on augmented reality YDreams and Canesta Inc. announced a partnership that has the potential to redefine augmented reality and bring it to the broad market. YDreams has been working on natural user interfaces (NUI) for more than nine years for some of the largest corporations in the world. To do this, the company has developed a sophisticated proprietary software platform, combining multiple advanced technologies such as computer vision, physics simulation, artificial intelligence and several others. Until now augmented reality has delivered limited applications to the general public, mostly offering 3D objects on top of visually obtrusive markers. By using Canesta’s 3D vision sensors, YDreams applications can do real-time capture of any object in 3D, without the aid of any special markers or enhancements. http://www.ydreams.com

University of Massachusetts develops 3D GPU accelerated program Professor Blair Perot at UMass Amherst has developed some 3D programs that are part of the fluid dynamics lab. The Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory is dedicated to the development of practical and generally applicable tools for the prediction of complex and often chaotic fluid flows. Research at the lab is focused on the entire CFD food chain from hardware and software to algorithms and turbulence models. Understanding in detail how the computational, mathematical, and physical problems of CFD interact is the key to designing lasting CFD solutions. One is a 3D fluid program called “PollenSeed”, but all of them make use of GPU acceleration to make them interactive. http://www.ecs.umass.edu/mie/faculty/perot/index.htm

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Nintendo shows off 3D DS Nintendo has introduced the 3D-enabled version of its DS handheld console. The 3DS displays 3D without the need for special glasses, using half of its 3.53-inch, 800x240 display to show the left-eye image and the rest for the right- eye picture, making for a combined 400x240 image. The 3DS' secondary screen is a 3.0-inch 320x240 touchscreen. The device also claims three 0.3-megapixel cameras, one front-facing and two pointing outwards, the latter capable of taking 3D stills – plus 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and a gyro sensor and a motion sensor. Nintendo didn't announced 3DS- specific versions of the Mario Kart, Nintendogs and StarFox 64 franchises, plus Kid Icarus, PilotWings Resort, Animal Crossing, Steel Diver and Paper Mario. Other publishers will get in on the act too: Activision with DJ Hero 3D, EA with Sims 3, Capcom with Resident Evil: Revelations and Street Fighter IV, Square Enix with Final Fantasy, Namco Bandai with Ridge Racer, Ubisoft with Tom Clancy games, and more. http://e3.nintendo.com/3ds

The Nintendo 3DS comes with an impressive array of launch titles in the works – along with network-connected gameplay, and a 3D camera module; Samus is back and looking good in 3D; Solid Snake in 3D…

Kid Icarus 3D is another Nintendo 3DS title; Nintendo's star video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Zelda, showed off a new Wii Zelda title; Zelda: Skyward Sword adds freeform combat.

Nintendo 3DS GPU revealed The GPU for the Nintendo 3DS has just been revealed, and it's not made by Nvidia, ATI, or even Imagination Technologies. Instead, Nintendo has signed up Japanese startup Digital Media Professionals (DMP) in a deal that sees the company's PICA200 chip churning out the 3D visuals. For the first time in Nintendo's history, the 3DS will feature a GPU with programmable shaders, rather than a fixed-function pipeline, meaning the 3DS is more graphically versatile than the Wii. Among the PICA200's features are 2x anti-aliasing, per-pixel lighting, subdivision primitives, and soft shadows. As well as featuring DMP's own 'Maestro' extensions, the PICA200 also fully supports OpenGL ES 1.1. The architecture supports four programmable vertex units and up to four pixel pipelines. http://www.thinq.co.uk/2010/6/21/nintendo-3ds-gpu-revealed/

Renesas Electronics America highlights 3D Renesas Electronics America Inc., in conjunction with NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd., showcased more than 30 LCD modules, ranging from 1.9-inches to 22.5-inches in size, at SID. Renesas Electronics America (formerly NEC Electronics America) is the exclusive representative of NEC LCD Technologies Ltd. in the Americas. The LCD lineup showcased emerging display technologies, such as horizontally double-density pixel (HDDP) technology with a lenticular lens, which enables 2D and 3D images to be displayed simultaneously on the same screen, at the same resolution, without requiring the use of special glasses. http://www.am.renesas.com

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Setred prepares holographic 3D display technology Setred provides a new unique 3D display technology that enables a full depth experience without the use of goggles or headgear. It is a plug-and-play device that can be used with any computer using a standard graphics card. The display has a set of features that makes it uniquely suited for high-end users. Setred’s display is available for sale as part of total 3D visualisation solutions. Setred is working with medical partners to perform studies and develop content for the medical industry. Projects have also started with partners in the oil industry. http://setred.com

The Setred MD20-3D, (on the left) is a 20-inch XGA workstation display, is available for sale as part of fully integrated 3D visualization solutions. The product has Class IIA CE certification for medical devices. The technology (illustrated above) is based on a time multiplexed method, which means that it produces 3D by showing images at a very rapid rate and synchronizing the images with a filter such that different images are seen at different viewing directions.

Microsoft 3D display prototype: no glasses required The Microsoft Applied Sciences Group has developed a new lens that lets you watch three-dimensional content without 3D glasses. The new lens is thinner at the bottom (about 6mm) than at the top (11mm) and steers light to a viewer's eyes via LEDs along its bottom edge. The 3D display uses a camera to track viewers so that it knows where to steer the light; the idea isn't new, but the required CPU power is now affordable and small enough to pull it off on a large scale. Traditional lenses found in projectors sit between a point of light and its focal point, which is why viewer-tracking 3D systems are often bulky. The design of Microsoft's wedge lens bypasses this problem, as the light is traveling within the lens and not in the air (the focal point is thus the flat surface of the wedge), minimizing the distance between the projector and the screen. The LEDs control the position and angle of the light as it enters the bottom edge of the lens and, as a result, the direction the light comes out. The viewer-tracking cameras, meanwhile, collect light traveling the other way through the lens. The system's viewing angle is about 20°, but Microsoft hopes to tweak the lens design and increase it to 40°. Aside from the projection-based solution, Microsoft scientists report the 3D lens can be used to replace the traditional backlight in a liquid crystal display (LCD) to create a glasses-free 3D display. Light from the lens will shine through the liquid crystals, projecting images

38 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 at the viewers. The quality of the resulting picture is limited by the screen's refresh rate. The Microsoft group is also exploring other ways to use the 3D lens. If integrated into a backlight of a laptop it could provide a way to instantly toggle between a private view, in which the backlight steers the images from the screen toward a single person's eyes, and a shared view, in which the backlight shines the images out in all directions. The research is based on work started by Adrian Travis at Cambridge University and his spin-out companies CamFPD and Cam3D, which were acquired by Microsoft a couple of years ago. http://www.microsoft.com/appliedsciences/

Carnegie Mellon researchers develop new holographic 3D displays use falling water drops as 'voxels' Robotics researchers from Carnegie Mellon University say they have developed a brilliant three-dimensional holographic projection system. It seems that the scientists were actually trying to develop a headlight system for cars which could penetrate rain better, by using cunning technology to track individual raindrops and shine light between them rather than having it reflect back from them. This turned out to be too difficult. Instead, they realized that it was much easier to shine light on the drops themselves. It occurred to the researchers that if they could control the distribution of droplets, they could cause light to be emitted from a chosen point within a given volume. As droplets fell through the chosen point they would be lit up, forming a “volumetric pixel” or “voxel”.

“The beauty of water drops is that they refract most incident light, so they serve as excellent wide-angle lenses that can be among the brightest elements of an environment,” says Srinivasa Narasimhan, Carnegie Mellon robotics professor. “By carefully generating several layers of drops so that no two drops occupy the same line-of-sight from the projector, we can use each drop as a voxel that can be illuminated to create a 3D image.” The engineers turned instead to development of a cunning array of water-drippers able to release droplets in staggered rows at the top of a 3D display, such that selected falling drops at any point in the tank could be lit up without being obscured by a drop in front of them. The drops are tracked by a camera and lit by an ordinary projector. It seems that a rate of ten drops per second is enough to fool the human eye into perceiving a continuously illuminated voxel, but the team's drippers can actually deliver up to 60 for improved brightness. The kit now has a trade name, Aqualux 3D, and the designers hope it will move on to achieve greater resolution. “People can touch the water drops and alter the appearance of images, which could lead to interactive experiences we can't begin to predict,” says Narasimhan. http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2010/July/july6_waterdisplay.shtml

The AquaLux system is designed to control a single video projector as well as a high-speed water dripper to build a precisely calibrated image in three dimensions, much as the pixels on a TV or computer screen build up a two-dimensional image. In the current version, the researchers demonstrate what they call a 2.5-D system: Images are projected on five sheets of water droplets, created by emitters capable of putting out 60 drops per second from each valve.

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InnoVision presents new 3D holographic display Those who watch the pyramid-shaped InnoVision HoloAd Diamond Series Projector can walk around the display to see its special effects. It uses three displays and reflecting glass plates that are strategically placed to give viewers a look at the moving video – comprised of multiple objects from multiple perspectives. Objects can even change shape. InnoVision’s HoloAd Diamond Series Projector is a plug-and-play device and uses a USB flash drive for storage (it can accept Flash video files for playback). The projector doesn't have to be plugged into a computer and there is also no special software required. The projector TV is now available for shipping in two sizes. The DS3 Queen Model is 17 inches tall, weighs 35 pounds, has a resolution of 640x480 pixels and draws 200 watts of power. The DS3 King model is over 200 pounds, is over 45 inches tall, has a resolution of about 1280x1024 pixels, and draws 450 watts. The price tag for the HoloAd Diamond Series is currently unavailable. http://www.innovision.com.tw

Alioscopy and Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute announce strategic partnership Alioscopy USA, a 3D visualization technology provider, and Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, a Germany-based research institute, announced a strategic partnership that will offer cutting-edge digital signage agencies and creatives, and production companies specializing in trailers for motion pictures, one of the first services that will unlock the long standing barrier of converting stereoscopic (2-view) 3D footage and content into Alioscopy-ready, auto-stereoscopic no-glasses 3D. This breakthrough process architected by the scientists at Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute will allow businesses and studios to extend the life and application of their stereoscopic 3D footage into auto-stereoscopic multi-view content for playback on Alioscopy HD LCD 3D displays. As the stereoscopic 3D motion picture and home entertainment markets continue to expand, the demand for 3D auto-stereoscopic content in the business-to-business (B2B) sector is also growing. Two of the largest barriers for B2B markets such as theatre lobby displays, and digital signage for tradeshows and events, have been the need for a glasses-free stereoscopic 3D medium and a solution for converting existing stereoscopic 3D footage to a multi-view format for playback on auto-stereoscopic 3D displays. With the announcement between Alioscopy and Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, a turnkey solution and service will now be available to all businesses (stereoscopic 3D content production agencies, motion picture industry, and event marketing firms) that have invested time and resources to produce 2-view stereoscopic 3D and extend that investment to produce multi-view auto-stereoscopic 3D footage, for playback in literally any environment without the need for 3D glasses. http://www.hhi.fraunhofer.de

Magnetic 3D expands digital signage industry presence Magnetic 3D showcased a new autostereoscopic 3D content delivery application with UCView, a leading provider of digital signage solutions worldwide. The company has also signed reseller agreements with Peerless Mounts, a leader in audiovisual mounting solutions, as well as a distributor agreement with Stampede, a distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Magnetic 3D and UCView will provide a powerful 2D and 3D content management tool for network operators that rely on UCView’s robust software platform. UCView is focused on enabling the business convergence of digital display owners, advertisers and consumers. Through joining the Magnetic 3D network, Stampede and Peerless will be able to offer the entire Magnetic 3D product line including all hardware, software, content and premium consulting services. Magnetic 3D’s products include the company’s industry-leading glasses-free 3D displays featuring Enabl3D technology ranging from 22 to 57 inches, logistics support, and pre/post sales support in the glasses-free 3D display market. To support the screens once installed, Stampede and Peerless can also offer Magnetic 3D’s turnkey software solutions for 3D content production, playback and networking with the E3D Creative Suite and FuzionCast content management software. http://www.magnetic3d.com

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Fraunhofer develops new 3D poster technology Printed or laminated 3D images have been produced using a technology called lenticular printing which combines two or more images attached to the back of a lenticular lens. Instead of these grooved lenses, a new display from Fraunhofer consists of 250,000 individual lenses with a diameter of two millimeters each. So unlike lenticular images that can only be viewed well at arm’s length, the new display allows 3D images to be seen clearly from a distance – the other side of the street for example – something that is sure to appeal to advertisers. The new display developed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg, working jointly with the RealEyes company and the University of Kiel, owes its improved performance to its greater precision. When a finished picture is glued to the grooved lenticular lens the sheet cannot always be put in the exact position, negatively affecting the final effect. The new process sees the lenticular sheet glued to the photo paper before the image is applied. Specialized software calculates a complete image for each of the 250,000 individual lenses based on the three-dimensional model of the overall image so that the lenses do not distort the resulting image. Each lens subsequently renders a perspective of the overall image that shifts toward or away from its neighbor to a negligible degree. For each of the 30,000 different viewing angles, the display delivers an independent view of the scene – therefore, the viewer sees one image that continuously changes with the viewing angle. The researchers have already produced a prototype in A0 size (one meter square) and they expect the first advertising posters to appear over the course of the next year. These posters are expected to be larger and cover a space of approximately three to five meters (9.8 to 16.4 feet). http://www.ipm.fraunhofer.de/fhg/ipm_en/

Samsung’s TR10 mobile phone powered by DDD technology The Samsung B710 phone looks like a typical smart phone, but something unexpected happens when the screen is moved from a vertical to a horizontal orientation: the image jumps from 2D to 3D. The technology that produces this perception of depth is the work of Dynamic Digital Depth, who has spent more than a decade perfecting software that can convert 2D content to 3D in real time. DDD’s software synthesizes 3D scenes from existing 2D video by estimating the depth of objects using various cues; a band of sky at the top of a frame probably belongs in the far background, for example. It then creates pairs of slightly different images that the viewer's brain combines to produce the sensation of depth. Hundreds of games currently simulate 3D spaces internally to handle mechanics such as the path of a missile, and then convert those 3D spaces into 2D to display to the player. http://www.ddd.com

Released in South Korea in March, Samsung's W960 mobile phone comes with 3D video content, generated by Dynamic Digital Depth that can be viewed without special glasses. Dynamic Digital Depth says its software will convert 2D games to 3D on the fly and will be built into phones within the next two years.

Credit: Bryan Christie Design

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Sharp shows off “no glasses” 3D display Sharp aired a new 3D mobile display that offers switchable 2D and 3D display modes and does not require the user to wear glasses. The new Sharp display uses “CG-silicon technology” to achieve high brightness and low cross- talk. The new technology shrinks the size of wiring, enabling a brightness of 500cd/m2, twice the brightness of previous 3D mobile displays. The display supports touch technology, measures 3.4 inches, and sports a 480x854 pixel resolution. Sharp says that it would be a great match for smart phones. The display could be used in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS, portable 3D gaming console. The new portable is expected to launch in March 2011 as a follow-up to the best-selling Nintendo DS. By then the display will have been produced for some time, as it's expected to start production in the first half of fiscal 2010.

Toshiba announces a glasses-less 3D TV Toshiba has unveiled a 3D HDTV that doesn't require viewers to wear glasses. Toshiba's mobile display division has built the 21-inch auto-stereoscopic high-definition display using the same technology that will power Nintendo's upcoming 3D handheld. The only difference is that Toshiba’s display uses it on much bigger screen real estate. Toshiba's technology uses an integral imaging system called a “light field” display to create 3D without glasses over a thirty degree viewing angle. The 3D effect without glasses is done using a “multi-parallax” method. This reduces eye fatigue and makes the 3D image change depending on where the viewer is placed while watching the screen. The display supports a 1280x800 wide screen with 480cd/m2 brightness. Toshiba claims its built-in lens sheet controls luminosity to make its brightness on a par with normal 2D screens. http://www.toshiba.com

LCD prototype from Toshiba gives simultaneous 2D and 3D Toshiba Corp has developed an LCD panel that can partially convert a 2D image to a 3D image and can be viewed with the naked eye. The LCD panel was announced at SID 2010. The LCD panel is compatible with the “integral imaging method”, which Toshiba has been developing, and has nine viewpoints. Its screen size is 12 inches. The pixel count is 1400x1050 for 2D images (full screen) and 466x350 for 3D images (full screen). The panel displays 3D images by using the “GRIN (gradient index) lens”, which changes the distribution of refraction indices by controlling the gradient (orientation) of liquid crystal molecules. The prototyped panel is equipped with an LCD panel that generates the GRIN lens and is positioned in front of the LCD panel used for displaying images. When the power of this second LCD panel is off, the refraction index does not change and light passes in a normal way, showing a 2D image. When the power is on, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a radial pattern in parallel with the electrodes arranged like stripes in the vertical direction. They work as lenses to show 3D images. It is possible to show 2D images and 3D images at the same time by partially turning on the second panel. However, the liquid crystal layer of the panel equipped with the GRIN lens (the second panel) is 150μm thick, which is several tens of times thicker than that of a normal LCD panel. And it considerably slows the response speed. Therefore, the power of the prototype’s second panel is always on. Toshiba added another (third) LCD panel that can change the polarization of light by 90° between the two panels, whose transmittance is about 90%, to switch between 2D and 3D images at a high speed. http://www.toshiba.com

Hitachi launches 3D mobile Hitachi announced the new Wooo H001 mobile handset, which is capable of displaying 3D content on the 854x480, 3.1-inch stereoscopic screen. The screen's design means that the 3D display can be used without glasses, but it does need to be viewed at a specific angle in order to get the full 3D effect. The image is reportedly excellent and playback is smooth, even when playing high definition video. http://www.hitachi.com

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NASA, Microsoft offer new 3D Mars maps NASA and Microsoft have teamed up to present huge amounts of 3D Mars mapping data, gleaned by space probes in orbit about the red planet, in a form usable by anyone with a net connection. “These incredibly detailed maps will enable the public to better experience and explore Mars,” says NASA's Michael Broxton, a scientist in the Intelligent Robotics Group at the space agency's Ames centre in Silicon Valley. “The collaborative relationship between NASA and Microsoft Research was instrumental for creating the software that brings these new Mars images into people's hands, classrooms and living rooms.” The map data contains 74,000 images from the Mars Global Surveyor's Orbiter Camera and 13,000+ high-res pictures snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's gigapixel High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. The complete maps were crunched into mosaics containing more than half a billion smaller images. The NASA Mars-probe pictures are presented to the public using Redmond's WorldWide Telescope platform, which was jointly developed at Ames and at Microsoft Research. http://www.worldwidetelescope.org

Nevion captures Space Shuttle launches in real-time 3D Nevion, formerly Network/VPG, has helped NASA successfully transport stereo 3D video of two space shuttle launches in real time. The experimental terrestrial transmission was a proof of concept using stereo 3D video capture of the Atlantis and Endeavor space shuttle launches at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Nevion’s VS861 fiber transport solution transported three live uncompressed 3D video feeds from the launch gantry and towers back to NASA Command Center, providing a 360-degree 3D view of the launch in real time. It was also the first time that NASA had used digital video instead of film. Having worked with the company for 20 years, NASA utilized Nevion’s high-density, high-speed, uncompressed video transport solution. With six HD-SDI ports – each with an HD data rate of 1.5Gbps – to support three stereo 3D cameras, the VS861 provided a space-saving, easy to operate and cost-effective solution for transporting uncompressed video. http://www.nevion.com

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to capture the Titanic in 3D A team of scientists will launch an expedition to the Titanic next month to assess the deteriorating condition of the world's most famous shipwreck and create a detailed three-dimensional map that will “virtually raise the Titanic” for the public. The expedition to the site 2½ miles beneath the North Atlantic is billed as the most advanced scientific mission to the Titanic wreck since its discovery 25 years ago. The 20-day expedition is to leave St. John's, Newfoundland, on Aug. 18 under a partnership between RMS Titanic Inc., which has exclusive salvage rights to the wreck, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The expedition will not collect artifacts but will probe a 2-by-3-mile debris field where hundreds of thousands of artifacts remain scattered. The expedition will use imaging technology and sonar devices that never have been used before on the Titanic wreck and to probe nearly a century of sediment in the debris field to seek a full inventory of the ship's artifacts. The expedition will be based on the RV Jean Charcot, a 250-foot research vessel with a crew of 20. Three submersibles and the latest sonar, acoustic and filming technology will also be part of the expedition. http://www.rmstitanic.net

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MIT researchers develop new 3D visual interface While many three dimensional object tracking systems exist – the prime example being the dot-based systems used to create those visually stunning Hollywood blockbuster animations – a true open-air visually-tracking interface for our beloved computers has yet to take the world by storm. Though these state-of-the-art systems allow motion tracking and later manipulation of that three dimensional input, trying to control another system with motion, due to the perceived complexity of such things, has not yet become a standard. Robert Wang and Jovan Popovic of MIT are looking to change that, though, and their system uses only the average webcam and a multi-colored Lycra glove as hardware. Rather than some of the early attempts at visual motion tracking that used colored dots or tape on the hand, the multi-colored glove lets the algorithm-based software track the movement, position and posture of the entire hand. Instead of creating a complex three-dimensional image that the computer has to go through great feats of processing to understand and represent, the software instead compares the image of the gloved hand from the webcam to a pre-installed database of 40 by 40 pixel images of shapes and positions of a similarly colored "hands." Though the active software requires several hundred megabytes of memory, it returns a result to manipulation part of the interface program in a fraction of a second. This allows the visual representation to be modified with milliseconds latency at a low cost to processing. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/gesture-computing-0520.html

The multi-colored gloves used to interact with Wang and Povovic's software fit a variety of hand sizes and cost about one dollar to manufacture. And with a wave and twist of the hand, your computer does your bidding.

New technology from UCSD allows users to literally "feel" 3D images The University of California, San Diego is working on a project called Heads-Up Virtual Reality (HUVR) that literally simulates the sensation of reaching out to a 3D projection of an image and being able to touch and feel it. The key piece of technology is a special touch sensor that emits feedback to the user's hand and is able to manipulate it into feeling like the actual object that is being displayed. The 3D images themselves, though, can be projected on something as ordinary as a Samsung 3D TV. The HUVR project is currently only being focused on professional applications, such as doctors who want to "physically" manipulate an MRI scan, or historians that want to examine precious documents without contaminating the paper. http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu

A UCSD researcher demonstrates the HUVR device, which combines a consumer 3D HDTV panel, a half-silvered mirror and a touch-feedback controller that allows users to literally ‘touch’ a generated image as if it was a tangible three-dimensional object.

Zoran Corporation licenses Real D format for delivery of high quality 3D content Zoran Corporation and Real D Inc. announced that Zoran has licensed the stereoscopic Real D Format and will incorporate support for 3D content delivery and display technology into its TV, set-top box and Blu-ray products. Zoran’s TV reference design with integrated Real D 3D support is available now. The Real D Format is a patented version of a side-by-side 3D formatting technology. It utilizes a unique set of filters and other technology to multiplex left eye and right eye 3D image streams into a single channel for delivery of high-definition progressive or interlaced 3D video using today’s HD infrastructure, including existing HD set-top boxes and DVRs, to any 3D- enabled display type. The side-by-side format was recently named in HDMI Specification Version 1.4a as a mandatory format for the transmission of 3D content between devices. http://www.zoran.com

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XpanD 3D applications exhibited at InfoComm XpanD 3D packages were deployed by multiple audio/video companies at InfoComm 2010 to highlight the latest in pro A/V innovation. Seven companies teamed up with XpanD to showcase all aspects of 3D from the educational possibilities to the latest in silver screens, televisions and projectors. Sanyo North America Corporation, Sharp Electronics Corporation, Eiki International, Vutec Corporation, Vivitek Corporation, BenQ America Corporation and Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. provided their booth visitors with a 3D experience. XpanD’s X102 active glasses, which rely on DLP-Link technology, were showcased. The glasses utilize a specialized fast- switching liquid crystal cell, called the “pi-cell,” as a shutter to alternatively block each eye more than 120 times per second. XpanD currently possesses a 95% global market share of active 3D glasses and is the only company in the world to provide 3D active-shutter glasses for all markets: cinema, home entertainment (including DLP-Link projector technology), broadcast, education, corporate and PC gaming. http://www.xpandcinema.com

XpanD begins distribution of second-generation 3D glasses XpanD began shipping its second-generation X102 DLP-Link 3D glasses. Retailing at $129, the X102’s work with all 3D-ready DLP projectors within a range of 140 feet, more than double the current industry standard. XpanD has teamed up with Texas Instruments to deploy its DLP digital micro-mirror device technology, which synchronizes active 3D glasses with DLP projectors and TVs with no additional technology such as an emitter. The plug-and- play aspect makes the XpanD X102 glasses the most affordable choice in 3D entertainment, the company says. The glasses are also ideal for classrooms since most school projectors use DLP technology. http://www.xpand3dtv.com

Gunnar Optiks to release prescription 3D glasses If you currently wear glasses, watching a 3D movie in theaters will soon be as simple as just looking at the screen. Gunnar Optiks has launched a pair of Real D 3D glasses for $99. Real D is the technology used in most movie theaters. The glasses do not work with the new 3D TV technology, and given that theaters give out their own glasses, albeit very cheap ones, this will be a niche market. Gunnar is also working on incorporating the 3D lens into prescription lenses as well. It expects to have these prescription 3D glasses to be available by the end of the year.

Real D introduces kid-sized 3D glasses In time for summer movie season, Real D Inc. announced that kid-sized Real D 3D glasses will be available nationwide in the US and Canada at theatres showing Disney PIXAR’s “Toy Story 3.” Sealed in individual packaging to ensure they are sanitary and quality assured, kid-sized Real D 3D glasses are smaller versions of standard Real D 3D cinema glasses and designed to fit children eight years of age and under. http://www.reald.com

Sony starts selling active shutter glasses Sony may have an impressive lineup of 3D HDTVs, but only the LX900 series comes with the requisite glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment. The company is now selling active shutter glasses separately for $150 at the Sony Store and via Amazon. An IR emitter is needed to sync the glasses, also available, for a $50 extra charge.

Monster Cable intros first universal active 3D glasses Monster Cable became the first company to announce for market introduction a version of active 3D glasses system that it says will work with any brand of 3D TV. The Monster VISION Max 3D Active 3D Eyewear System is due to hit retail shelves in August, according to the announcement by Monster founder and principal Noel Lee. Lee said the Monster system is RF-based; it uses a transmitter, and does not require the wearer to be in line of sight of the 3D television it is being used to view. The system is powered by a lithium-polymer battery and will run for 800+ hours on a single charge. One pair of glasses, bundled with a transmitter, carries an SRP of $249.95; additional glasses are available for a price of $169.95; and the 3D transmitter is available for $59.95 separately. http://www.monstercable.com

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1 Beyond unveils “Wrangler Mini 3D” viewer 1 Beyond, Inc., a provider of digital video production and post production systems, announced the new 1 Beyond Wrangler Mini 3D, the industry’s first stereo raw and HD-SDI uncompressed DDR (direct-to-disk recorder) and viewer. Available immediately starting at $11,995 complete, the new 1 Beyond Wrangler Mini 3D is a radically new on-camera solution for professionals shooting in 2D and 3D. With support for all major mono and stereo cameras, the Wrangler Mini 3D utilizes a new 8 processor design providing the power for DDR features never before available including: real-time processing of stereo raw or HD-SDI inputs while simultaneously displaying live 3D to DVI, HDMI or HD-SDI 3D outputs; encoding live to all major uncompressed and compressed 2D/3D formats including DPX, MOV, CineForm 3D, and more than 50 others; 1 Beyond GoHDMag cartridges with up to 1TB of solid state high performance memory; Vectorscope, waveform (YCbCr/RGB) and histogram, black and white levels, luminance, chrominance, monitors. As a viewer, the 1 Beyond Wrangler Mini 3D provides a number of unique features including: the industry’s largest screen (10.4 inch), with optional weather shield; a 1200:1 contrast ratio for deep blacks; bright sunlight viewing with optional adjustable 800 nit backlight; special 1 Beyond Wrangler DDR/Viewer touch screen software that provides direct-to-disk recording and/or review for 2D/3D, SDI and Gigabit HD and Raw cameras. The 1 Beyond Mini 3D is not a standalone product but part of the compatible family of digital workflow tools from 1 Beyond that also include the Wrangler “Dude” and Wrangler Pro and the Super Wrangler - the industry’s only compatible end-to-end 2D & 3D workflow line that can record, duplicate, review, color grade, edit and archive. http://www.1Beyond.com

Agilent Technologies’ latest 3D EM simulation software accelerates high-frequency, high-speed design Agilent Technologies announced “Electromagnetic Professional (EMPro) 2010”, a new release of its 3D electromagnetic (EM) modeling and simulation software for analyzing the 3D EM effects of IC packages, connectors, antennas and other RF components. Used in the development of high-frequency and high-speed electronic devices, the new release features significant improvements in simulation speed and design efficiency. Some of the new capabilities now available in EMPro 2010 include: faster finite element method (FEM) simulations through meshing improvements and use of symmetry planes; built-in acceleration of finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations utilizing graphics processor unit (GPU) hardware; enhanced FEM accuracy through the use of new sheet ports and material property models; improved design efficiency with a new bondwire component, ODB++ file support for printed-circuit-board designs, and several other new user interface features; and Windows 7 support in addition to Windows XP, Vista and Linux support. http://www.agilent.com/find/eesof

Axis Three launches industry’s only four-head 3D scanner for face and breast procedures Axis Three, the pioneer of 3D surgical simulation tools for aesthetic consultations, announced the availability of its new XS-400 scanner, a turnkey system designed to address face, breast, and body procedures. The only 4-position 3D scanner on the market, the XS-400 captures anatomically-accurate, 3D images of a patient’s face or body, and serves as a vehicle to extend Axis Three’s simulation platform to an even broader range of cosmetic procedures. The hardware and software package enables surgeons and their staff to show patients how they will look post- surgery, using 3D simulation to dramatically enhance the aesthetic consultation experience. Designed to support Axis Three’s current software modules and future development application roadmap, the XS-400 features Color Coded Triangulation (CCT), a patented capture technology developed in conjunction with Siemens that delivers the industry’s only spatially aware 3D images, yielding highly precise images of a patient’s body with just one click of the mouse. Combined with Axis Three’s scientifically-proven Tissue Behavior Simulation (TBS) engine, the result is the most robust system available for 3D simulations. This intuitive solution gives surgeons the maximum flexibility, allowing them to deliver the benefits of 3D simulation to patients considering a variety of aesthetic procedures. Axis Three’s physics-based TBS algorithm generates incredibly accurate, science-based simulations by enabling tissue to respond to the specific implant’s placement shape and composition. http://www.axisthree.com

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Marantz adds 3D-ready universal Blu-ray players The Marantz UD5005 Universal Blu-ray Player will ship for $500 in August, featuring playback of CDs, DVDs, DVD-Audio (DVD-A), Super Audio CD (SACDs) and Blu-ray discs. The newly introduced UD5005 and UD7005 will replace the existing BD5004 and BD7004 disc players and they will be available in August and September for $500 and $900, respectively. The network friendly Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) 1.5-certified universal disc players are also labeled “future-ready” by the company because of their upgradeability, which is highlighted by its support of 3D Blu-ray disc playback. The players support the media playback through the use of 24- and 32-bit digital-to-analog (DACs) converters, HDMI 1.4a digital outputs and legacy electronics support with multichannel analog outputs. The players also offer Netflix and YouTube streaming, and appealing industrial designs developed in-house by the company. http://us.marantz.com

Onkyo adds two 3D-ready HTiBs with 1080p video upscaling and included dock for iPod/iPhone Onkyo added two premium 3D-Ready packaged 'home theater in a box' systems (HTiB). The Onkyo HT-S6300 and HT-S7300 both have 3D Ready HDMI-1.4a inputs, 1080p video upscaling, lossless Dolby & DTS high definition audio, Dolby height processing, Audyssey automatic room equalization, and numerous other high performance features typically not found at these price points. Both packages include seven home theater loudspeakers, subwoofer, audio-video receiver, Audyssey calibration microphone, and an outboard dock for iPod/iPhone. The Onkyo HT-S6300 and HT-S7300 are each equipped with four 3D-Ready HDMI 1.4a input connectors that are fully compatible with state-of-the-art HD video players and TVs, including all the latest 3D technologies. They are compatible with the mandatory formats for 3D video broadcast content of “Side-By-Side (Half)” and “Top-and- Bottom” formats. All video inputs can be upscaled to 1080p, regardless of native resolution, via the Faroudja DCDi Cinema processor. This also removes the 'jaggies' during the video signal deinterlacing process, resulting in smooth progressive-scan video images. Onkyo's proprietary Universal Port is provided for connection of the included UP- A1 dock for iPod/iPhone and an optional HD Radio tuner. All new models use Onkyo's new overlaid graphical OSD for seamless adjustment of settings while still viewing the program in the background. They also include Onkyo's HDMI Thru feature, which provides automatic HDMI switching when the receiver is in the standby mode. Both devices are now available at MSRPs of $749 and $899 respectively. http://www.onkyousa.com

Onkyo brings out two 3D compatible receivers Onkyo, the Japanese home cinema audio company, announced two new receivers - the TX-NR5008 and the TX- NR3008 - both of which are fully 3D compatible that will serve as the flagship devices of the range. Both models are Windows 7 friendly and THX Ultra2 Plus and DLNA 1.5 certified and have eight HDMI v1.4a inputs. They both support 3D video for both of the standard 3D formats. There are two HDMI outputs to watch content via two separate displays at the same time. All video inputs are upscaled to 1080p and there's also ISF video calibration onboard. iPhone, iPod and iPad playback is available via USB and album artwork can be displayed on a hooked-up TV. Both models have an Ethernet port to link up with Broadband connection and the home network. One can then access streaming Internet radio through vTuner, or play back FLAC, MP3, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, WMA Lossless, AAC, and LPCM files. Each receiver has 9.2 audio channels with Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic Iiz technology. There is also support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and compatibility with DSD Direct. Multi-channel audio processing is handled by the Burr-Brown DACs. The TX-NR5008 and TX-NR3008 have a multi-room option letting you play a 5.1-channel source in the main room, with stereo audio in two other

47 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 rooms. The difference between the two models is that the TX-NR3008 has a front-side USB port, while the TX- NR5008 features USB ports at the front and rear. The TX-NR5008 can also handle audio content from flash memory devices and also boasts a toroidal transformer for superior audio power and sound quality. Both receivers are out in August; the TX-NR5008 is priced at £2400 and the TX-NR3008 at £1700. http://www.eu.onkyo.com

New Integra receivers ready for 3D Integra’s DTR-30.2 and DTR-20.2 A/V receivers offer the latest version of HDMI to pass 3D video signals. Integra’s DTR-30.2 and DTR-20.2 receivers are THX Select 2 Plus certified for quality imagery and come with HDMI 1.4a ports that allow for 3D video signal pass-through from a Blu-ray player to the display. The HDMI 1.4a spec is also ready for 3D broadcast content of “side-by-side” and “top-and-bottom” formats. With five rear HDMI inputs and one output, both receivers are capable of handling a slew of sources and simplifying the signal routing to the display. The DTR-30.2 also has one front-panel HDMI input. Faroudja DCDi Cinema processing upscales video to 1080p. HDMI wealth also allows for Blu-ray’s uncompressed audio formats of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and the DTR-30.2 brings in the latest Dolby ProLogic IIz processing of “height channels” for further enveloping surround sound in the front. The 90-watts-per-channel DTR-20.2 and 100-wpc DTR-30.2 are out now with MSRPs of $600 and $800.

Wireless multi-room WHDI standard to add 3D The WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface) standard for streaming uncompressed 1080p video around the house will enter the 3D era in the fourth quarter when the WHDI Consortium promises an update that adds wireless 3D streaming. The update to the 1.0 standard will support all of the 3D formats supported by the wired HDMI 1.4a standard, and products incorporating the update could appear as soon as January’s CES. The 3D update will be followed in the second quarter of 2011 by WHDI 2.0, which will add support for 2Kx4K HD resolution with up to four times the resolution of standard Blu-ray 1080p at 2160x4096 pixels, the consortium said. The 2.0 spec will also reduce power consumption to make WHDI more suitable than before for use in battery-operated portable devices, and it will make it easier to combine WiFi 802.11n and WHDI on a single chip. Products incorporating WHDI 2.0 could hit the market by the third quarter of 2011. WHDI 1.0 was finalized late last year, though pre-standard WHDI was already appearing in Sony and Philips TV products, Zinwell and Gefen wireless dongles, and an IDX professional video camera, the consortium said. LG recently switched to 5GHz-band WHDI from a competing 60GHz in-room wireless HD technology because of the competing technology’s line-of-sight limitations. With WHDI 1.0, a set-top box or other video source is able to transmit a 1080p/60Hz Deep Color video stream more than 100 feet through walls to multiple TVs around the house. Likewise, because the technology supports low-power consumption modes for portable devices, battery-operated laptops and cell phones could stream 1080p video to a display or receive 1080p video from a source within the home. The addition of 3D support and 2.0 improvements will not reduce WHDI’s range nor reduce the number of simultaneous streams of different sources (13 or more) that could occur in a house because a lot of packets in 1.0 are unused. The 2.0 standard will also enhance WHDI’s benefits in portable battery-operated devices, the consortium noted. With 2.0, power consumption will be reduced to less than 1 watt from less than 2 watts. Combined with the greater ease of combining WiFi and WHDI on a single chip, WHDI will migrate faster to such mobile devices as cell phones to stream stored HD video to a compatible TV or to play cell phone-stored games on a TV with no latency. The 2.0 spec will leverage many of the shared attributes of 802.11n and WHDI to facilitate WiFi/WHDI integration. Both technologies, for example, use OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) and MIMO (multiple input multiple output) transmission technologies, and both operate in the 5GHz unlicensed band (though 802.11n is also permitted to operate in the 2.4GHz band). HHDI 2.0 and 802.11n could operate simultaneously in the same channel. http://www.whdi.org

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Doremi’s Dimension-3D format converter now supports frame packing Doremi Labs Inc., a leading broadcast and digital cinema hardware manufacturer, announced the implementation of Frame Packing 3D support on the Dimension-3D. Frame Packing is defined in HDMI 1.4 as the standard format for Blu-ray 3D playback and all new consumer 3D TVs now hitting the market will have Frame Packing support. The Dimension-3D was introduced in late 2009 and became one of Doremi's most popular broadcast hardware devices. An ideal device for use in post-production, live events, and theme parks, the Dimension-3D is a compact, versatile format converter that converts any 3D format to another as well as changing of the frame rates. Frame Packing does not apply any scaling to the left and right eye images like Side/Side and Top/Bottom, so the 3D quality is comparable to Dual Stream HD-SDI. Adding this support further broadens the Dimension-3D’s versatility in the stereoscopic workflow as the demand for 3D content becomes more and more prevalent. Recently, the Dimension- 3D was included in the workflow for the live 3D broadcasts of India Premier League Cricket and played a part in the 2010 World Cup Soccer live 3D broadcasts from South Africa. Implementing frame packing as defined by the HDMI specifications into Dimension-3D facilitates interoperability among 3D devices. http://www.doremilabs.com

RTS to distribute ImmerVision’s 360° Panomorph lenses in Korea ImmerVision, inventor of the 360° Panomorph lens and expert in immersive optical technology, announced that it has signed an agreement with RTS, a Korean distributor in the network video surveillance system market, to distribute the ImmerVision’s 360° Panomorph lens in Korea. ImmerVision IMV1-1/3 panomorph lenses are the new generation of 360° wide-angle lenses, which retrofit analog or IP cameras by removing blind spots. They are the only 360° lenses that plug and play with major CCTV and IP camera and software brands. http://www.immervision.com http://www.rts-spartan.com

Smart GeoMetrics expands foothold in high-definition 3D imaging market Smart GeoMetrics (SGM), a division of Smart MultiMedia, Inc., recently extended its channel and laser scanning and 3D imaging capabilities by securing new partnerships with Leica Geosystems and Zebra Imaging. Smart GeoMetrics is now a Leica Geosystems authorized distributor, which allows the company to sell Leica scanning hardware and software. Smart Geometrics has also solidified a collaborative technology partnership with Zebra Imaging. High-definition laser scanning and 3D imaging is revolutionizing the way engineers, architects, historians and many other professions acquire and interface with spatial data. With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems is one of the most trusted names worldwide for the capture, analysis, and presentation of spatial information. The business expansion includes a strategic partnership with Zebra Imaging, based in Austin, Texas. Zebra Imaging’s advanced 3D holographic display technology bridges a large gap between highly complicated technical data and real-world, even non-technical users. With the Zebra Imaging technology, Smart GeoMetrics is now able to provide a complete 3D imaging solution. Most recently, Smart Geometrics and Zebra Imaging collaborated on the digital documentation of the USS Missouri battleship, which was part of an $18 million maintenance and preservation project. The combined company technologies enabled a dramatic digital display of the massive ship, which physically resides in Pearl Harbor. Zebra Imaging’s holograms are auto stereoscopic, which means there are no special glasses required to view 3D displays; this sets Zebra Imaging apart from other 3D holographic technologies. http://www.smartgeometrics.com

Intel showcases Claystone 3D media navigation software Claystone, a breakthrough 3D style media navigation and content delivery platform from RADUS Inc. of San Bruno, California, was showcased by Intel vice president and general manager, PC Client Group, at a press briefing to announce the upcoming release of the company’s latest Atom microprocessor, code-named Oak Trail, designed to power a new generation of sleek tablet computers and netbooks. Claystone is a new media navigation and content presentation platform that offers consumers a new dimension in mobile lifestyle computing. Created specifically for use with touch and gesture based tablets, notebooks, smart phones, and televisions, Claystone represents a major advance in ease of use engineering designed for today’s newest consumer electronics devices. Claystone is intended for use with Windows 7, Android, MeeGo, and other leading operating systems. It also supports Adobe Flash and major media file formats and browsers. http://www.intel.com

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Dimension 3 presents 3D “Dimmy” awards On June 2th, the first Dimension 3 Festival awards ceremony hosted professionals from the entire world to celebrate 3D talents. More than 50 programs coming from Estonia, Austria, Germany, Finland, Spain, USA, Australia, Taiwan, China, France, etc. were gathered for this event. Among the 20 hours of auditions, the jury rewarded 10 programs with a careful attention for 3D live action movies. The Dimension 3 Festival jury was comprised of Dominique Rigaud, President, Union of 3D Stereo Professionals; Danys Bruyere, Deputy Managing Director Operations and Technologies Groupe TSF; Julie Barrette, Entertainment Sales Manager M&E DEC (Digital Entertainment Creation) Autodesk; Dominique Cadiou, VP, Strategic Account Technicolor, and John Benson, Stereographer (Mac Guff & Illumination Entertainment). [email protected]

 Interactive 3D / Entertainment / Edutainment Category – Stereo 3D Filmmaking: the Complete Interactive Course (France/USA): Stereo 3D Filmmaking: the Complete Interactive Course is the world's first stereoscopic shooting interactive training suite. This pedagogical kit has been Specifically designed to provide a fast yet in-depth training for directors, producers and technician.

 Independent Production Category -- Les Metiers (France): Two children discuss their parents’ trades on a school bench. This edutainment series is dedicated to orientation and vocation in modern trades, as seen from a child's perspective. The idea of the series is to introduce children aged 6 to 8 to a wide range of trades. CGI series pilot – 1st public screening.

 Live 3D Category – Meet me Half Way from the Black Eyed Peas Show (USA): First concert of the Black Eyed Peas broadcasted live in 3D.

 Advertising Category – Haribo (France): The first S3D advertising clip in French theaters. Shown before screenings of James Cameron’s Avatar.

 Animated, CGI Category / Short Section – Le Voyage Dans L’arbre (France): Follow the journey of a raindrop falling from the sky… This film, screened since April 3rd at the Terra Botanica theme park in Angers (France), required 6 months of postproduction.

 Short Fiction Category / Short Section – Caretaker (USA): The movie was produced as a tribute to the Hollywood Sign Trust, who are the custodians of this icon known all over the world, and is based on the 1930s legend of a caretaker who lived behind the letter “L” on the famous landmark. Van Dyke portrays the mystical handyman whose job is to replace the light bulbs that once illuminated the HOLLYWOODLAND sign.

 Jury’s Selection / Coup de Coeur – Le Train Ou Ça Va (France): An elderly man, his daughter and his grandson gather in the family’s old country house for a rather peculiar reason: the grandfather promised that a train would once again run on the abandoned tracks behind the house.

 Special Prize: Visual Effects – Peregrine (Germany): This documentary shows how peregrines survive in the city of London and how they hunt to feed their chicks; the pilot is co-produced by BBC Natural History and the 3D experts from KUK Filmproducktion GmbH in Munich. The production is funded by the EU FP7 Research Project 3D4YOU.

 Special Prize: Images – The Eye 3D – Life & Science on Cerro Paranal (Documentary – Germany): In June, 2009, a film crew of German 3D film experts from Parallax raumprojektion traveled to Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the most arid places on Earth. This is where the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the is located. It’s the “sharpest eye of humankind”, outperforming even the Hubble Space Telescope in some wavelengths. One of the most fascinating scientific instruments ever built, it has found its home in one of the most exciting places in the world. The Eye 3D is the first 3D documentary produced in Germany.

 Grand Prize / Seine-Saint-Denis Prize – Vampire of Vienna (Austria): A young couple are driving home from an amusement park, when on a dark forest road they hit something; the boy leaves the car and suddenly disappears, the girl tries to find him and stumbles upon unspeakable evil.

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Julian Beever’s side-walk art continues to astound Julian Beever is a street artist like no other. He creates trompe-l'oeil chalk drawings which, when complete, create stunning optical illusions filled with depth, life and color. He creates a projection in his works which is called anamorphosis, which produces a very realistic 3D effect from a certain angle. http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever

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52 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 Conference on Advanced Human Interfaces May 26-28, 2010, Rome, Italy

In the first of two reports, Phillip Hill covers papers from Autodesk Research/University of Toronto, University of Electro- Communications, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)/Fraunhofer IOSB, Tsinghua University, and University of Twente/University of Amsterdam/Leiden University

Exploring the Design Space of Multiscale 3D Orientation James McCrae, Michael Glueck, Tovi Grossman, and Azam Khan, Autodesk Research, San Rafael, California Karan Singh, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Recently, research in 3D computer graphics and interaction has started to move beyond the narrow domain of single object authoring and inspection, and has begun to consider complex multi-scale objects and environments. This generalization of problem scope calls for more general solutions, which are more akin to information visualization techniques than traditional computer graphics approaches. The paper considers the general problem of the user’s understanding of their position and orientation within a multi-scale 3D scene and proposes a classification of the design space. To ground this theoretical discussion, the researchers present initial explorations into grouping techniques, visualizations, and interactions to facilitate multi-scale 3D orientation. Designing interfaces for 3D environments is a non-trivial task, complicated by the difficulties inherent in navigating and exploring 3D scenes, as well as the confusing spatial relationships that sometimes exist between scene objects. To address these issues the researchers structure the design space of multi-scale 3D orientation as follows: preserve both egocentric and exocentric user goals; landmark formation via the grouping of objects; and environment visualization using indicators and controllers.

Users can easily become disoriented in complex 3D scenes containing objects that exist at a number of scales. Advanced visual interfaces, such as the mirror ball (center), may help users understand their position and orientation in the scene.

3D Interaction with a Large Wall Display using Transparent Markers Akito Hyakutake, Koichiro Ozaki, Kris Makoto Kitani, and Hideki Koike University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan

In this paper the researchers propose a new interface for interacting with large displays via small video devices such as a cell phone. They estimate the location of the camera relative to the display using a matrix of transparent markers embedded on the display. As a result, the interface allows the user to interact with digital contents without being distracted by opaque visual markers. The interface enables intuitive interactions such as pointing, rotating, dragging and dropping. Moreover, the use of a small hand-held camera device allows for interaction with large- scale displays without the need for direct contact with the display surface. Thus the system is well suited for interactions when there is some distance between the user and the display. The proposed system has applications to large-scale advertisement displays and can enable interactions between individuals and large-scale digital content.

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The illustration is an example of showing the possible interactions of 3D objects displayed on the LCD using a hand held device. When the user aligns the camera’s line of sight to an object on the display, it is possible to calculate the change in 3D translation and rotation of the device from that position using the coordinate system spanned by the invisible markers. When the user rotates the device while pushing a button, the object can be rotated by calculating the rotation angle of the device relative to the marker matrix. When the user moves the device along the depth axis (distance) to the screen, the size of the object is magnified or reduced, again based on the distance from marker matrix. The system is also robust to translations relative to the screen. Under this setup when the user drags an object along the horizontal (or vertical) axis, the position (2D projection of the camera center on the display) of the object is translated smoothly across the screen by dynamically acquiring the position of the markers in its current view.

Interactions with a 3D object

The Effect of Stereoscopy and Motion Cues on 3D Interpretation Task Performance Boris W. van Schooten, and Elisabeth M.A.G. van Dijk, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands Elena Zudilova-Seinstra, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Avan Suinesiaputra, and Johan H.C. Reiber, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

The paper studies the effectiveness of stereoscopy and smooth motion as 3D cues for medical interpretation of vascular structures as obtained by 3D medical imaging techniques. The researchers designed a user study where the user has to follow a path in a mazelike solid shaded 3D structure. The user controls rotation of the model. They measured user performance in terms of time taken and error rate. The experiment was executed with 32 (medical and non-medical) users. The results show that motion cue is more important than stereoscopy, and that stereoscopy has no added value when motion is already present, which is not consistent with previous experiments. In the experiment, users have to interpret maze-like structures. These were chosen because they are self-avoiding branching structures, which are easy to render and look structurally similar to vascular networks (see figure). They matched the complexity of the structures to typical complexity of the vascular images. The maze corridors were depicted as shaded rectangular boxes of significant thickness, so shading and occlusion provide clear 3D cues, and pixel resolution is not so important. Mazes are generated by running a standard maze digging algorithm for a 4x4x4 grid, and then selecting only those mazes that conform to a number of parameters deemed relevant to difficulty level, in particular total number of corridors and total number of junctions.

Maze structures used in the experiment, and comparison to real-life vascular structures. Top: typical vascular structure from an MRA image in the researchers’ domain. Bottom left: typical easy maze structure with junctions selected. Bottom right: typical hard maze structure.

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Lift-and-Drop: Crossing Boundaries in a Multi-Display Environment by Airlift Thomas Bader, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany Astrid Heck, and Jürgen Beyerer, Fraunhofer IOSB, Karlsruhe, Germany

Many of the interactive environments surrounding us today consist of multiple mobile and/or stationary visual displays. However, interaction with such multi-display environments is still dominated by the personal computer paradigm – one user interacts with one single display at a time. In this paper first the researchers present a new video-based input device called Airlift, which captures hands and fingertips independent from any display and therefore allows for consistent interaction across display boundaries. Second, they propose a system architecture for interaction spanning multiple displays. Third, they start to explore this new design space by proposing and evaluating a new interaction technique Lift-and-Drop for copying data from one display to another. According to the results of their study for the task considered the new technique is superior to other techniques based on traditional direct input devices, which are limited to the surface of single displays like pen or touch. The system is able to not only detect fingertips but additionally to recognize different hand postures and does not rely on any markers attached to the user.

Different interaction techniques compared in the user study

Structured Laser Pointer: Enabling Wrist-Rolling Movements as a New Interactive Dimension Yongqiang Qin, Yuanchun Shi, Hao Jiang, and Chun Yu, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

In this paper, the researchers revisit the issue of multi-point laser pointer interaction from a wrist-rolling perspective. Firstly, they proposed SLP (structured laser pointer), which detects a laser pointer’s rotation along its emitting axis. SLP adds the wrist-rolling gestures as a new interactive dimension to the conventional laser pointer interaction approach. They asked a group of users to perform certain tasks using SLP, and derived from test results a set of criteria to distinguish between incidental and intentional SLP rolling, and then the experimental results also approved the high accuracy and acceptable speed as well as throughput of such rolling interaction. To detect rolling actions (e.g. angular velocity and angle) of a user using SLP, more than one laser spots are needed to appear on the display to be visually tracked. More tracked spots generate more accurate tracking results, yet too many laser spots on the display might introduce difficulties in real-time tracking. The researchers address this trade-off by using four emitters (figure a). The central spot is the basic spot and its coordinates are interpreted as the cursor position.

SLP intercation model. (a) It emits four laser beams. (b) Through a translation of axes, laser spot positions between two neighboring frames can be used to calculate rolling angle.

55 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 TV 3.0 – The Future of TVs May 26-27, 2010, Seattle, Washington

In the first of three reports, Phillip Hill covers presentations from this IMS/SID event: Quixel Research, Insight Media, Displaybank, and Sharp Laboratories of America

3DTV the Future? Tamaryn Pratt, Quixel Research, Portland, Oregon

Consumer insights on 3DTV are positive. 50% of those surveyed stated they were interested in watching 3D entertainment at home. 37% are interested in purchasing a 3DTV. 52% would pay more for a 3D TV. 28% would be motivated to buy a bigger TV as a result of 3D. Glasses are a distraction but not a deal killer. Consumers are aware that glasses are necessary but don’t want to spend big dollars on glasses. 62% wanted portability and compatibility. More content is becoming available with increased product by 2H 2010.

Quixel forecast 2010 for US 3DTV 40-inch+: 2010 2.1 million units; 2013 18 million units

Blooming 3D, Are We Ready? Jusy Hong, Displaybank, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Hong gave a global 3D TV market forecast. Starting from 2010, the 3D market will grow fast so that it will account for 31% of total TV demand in 2014. While LCD is taking advantage of the 3D market, 3D will also favor plasma TV, which is in a better position in various aspects over the LCD. Today’s TV is not only to watch but it is a center of home entertainment. 3D is one of the features that TV has. The main purpose of TV is to watch the contents and information, so the most import factor of TV is picture quality especially in 2D. Consumers buy 3D TV not only to watch 3D content but to have better picture quality TV. Several LCD panel makers will produce 3D panels in both types, shutter glasses and patterned retarder, while Samsung and Sharp are focusing on only shutter glasses type. PDP has only adopted shutter glasses type as it is a self-emitting device. Only Samsung introduced conventional CCFL 3D TV when all the LCD makers chose LED. Major global TV brands are taking shutter glasses type except LG Electronics. However, even in LGE, the major 3D type is shutter glasses. LGD is promoting patterned retarder type to its customers such as Vizio and Chinese TV makers. If 3D gets more popular, 2nd and 3rd tier TV makers will focus on 3D TV smaller than 30-inch and 3D monitors using patterned retarder. Although both types have advantages and disadvantages over the other, the market will be driven by the makers’ intention, which is likely to be shutter glasses type. Displaybank forecasts the patterned retarder 3D market very conservatively. It does, however, believe that it still has a potential in small and medium size 3D display market. 3D is a new feature that stimulates the consumer to buy new TVs. Still the most important thing of TV is picture quality in 2D. Although 3D TV was introduced to the market many years ago, the real 3D era started in 2010 when LCD TV players adopted 240Hz and LED BLU technologies. However, many panel and TV set makers are still not ready to participate in this 3D market growth. Especially in the LCD panel industry, 240Hz and LED panel shortage makes it hard for the 2nd and 3rd tier TV makers hard to enter. The TV market has been controlled by the maker’s

56 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 intention not by consumer’s needs. Learned from past experiences, the winner of the 3D format will be decided according to market hegemony. There are many issues to solve in 3D, but these won’t stop the 3D wave.

Global 3D TV market forecast

A 2010 Perspective on 3D Gary Feather, Sharp Laboratory of America, Camas, Washington State

Feather pointed out that research group Displaybank predicts 3D display sales in 2010 will top 6.2 million units worldwide, representing a 91% compound annual growth and 3% of the entire TV market. Displaybank goes on to predict 83 million displays in homes by 2014, making up 31% of the TV market. Shutter glass type would be the mainstream 3D TV technology type in 2010. Polarizer glass type would only show 2% penetration in 2014. Displaybank expects glassless 3D TV models will be launched in 2014. The number of models are predicted to grow sharply to 40 discrete SKUs. The 3D TV market is expected to see sharp growth in 2010 through the aggressive strategies of makers. 3D programming is broadcast on Japanese cable channel BS 11 four times per day. Sky launched Sky Sports 3D started in 2010 with Sky Movies 3D in the autumn. Cablevision launched a 3D version of its MSG channel in March 2010. In June 2010, ESPN launched a channel dedicated to 3D sports with 85 events a year. A full 24-hour broadcast channel was announced at the 2010 CES as a joint venture from IMAX, Sony, and the Discovery channel. DirecTV and Panasonic are to launch two broadcast channels and one video on demand with 3D content in June 2010. Several other European pay TV networks are also planning 3D TV channels and some have started test transmissions on other Astra satellites.

Feather went on to describe mainstream 3D standard formats. The frame packed 3D standard for 3D Blu-ray players retains 1920x1080 pixels for both the left and right eyes, but vertically packs two normal 1080p frames within the same time period as each of the 24 frames normally presented by a Blu-ray player. The result is a frame packed with 1920x2160 pixels that is split by a few black lines defining the left and right images. Out of the four 3D standards, Frame Packed 3D provides the highest native resolution from the source – true 1080p for each eye. Top/bottom 3D (not currently used) uses a 720p HD format, employing the top 360 lines for the left eye content and the bottom 360 lines for the right eye content. The content for each eye is half the vertical resolution of a 720p

57 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 signal (360 lines tall), but the full 720p horizontal resolution (1280 pixels) is captured at a full 60 fps. Out of the four 3D standards, Top/bottom 3D provides the lowest native resolution from the source, although the native frame rate is 60 fps. The side-by-side progressive standard applies a 1080p HD format, with the left and right eye perspectives packed into each 1920x1080 frame, side by side. Each eye perspective is 960 pixels wide, which is half the horizontal resolution of a 1080p frame, but benefits from the full 1080 lines of vertical resolution. This format is well suited for 3D graphics and PC gaming as it matches the capability of the DVI output generally included on computer graphics cards. The side-by-side interlaced standard applies a 1080i HD format, with the left eye and right eye perspectives packed into each of the odd line and even line fields, side by side. This appears to be the format cable and satellite television providers will use to deliver 3D content in the near term, as it strikes a good balance between available bandwidth and maximum native resolution. Each field within the 1080i signal is split into side-by-side left eye and right eye segments. Since each field only provides half of the 1080 vertical lines, this results in the native resolution of each eye being 960 pixels wide by 540 pixels high, per field. When the pairs of odd and even fields are considered in unison, the effective resolution of each of the left and right eye perspectives becomes 960 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall.

3DTV Panel Discussion Chris Chinnock, Insight Media, Norwalk, Connecticut

Chris Chinnock chaired a panel discussion as a co-founder and board member of the 3D@Home Consortium. Hollywood is motivated to push 3D content to the home. TV makers want to offer the next big thing. Retailers and installers want something new to sell with higher profit margins. Consumers have embraced 3D in theaters. But there were still too many questions: will consumers embrace 3D TVs, PCs, cameras, etc.; will they wear the glasses; will 3D drive an increase in the normal TV sales and replacement rate; will there be enough content; will converted content create a backlash; will the current push lead to consumer pull; how can we create and manage 3D to avoid discomfort and accommodate everyone? The 3D challenges are: can the cost of 3D content acquisition be managed; will separate 3D and HD crews always be needed for live events; will broadcast and production invest in 3D equipment; will advertisers get on board with 3D; when will no-glasses 3DTV arrive?

Worldwide forecast range

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59 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 SID Display Week 2010 May 25-28, 2010, Seattle, Washington

Phillip Hill covers presentations from day one of the conference. Papers from LG Display, Thetalili Inc., National Taiwan University/Industrial Technology Research Institute, Samsung Electronics, National Chiao Tung University, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Microsoft Corporation, 3M Company, and University College London/Koç University/ De Montfort University

Crosstalk Simulation for Polarization Switching 3D LCD Display Youngji Ko, Junghoon Yoon, Kyunghoon Cha, and Kihyung Kang Samsung Electronics, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

In this paper, Samsung introduces crosstalk definition of polarization switching 3D LCD displays and scrutinizes the relation between crosstalk and parameters that give influence to crosstalk throughout simulation. This result can give efficient guidelines to design a polarization switching 3D LCD display having crosstalk as little as possible. In polarization switching 3D displays, left and right images are displayed in sequence at 120Hz, and a polarization switching panel located in front of the image panel makes polarization of left and right images different. Polarized glasses help separate left and right images on the viewer’s eyes. Throughout these procedures, the viewer can see full resolution left image sequences at 60Hz on their left eye and this is the same for right image sequences. Additionally, the viewer wearing polarized glasses can feel less discomfort than when wearing shutter glasses, because polarized glasses are much lighter. Therefore the researchers judge that polarization switching is suitable for 3D displays as an alternative of patterned retarder and shutter glasses, and scrutinize how 3D crosstalk appears when polarization switching is combined with an LCD image panel used mainly. Because crosstalk is the most important factor of artifacts such as dizziness and nausea, which viewers can have while watching 3D displays, we need to evaluate crosstalk with an objective and quantified method, and design 3D displays with as lower level of crosstalk as possible. Crosstalk caused by slow LC panel response can be divided into two cases: white and black crosstalk. White crosstalk is caused when luminance of some pixels or area is changing from bright to dark, and vice versa for black crosstalk. For 3D displays with a PS panel, we have to define left and right eyes’ crosstalk separately. Some 3D technologies have the same crosstalk on the left and right eyes. 3D display realized with shutter glasses is an example. However, P and S waves of a PS panel, which have different transmittance rates, make left and right eyes’ crosstalk different. Crosstalk of polarization switching 3D LCD displays consists of left white, left black, right white, and right black, and the illustration shows PS and LC data waveforms in each case.

Four cases of 3D crosstalk caused by PS panels: left black (left above), left white (right above), right white (left below), and right black (right below)

60 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010

Simultaneous Projection of Stereoscopic 3D Images in Orthogonal Polarization through a Single Lens Simon A. Boothroyd, Thetalili Inc., Ottawa, Ontario

A prototype single-lens stereoscopic 3D projector is demonstrated with excellent cross-talk performance between the simultaneously projected left- and right-eye images. Performance requirements for the enabling polarizing beam splitter in a highly light efficient two-panel arrangement are analyzed. A highly light efficient 3D projection approach using a single PBS has been demonstrated. This approach can be applied to reflective display panels and a single white light or RGB LED or laser light source. The researchers have demonstrated an arrangement with two panels that is very light efficient, is simply switched from 2D to 3D, and delivers right and left eye-images simultaneously with high image quality and very low polarization cross-talk for passive glasses 3D viewing. This projection approach is enabled by a PBS of exceptional performance and is an attractive solution for delivering 3D from a single projector. A prototype 3D projector has been implemented using a Li Li polarizing beam-splitter (PBS) and two LCoS panels as a proof-of-concept demonstration. Most of the optical components used were from existing projectors and were not specifically designed for this application. Thetalili is currently developing the Li Li PBS for 3D projectors with time-sequential LCoS panels and LED or laser light sources. More results on these developments will be reported shortly.

Prototype 3D projector with a Li Li PBS: (a) schematic, (b) light engine layout, (c) projector

Novel Broadband Retarder Evaluation Metrics for 3D Projection Display Yu-hsun Chang, Kuo-Chung Huang, and Hoang-Yan Lin, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Chao-Hsu Tsai, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Broadband retarder (BBR), keeping away crosstalk between the binocular parallax images, is the key component of polarization based 3D stereoscopic display systems. In the case of rotating the viewer’s polarization glasses, circular polarization light is needed for preserving stereo perception. Eliminating wavelength depended optical properties is the goal for BBR design. BBR has been widely applied for LCD displays. However, previous studies did not take into account the rotating analyzer and in those cases did not have a compensated retarder. Since the analyzer rotates, the retardation-wavelength relationship fails to represent both the transmittance-wavelength property and the color performance. In this paper, the researchers use a numerical solution rather than an analytical solution to analyze dispersive issues. The transmittance, crosstalk and color shift metrics are used to evaluate the BBR quality, and 25% crosstalk, 33.73% red color shift and 26.4% green color shift improvements are shown in the design.

Right is the BBR structure for a projection type 3D display application. HWP is half- wave plate and QWP is quarter- wave plate. Left is the BBR structure for an LCD application.

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A Novel Polarizer Glasses-type 3D Display with a Patterned Retarder Hoon Kang, Su-Dong Roh, In-Su Baik, Hyun-Joon Jung, Woo-Nam Jeong, Jong-Keun Shin, and In-Jae Chung LG Display, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

To ameliorate the polarized glassless type 3D display with a patterned retarder, LG strongly recommends the i-PR (in cell black stripe patterned retarder) structure. In 3D mode, this particular structure can improve vertical viewing angle. When 2D switching mode is expressed, luminance and visibility will ameliorate at the same time. From the patterned retarder panel, left data inputs the odd line and the right inputs the even line. Odd and even lines match to right and left handed circularly polarization status respectively. By using spatial sequential, the image will go to the left and right eye. Output of TFT LCD has linearly polarization status in the whole active area. The optically patterned retarder is expressed as a quarter wave plate. Its optical axis has alternatively +/- 45 degrees line by line. It can change from linearly to circularly polarization status by interleaved format. Thus it can divide into two types of polarization status. However the human eye cannot distinguish polarization status. If we wear polarized glasses consisting of a quarter wave plate and polarizer, each eye can see select only one of them. A conventional patterned retarder type 3D LCD consists of a TFT LCD and patterned retarder, where it is needed to align between the patterned retarder and the TFT LCD. The 3D effect means it has an ability to divide left/right images to each eye. Currently researchers are using the 3D crosstalk measurement (ability to divide left/right images) even though there is no standard. This method can perform the best ability to divide left/right images in known 3D methods. However, 3D crosstalk increases in the vertical rather than horizontal direction because of its geometrical structure. To overcome obstacles, the researchers in this work came up with two solutions. First, adding BS (black stripe) in the patterned retarder as shown in Figure 1. The center of the BS is located in the point where adjacent patterned retarders with other optical axes meet. 3D viewing characteristics is improved because light to make crosstalk is blocked by the BS as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1: BS (black stripe) configuration using patterned retarder; Figure 2: Improvement of 3D viewing characteristics in the vertical direction

Prototyping of Glasses-Free Table-Style 3D Display for Tabletop Tasks Shunsuke Yoshida, Sumio Yano, and Hiroshi Ando National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kyoto, Japan

An autostereoscopic 3D display optimized for tabletop tasks is described. The display employs a conical-shaped optical device and circularly arranged projectors are installed below a table. The resultant display provides a ring- shaped viewing area located above the table. Individual 3D images can be observed from any direction with correct perspective. In this paper, the researchers propose a novel autostereoscopic 3D display for such tabletop tasks. For sharing 3D virtual objects on a flat tabletop surface naturally, they assume that the following conditions should be satisfied: (1) the tasks should not be disturbed and the working spaces should not be occupied; (2) the 3D images

62 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 should be observed from arbitrary directions around the table; and (3) special 3D glasses should not be required for natural communication around the table. The proposed optical device is shaped as a cylinder or a cone; further, a special optical function for the incoming rays is applied to this device. These rays diffuse in the direction of the edge line of the shape and pass straight in the direction of circumference. Then, they employ an array of projectors arranged in a circular manner. The screen and the projector array are installed underneath the table, as shown in Figure 1. Finally, the configuration reproduces the light field according to the followings steps. As an approximation, the projector radiates numerous rays from the projection center of the projector into the projected direction with a certain color and luminosity. When the vertical plane (see Figure 1(a)) is considered, a ray that is projected from a projector and that entered the screen spreads out at a certain angle because of the optical characteristic of the screen. Then, the diffused light that goes straight to the eye is observed by a viewer. In the horizontal plane, as illustrated in Figure 1(b), many projectors should be arranged in a circular manner, and the screen has an optical characteristic of making rays pass straight in this plane. Therefore, the directions of the rays that are projected from the projection center are not changed after passing the screen. A bunch of rays are produced from separate projectors, and these are concentrated at the eye position. As a result, an integrated image on the retina is formed. When there are sufficient projectors in a dense pitch and each ray has an appropriate color and luminosity for reproducing all virtual light sources, one could consider that this proposed light-field reproduction approach makes the viewers perceive 3D images according to binocular parallax.

Proposed method to reproduce the light field

Backlight for View-Sequential Autostereo 3D Adrian Travis, Neil Emerton, Tim Large, Steven Bathiche, and Bernie Rihn Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington

The researchers have demonstrated a backlight that emits collimated light whose direction can be scanned through 16°. Combined with a high frame rate LCD, this allows a display stereo 3D with no need for glasses. A conceptually simple way to display a three dimensional image is to illuminate a liquid crystal panel with collimated light whose direction can be scanned. The result is a three dimensional image which is free of flicker if the sequence is repeated sufficiently quickly. While ferroelectric liquid crystals and poly-silicon transistors have long had the switching times needed to enable this, the display industry has instead developed nematic liquid crystals and amorphous silicon transistors which switch too slowly for view sequential 3D. However, work on stereo-3D and color sequential displays has prompted the development of liquid crystals that switch on and off in less than one millisecond yet have the gray-scale lacked by classic ferro-electrics. These effects typically require undesirably high switching voltages of more than 50 volts but liquid crystal displays are nevertheless following a trend of rising frame rate. Simultaneously, advances in head-tracking technology have led to a reduction in the number of views needed and therefore to a reduction in the frame rate required of the liquid crystal display. This view-sequential approach therefore deserves fresh examination but there is needed a slim backlight that emits collimated light whose direction of collimation can be scanned.

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Virtual image displays inherently have the ability to emit light in the manner needed for view-sequential 3D and a virtual image can be ejected from a flat panel waveguide if it is embossed with a weak diffraction grating. Such a device can indeed be used to display a three dimensional image but light must be collimated before it is injected into the slab waveguide which requires a second collimating waveguide that makes the display bulky. A wedge waveguide can also be configured to emit collimated light and it was recently explained how ray fan-out can take place in the same wedge as that from which collimated light emerges. Here the researchers report how the direction of emitted light alters with the point of input in the manner needed for view-sequential 3D. When parallel rays reflect off a curve, they converge towards a point of focus but the rays will reach the critical angle and cease to be guided before they reach this point. So the researchers emboss the thick end with facets sloped to reduce ray angle and truncate the wedge at the point of focus, which is halfway to the center of curvature from the thick end.

The thick end is curved and faceted so as to concentrate ray paths to a point at the input

Crosstalk Suppression by Image Processing in 3D Display Yu-Cheng Chang, Chih-Yao Ma, and Yi-Pai Huang, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

The researchers propose a digital crosstalk reduction (DCR) method to suppress optical crosstalk in 3D displays without using any extra hardware components. Furthermore, the DCR method can be applied to most of the 3D display technologies. In this paper, a 17-inch pattern retarder stereoscopic display and a 12-views autostereoscopic display were verified to yield less crosstalk by applying the DCR method. Up to now, there are some methods to reduce crosstalk, such as lowering aperture ratio in barrier type displays, adding a pixel mask on lenticular type displays, using blanking backlight in shutter glasses type displays, etc. These either sacrifice brightness or require an extra device, so the cost or the power consumption will increase. This DCR image processing method suppresses the crosstalk successfully without adding any extra device or varying the structure of display in two-view and multi-view 3D displays. After processing, the crosstalk of a two-view display was less than 5%, and the crosstalk of 32-inch 12-view display was reduced from 53.2% to 9.6% at the best viewing angle. Furthermore, this method can be applied to any 3D display technology which uses binocular parallax to perceive 3D, such as shutter glasses, etc.

The stereo image: left, original image; right, after image processing (DCR method)

Directional Backlight Lightguide Considerations for Full Resolution Autostereoscopic 3D Displays Robert Brott, and John Schultz, 3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota

This paper describes the requirements and considerations necessary to create a directional backlight suitable for use with a 3D film method for achieving full resolution autostereoscopic 3D displays in handheld and portable devices. This time-sequential autostereoscopic 3D display approach produced a two-view, full resolution display by

64 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 optically forming distinct viewing regions for left and right eyes. Full resolution was achieved using time sequential left and right images displayed fast enough to avoid the perception of flicker. Further the single 3D viewing zone eliminated view reversal, a common cause of viewer fatigue, but supported off-axis viewing of either the left or the right image. The figure is a schematic view of the display stack showing the directional backlight, a layer of 3D film and a 120Hz LCD panel. Combining this display stack with a page-flipped image software package such as “stphmkre” and compatible electronics, the left light source was synchronized with the display of the left image on the LCD and then the right light source with the right image.

Operational concept of time-sequential autostereoscopic 3D display (not to scale)

There is a rapidly increasing public interest in 3D with the increase in 3D movies, gaming and other content. Mobile devices, for which stereoscopic 3D is not generally practical, will be a major implementation area for 3D viewing in the near future as content is ported to the smaller displays. The design of a backlight suitable for such a display was shown to be straightforward.

The Optics of an Autostereoscopic Multiview Display Eero Willman, H. Baghsiahi, F. A. Fernández, D. R. Selviah, and S. E. Day, University College, London, England V. C. Kishore, E. Erden, and H. Urey, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey P. A. Surman, De Montfort University, Leicester, England

An autostereoscopic head-tracked back projection display that uses an RGB laser illumination source and a fast light engine is described. Images are horizontally scanned columns controlled by a spatial light modulator that directs two or more images in the directions of the apposite viewers’ eyes. The HELIUM3D (High Efficiency Laser-Based Multi-user Multimodal 3D Display) is a European Union funded project developing an auto- stereoscopic multiview multi-user display. The project is led by De Montfort University in the UK and comprises eight partners, the others being: Philips, Nanjing University, Barco, Fraunhofer HHI, Koç University, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven and University College London. The goal of the project is the development of an auto- stereoscopic display whose capabilities exceed those of a purely stereoscopic display. The display operates in conjunction with a fast image-forming device, allowing for the possibility of operating in what is referred to as the “3D+” mode where a completely different image can be presented to each viewer’s eye. This enables other interesting modes of operation to be achieved, for example; motion parallax, user-determined viewpoint, secure images visible only to selected viewers, etc. A multi-user head position tracker is an integral part of the system and in addition to being used to locate the regions in the viewing field where the images are observed (exit pupils) the display lends itself readily to interactive applications where the knowledge of head positions is utilized.

The illustration shows a schematic diagram of the HELIUM3D display system. The display consists of three sub- sections: the light engine, the head tracker and the transfer screen. The light engine delivers a vertical uniform white light column with the size of 8mm x 100μm which is scanned using a scanning mirror across a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) light valve. Three high power multi-emitter lasers are employed for red (640nm), green (532nm) and blue (465nm) to achieve a wide color gamut and deliver enough luminance intensity at the LCoS device. Using multi emitter lasers reduces the coherence length and helps in combating speckle, which is a real concern in laser projection systems. The initial power of each laser is 3W and a color temperature of 6500K is achieved by using a power ratio of 1:0.49:0.63 for red, green and blue. The three lasers are combined, homogenized and shaped using an x-cube, optical lenses and microlens arrays, and delivered as a uniform light column at the position of the LCoS device. The LCoS contains the image content thus creating a horizontally scanned columnar representation of the image. The scanned image is relayed to the transfer screen stage using a conventional multi-element projection lens

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(L1). This lens acts as an interface between the light engine and the transfer screen sub-systems of the display. The head tracker stage identifies the locations of the viewers’ left and right eyes in real time. The eye positions are used for controlling a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) within the transfer screen. The SLM steers the scanned image columns to the viewers’ left or right eyes. The different modes of operation of the display are realized using time domain multiplexing of the displayed image frames.

A simplified schematic diagram showing the subsystems comprising the HELIUM3D display

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66 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 SID DisplaySearch Business Conference May 24, 2010, Seattle, Washington

Phillip Hill covers presentations from Panasonic Corporation of North America, and Corning Display Technologies

The Value of Glass and Technology in Display Applications John Bayne, Corning Display Technologies, Corning, New York

Enhanced glass attributes are enabling better TV performance. Technology changes mean features such as 3D, multiview, and touch. Recent glass substrate enhancements mean improved optical purity, improved surface quality, dimensional stability, Gen 8 and Gen 10 substrates, and thin glass (Gorilla). Thin glass is delivering thinner and lighter applications (see graph). Strengthened cover glass brings design and performance benefits to LCD TV. Strengthened cover glass enables design and feature enhancements. It is superior to polycarbonate and heat- tempered soda lime. It is 2-3 times thinner, 25% to 50% lighter, has improved optical quality, and superior 3D TV experience – there is no polarizer distortion. Additional options are anti-glare, anti-reflective, easy-to-clean treatments, and printing on glass. Fusion-formed glass enables design and feature enhancements for 3D. 3D TV requirements are faster response time; dynamic LED backlighting; high brightness; polarization control; less parallax; and high resolution. The role of glass in TFT+CF structures is that glass enables faster response, higher resolution, and polarization control. Edge to edge 3D TVs need cover glass with very low stress and low birefringence for less 3D crosstalk. With row interleaved glass, Xpol passive 3D TV technology requires a piece of glass in front of the TV to act as a pattern retarder.

Strengthened cover glass brings design and performance benefits to LCD TV; Weight and thickness reduction

3D TV: Toward Rapid Adoption Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Secaucus, New Jersey

The rapid foundation of 3D TV technology development is based on mass HD deployment. In terms of partnerships: BDA, HDMI, studios, distribution, networks. In terms of production: BD C&A, monitors, camera rigs, camcorders, production gear, and replication. In terms of product: plasma TV, Blu-ray, panels, devices, components, and PC drives. Tsuyuzaki looked at 3D TV product deployment. There is overwhelming enthusiasm,

67 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 he said, and content will drive growth. In terms of product, Panasonic was the first to market and it sold out. Feedback from the first demo in 2008, first tours in 2009, and the 15 City Tour in 2010 was that 82 % said it was worth +$500. A CEA survey showed 85% were satisfied, 67% will buy TVs with more content, 40% prefer 3D/2D, and 27% would use 3D always for movies, games and TV. In terms of 3D TV content development, viable business models will dictate line-up. For movie studios, there have been 20-30 releases and catalog conversion is going on. Nvidia has brought out 400+ PC games. Satellite has gone nationwide with DirecTV in June 2010. Cable/telco will follow with VOD launches in the Fall. Networks already include ESPN and Discovery/IMAX. All other majors will follow with sports, documentaries, music, and general entertainment. In terms of 3D TV eyewear, the focus is on experience optimization. Anaglyph was a bad experience. Passive is positive in digital theater but is only half resolution, Active is Full HD quality but the cost is high. Autostereo’s negative is that it is unrealized production. The presentation went on to look briefly at convergence and crosstalk.

Multi View Veritas et Visus  Andrew Woods, volume 10: 20 articles, 62 pages

 Mark Fihn, volume 11: 83 articles, 260 pages

The MultiView compilation newsletters bring together the contributions of various regular contributors to the Veritas et Visus newsletters to provide a compendium of insights and observations from specific experts in the display industry. http://www.veritasetvisus.com

68 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 10-15, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia

In the second of two reports, Phillip Hill covers presentations from Microsoft, University of California at Berkeley/Nokia Research Center, Toyohashi University of Technology/University of Tokyo/National Institute of Informatics/Keio University, Microsoft Research, Carnegie Mellon University, SAIT, GIST U-VR Lab, MIT Media Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Otto-von-Guericke University, and National University of Singapore

Tangible Video Bubbles Kimiko Ryokai, and Yotam Mann, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California Hayes Raffle, and Hiroshi Horii, Nokia Research Center, Palo Alto, California

The researchers introduce the Tangible Video Bubbles, a new video-based drawing space for children to create expressive video art. A Tangible Video Bubble acts both as a container for children’s expressions, as well as an instrument with which children can perform with their recorded video by squeezing and stretching the physical bubble. They present their iterative design process and evaluation of the play space with children, and discuss a new approach to making video creation more concrete and playful for children. Tangible Video Bubbles introduces a flexible physical vessel that acts as both an input and output device for children to work with videos and easily incorporate them into their drawings. Children can record their expressions into a vase-shaped foam “bubble” and physically squeeze the recorded expression out into their drawing. As they squeeze the bubble in different manners children can edit and manipulate their recording in real time. When children squeezed the bubble near the canvas they can incorporate their recordings in their drawings. The tangible video bubble is a large, soft, and huggable ball equipped with a video camera and a screen for children to record and playback video messages. To record a message, the child presses a button on the top and speaks into an opening in the bubble. A video camera inside the bubble captures the child’s expression until the button is pressed again to stop the recording. While recording, the child can look at a reflection of herself on a screen in the bottom of the bubble inside. Once a child has captured a message in the bubble, she can play it back at various speeds by squeezing the physical bubble at different pressures. By squeezing, the child can jump to any random location in the recorded message and play it back from that location at any speed.

Children create video messages and interactive drawings

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Augmented Reality, Surface Style Paul Hoover, Luis E. Cabrera, and Curt Aumiller, Microsoft, Redmond, Washington

Most displays can show information only on a planar surface. In some cases it is advantageous to extend the display into the third dimension or inside objects on the surface. For instance, a person on one side of an interactive table might want to read a message displayed privately to themselves. This paper describes a novel use of fiber optics to take the light from a planar surface and extend it to display into the third dimension, both vertically and in any direction that the fiber optic is bent.

The paper describes three prototypes and how they extend the blend the line between the virtual world and the physical world. Clear cube (single-pixel 3D display): the first prototype is a simple, clear cube. Each side of the cube includes a unique, clear infrared tag and displays a unique color when each side is placed on Surface. Colored light is also cast around each side to indicate the color of the adjacent sides. This prototype provides a single-pixel display that is raised into 3D space (Figure 1).

Fiber optic array (multi-pixel 3D display): the second prototype focuses on extending the light from the display above the surface. The prototype consists of thick pieces of plastic fiber optic (or light pipe), combined into two arrays by using tape and glue and shaped into a cone and a dome. The prototype objects are also tagged with clear, infrared tags. In Figures 2, visualizations appear inside the objects by using the TagVisualizer control from the Microsoft Surface Software Development Kit (SDK). Because the visualization is projected inside the physical object, no screen real estate is wasted for displaying information about the object around the object. So if this knob were an opaque volume knob you might show the volume as a percentage outside the volume knob. Using a clear fiber optic object allows to use the screen more efficiently and visualize the volume level inside the knob. If one wanted to show a volume level of 25%, one could illuminate a quarter pie inside the object, etc.

Bent fiber optic grid (multi-pixel 3D display at arbitrary angle): the third prototype includes fiber optics that are not straight, but are bent to other configurations or planes. To demonstrate this physical property of light, the prototype consists of a toy monster with a face that can dynamically change into any image. The fiber optic pieces (which come from a child’s fiber optic lamp) are pushed through a cylindrical hole in the toy that extends from its feet to its face. The toy monster also includes a clear, infrared tag to track its location, creating a unique physical object interaction (Figure 3). When the toy is placed on the interactive display, the monster looks around by using its one eye until a cup is placed on the display. When a cup is placed down, if the cup is empty, the monster asks you to fill its cup. If you fill the cup, the monster thanks you and its eye follows its cup no matter where you move the monster or the cup.

Figure 1: A clear, acrylic cube that is tagged with six clear infrared tags; Figure 2: A dome-shaped object that consists of multiple fiber optic pieces; Figure 3: A toy that includes multiple fiber optics routed through it

70 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 iFeel_IM: Innovative Real-Time Communication System with Rich Emotional and Haptic Channels Dzmitry Tsetserukou, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Japan; Alena Neviarouskaya, and Mitsuru Ishizuka, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Helmut Prendinger, National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo, Japan; Susumu Tachi, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan

The paper focuses on a novel system (iFeel_IM!) that integrates the 3D virtual world, intelligent component for automatic emotion recognition from text, and innovative affective haptic interfaces providing additional non-verbal communication channels through simulation of emotional feedback and social touch. The motivation behind the work is to enrich social interaction and emotional involvement of the users of communication media. iFeel_IM! users can not only exchange messages but also emotionally and physically feel the presence of the communication partner. Driven by the motivation to enhance social interactivity and emotionally immersive experience of real-time messaging, the researchers pioneered the idea of reinforcing (intensifying) feelings and reproducing (simulating) the emotions felt by the partner through a specially designed system, iFeel_IM!. In the iFeel_IM! system, great importance is placed on the automatic sensing of emotions conveyed through textual messages in 3D virtual world Second Life, the visualization of the detected emotions by avatars in a virtual environment, enhancement of user’s affective state, and reproduction of feeling of social touch by means of haptic stimulation in a real world. As a media for communication, the researchers employ Second Life, which allows users to flexibly create their online identities and to play various animations of avatars. The control of the conversation is implemented through the Second Life object called EmoHeart attached to the avatar’s chest. Once attached to the avatar, EmoHeart object listens to each message of its owner, sends it to the web-based interface of the Affect Analysis Model (AAM) located on the server, receives the result (dominant emotion and intensity), and visually reflects the sensed affective state through the animation of avatar’s facial expression.

In addition to communication with the Affect Analysis Model, EmoHeart is responsible for sensing symbolic cues or keywords of “hug” communicative function conveyed by text, and for visualization (triggering related animation) of “hugging” in Second Life. The results from the Affect Analysis Model and EmoHeart are stored along with the chat messages in a file on local computer of each user. Haptic Devices Controller analyses these data in a real time and generates control signals for Digital/Analog converter (D/A), which then feeds Driver Box for haptic devices with control cues. Based on the transmitted signal, the corresponding haptic device worn by the user is activated. In order to support the affective communication, they implemented several novel haptic displays embedded in iFeel_IM!. They make up three groups. First group is intended for emotion elicitation implicitly (HaptiHeart, HaptiButterfly, HaptiTemper, and HaptiShiver); the second type evokes affect in a direct way (HaptiTickler); and the third one uses sense of social touch (HaptiHug) for influencing the mood and providing the sense of physical co-presence.

Architecture of the iFeel_IM! system. In order to communicate through iFeel_IM!, users have to wear innovative affective haptic devices (HaptiHeart, HaptiHug, HaptiButterfly, HaptiTickler, HaptiTemper, and HaptiShiver) developed by the researchers.

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Pinch-the-Sky Dome: Freehand Multi-Point Interactions with Immersive Omni-Directional Data Hrvoje Benko, and Andrew D. Wilson, Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington

Pinch-the-Sky Dome is a large immersive installation where several users can interact simultaneously with omni- directional data inside of a tilted geodesic dome. The system consists of an omni-directional projector camera unit in the center of the dome. The projector is able to project an image spanning the entire 360 degrees and a camera is used to track freehand gestures for navigation of the content. The interactive demos include: 1) the exploration of the astronomical data provided by World Wide Telescope; 2) social networking 3D graph visualizations; 3) immersive panoramic images; and 4) 360 degree video conferencing. They combine speech commands with freehand pinch gestures to provide a highly immersive and interactive experience to several users inside the dome, with a very wide field of view for each user.

Pinch-the-Sky Dome

3D User Interface Combining Gaze and Hand Gestures for Large-Scale Display ByungIn Yoo, Jae-Joon Han, Changkyu Choi, Kwonju Yi, Sungjoo Suh, Dusik Park, and Changyeong Kim SAIT, Gyeongi, South Korea

In this paper, the researchers present a novel attentive and immersive user interface based on gaze and hand gestures for interactive large-scale displays. The combination of gaze and hand gestures provide more interesting and immersive ways to manipulate 3D information. The paper proposes a novel fusion interaction at about three meter distance off the screen, which combines gaze and the hand gestures for the user to manipulate the structured 3D contents immediately and its UI method which is attentive and immersive. The wall type interactive display of the paper is composed of two components, i.e., a display unit and a sensing unit. The display is a rear projection display (4x1.8x3m). The sensing unit is composed of three CCD color cameras and a Time of Flight (TOF) depth camera (see figure). The results suggest that users prefer the UI combining gaze and hand gestures manipulating 3D structured contents on the screen due to the fact that the combined UI makes more attentive and immersive than the conventional UI. They are currently designing more experiments to support the results and doing more analysis to test if the proposed methods improve usability. There are still remaining issues to solve such that users feel fatigue while using hands in the air, which will enable the gestural interaction to be commonly used. In future work, they will investigate a novel gestural interaction for 3D large-scale displays to improve immersiveness and a sense of control and communion when a user manipulates 3D objects on the screen.

Interactive wall display architecture

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TOPAOKO: Interactive Construction Kit Kuan-Ju Wu, and Mark D. Gross, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Anybody with a laser cutter can build their own TOPAOKO. The paper describes work in progress on TOPAOKO, an interactive construction kit that encourages experimentation and play with pieces of a hardboard based, embedded circuit, kit. The researchers describe each component of the kit and examples of constructions built with it. TOPAOKO is a new generation interactive construction kit intended for high school students and college freshmen. Students in these ages are creative and have enough experience making things. Students can learn electronics and make toys while playing with TOPAOKO. With it, students not only create buildings or machines, but also to make the kit itself. Just as color printers, once very costly, are now a consumer product, in the near future laser cutters will become more accessible as the price decreases. The photo shows the TOPAOKO construction kit. It contains a microcontroller block, an assortment of sensor blocks and actuator blocks, a battery block, and some hardboard pieces. Each component is made of laser cut hardboard. Components can be connected electrically via copper foil traces and embedded magnets keep connections tight.

The TOPAOKO kit is made of laser cut hardboard embedded with circuits

Tangible Spin Cube for 3D Ring Menu in Real Space Hyeongmook Lee, and Woontack Woo, GIST U-VR Lab, Gwangju, South Korea

In this paper, the researchers introduce a novel interface, the Tangible Spin Cube (TSC), for experiencing a 3D ring menu in real space. It enables a tangible object-referenced 3D ring menu and its items’ placement by using multi- marker tracking. Also, it supports spin interaction using hall sensor-based spin detection for natural menu browsing. Finally, they evaluate the performance of the current prototype’s spin detection and show an example of a 3D ring menu application. They exploited an example of the 3D ring menu application using the current prototype of the TSC (see photo). It presented a ring menu with multiple hexagonal model items around the cube. Also, it supports simple menu browsing with spin gesture input. The TSC supports 3D tracking and spin detection for a realistic 3D ring menu. It was implemented by a multi-marker cube tracking for 3D menus and for partially solving occlusion problems. Also, a robust spin detection using cheap hall sensors was designed and its performance evaluated. Finally, they showed an initial prototype of the 3D ring menu as well. In future work, they will enhance the sensing reliability of the TSC. With better performance, they could expect to build a TSC-based hierarchical 3D ring menu system. In this context, a system evaluation including qualitative and quantitative measures will be carried out.

A simple 3D ring menu application that has 8 items around the TSC

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Mirrored Message Wall: Sharing between Real and Virtual Space Jung-Ho Yeom, and Beng-Kiang Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore

This paper describes the Mirrored Message Wall as a public display to promote social communication and user participation. It exists in both physical and virtual space and is a bridge to connect users between the real and virtual worlds. Use of 3D virtual worlds, such as Second Life, is increasingly popular and the in-world activities exist only in the virtual realm. Users are disconnected from activities happening in the real world physical space and people in the real world are not aware of the presence of users in the virtual space without turning on their computer. In this project, the researchers try to extend participation to users in the 3D virtual world. The virtual users could be National University of Singapore (NUS) students who are on exchange programs overseas, alumni or international student who have returned to their home country. They miss the connection and interaction with other students in NUS. So, the extension to the virtual can be a means of communication between students who are in the physical campus and the 3D virtual campus in Second Life. The Mirrored Message Wall exists in physical space and virtual space (Second Life) and it is a bridge to connect users between both worlds (see the figure). The goal of this Mirrored Message Wall is to promote communication and awareness of presence between real and virtual space. It consists of three main systems – a message wall server, a physical message wall platform and a virtual message wall platform. The message wall server saves the message and sensing data from the real and virtual space. To collect users’ message, the researchers use short message service (SMS). SMS is most widely used and is a friendly communication service nowadays. People can use the Mirrored Message Wall without any other extra device. When the (GSM) modem receives a new SMS message from the user at the physical message wall, it is sent to the message wall server. Both Mirrored Message Walls in real and virtual space will display the message anonymously whenever a new message is detected.

Posting messages using mobile SMS

Remote Interaction for 3D Manipulation Seungju Han, Hyunjeong Lee, Joonah Park, Wook Chang, and Changyeong Kim Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Yongin-si, South Korea

In this paper, the researchers present a two-handed 3D interaction approach for immersive virtual reality applications on a large vertical display. The proposed interaction scheme is based on hybrid motion sensing technology that tracks the 3D position and orientation of multiple handheld devices. More specifically, the devices have embedded ultrasonic and inertial sensors to accurately identify their position and attitude in the air. The interaction architecture is designed for pointing and object manipulation tasks. Since the sensor system guarantees 3D spatial information only, they have developed an algorithm to exactly track the position of interest produced by the pointing task. For the object manipulation, they have carefully assigned one-handed and two-handed interaction schemes for each task. One-handed interaction includes selection and translation while rotation and scaling are assigned for the two-handed interaction. By combining one-handed and two-handed interactions, they believe that the presented system provides users with more intuitive and natural interaction for 3D object manipulation. The feasibility and validity of the proposed method are validated through user tests. The primary goal of the user study is to evaluate the feasibly of the proposed interface for the selection, translation, rotation and scaling tasks. The study was conducted on a PC-class desktop computer with a 50-inch Full HD display. A component of our VR

74 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 system receives the 3D tracking data of the input devices and transforms them into the corresponding commands for the virtual environment. The figure shows the designed selection, translation, rotation, and scaling tasks for 3D manipulation.

3D manipulation uCom: Spatial Displays For Visual Awareness Of Remote Locations Ana Luisa Santos, and V. Michael Bove, Jr., MIT Media Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts uCom enables remote users to be visually aware of each other using “spatial displays” – live views of a remote space assembled according to an estimate of the remote space's layout. Remote video views from multiple viewpoints are shown individually or in a 3D collage representation that is faithful to the scene geometry. A multi- display setup integrates always-on visual connections of a remote site into the local space. This work applies an innovative spatial context to visual awareness between remote locations. The researchers introduce the idea of “spatial displays”, i.e., displaying multiple images of a location according to their spatial relationship. They use the spatial or geometric correspondence between remote views as a tool to achieve awareness across connected spaces. The application scenario is a collaborative activity engaging remote users who can benefit from seamlessly visualizing the remote room from multiple viewpoints. For instance, one can support two remote teams of coworkers on discussing ideas with focus on visual elements or objects. Even though the long-term goal is to facilitate remote collaboration, at this current stage of research they focus solely on the visualization aspect. By portraying the static geometric arrangement of a remote room, they aim at enhancing the users’ perception of the dynamics of the remote space, i.e., activities taking place there.

Experiment’s multi-display setup

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Exploring Information Spaces by Using Tangible Magic Lenses in a Tabletop Environment Martin Spindler, and Raimund Dachselt, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany

To solve the challenge of exploring large information spaces on interactive surfaces such as tabletops, the researchers developed an optically tracked, lightweight, passive display (magic lens) that provides elegant three- dimensional exploration of rich datasets. This can either be volumetric, layered, zoomable, or temporal information paces, which are mapped onto the physical volume above a tabletop. By moving the magic lens through the volume, corresponding data is displayed, thus serving as a window into virtuality. Hereby, various interaction techniques are introduced, which especially utilize the lens’ height above a tabletop in a novel way, e.g. for zooming or displaying information layers. With the exploration space a virtual 3D volumetric space is described that is virtually “filled” with the data the user intends to explore. According to the type and extent of the data, four different classes of exploration spaces can be distinguished: volumetric, layered, zoomable, and temporal information spaces. In order to let users spatially explore these classes in a more natural way, appropriate mappings from the interaction space (XiYiZi) onto the exploration space coordinate system (XeYeZe) needs to be found. Hereby, all four classes share a similar mapping in XeYe-space, but differ conceptually in the third dimension (Ze- axis). The volumetric information space is a set of 3D samples (voxels) with a volumetric nature. Typical examples are datasets acquired via CT or MRI techniques used in the realm of medical or scientific visualization. Volumetric data exhibit a continuous form in all three dimensions and thus allow for a direct linear mapping from (XiYiZi) onto (XeYeZe).

By moving the PaperLens (blue rectangle) through the physical 3D space above the tabletop, i.e. the interaction space (XiYiZi, green), users can examine four different types of explorable information spaces (XeYeZe, red)

Various layers of information, in this case representing different human body systems, can be chosen from by lifting and lowering the magic lens

76 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 NAB 2010 April 10-15, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada

Michael Starks provides a detailed commentary of the exhibitions and happenings at NAB 2010, along with his insights about the burgeoning market for 3D devices. This is the first of three sections of his exhaustive coverage.

by Michael Starks

After graduate work in cell physiology at UC Berkeley, Michael Starks began studying stereoscopy in 1973, and co- founded StereoGraphics Corp (now Real D) in 1979. He was involved in all aspects of R&D including prototype 3D videogames for the Atari and Amiga and the first versions of what evolved into CrystalEyes LCD shutter glasses, the standard for professional stereo, and is co-patentee on their first 3DTV system. In 1985 he was responsible for starting a project at UME Corp, which eventually resulted in the Mattel PowerGlove, the first consumer VR system. In 1989 he started 3DTV Corp. In 1990 he began work on “Solidizing”-- a realtime process for converting 2D video into 3D. In 1992 3DTV he created the first full color stereoscopic CDROM (“3D Magic”) including games for the PC with shutter glasses. In 2007 companies to whom 3DTV supplied technology and consulting produced theatrical 3D shutter glasses viewing systems, which are being introduced worldwide in 2008. Starks has been a member of SMPTE, SID, SPIE and IEEE and has published in Proc. SPIE, Stereoscopy, American Cinematographer and Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. The SPIE symposia on 3D Imaging seem to have originated due to his suggestion to John Merritt at a San Diego SPIE meeting some 20 years ago. Michael more or less retired in 1998 and lives in China where he raises goldfish and is researching a book on the philosophy of Wittgenstein. http://www.3dtv.jp

The 3D industry has picked up speed and the range of products and projects is simply amazing. To assess what was at the show and where the industry is going we have to look at the whole world of stereo-imaging. Driven originally mostly by the 3D cinema, 3D has now become the darling of the broadcast and electronics industries with everyone rushing to implement 3D hardware and software and many programs planned over broadcast, cable, and satellite. Korea seems to be the first with regular 3D programs on a satellite pay TV channel (though some will recall the satellite broadcasts of C3D in the USA and of Japan 3D a decade ago when CRT‘s and shutter glasses were the only available means. Live 3D broadcasts of sporting events to limited audiences (i.e., to theaters equipped to receive and display 3D) are occurring and FIFA has committed to 3D broadcast of the 2010 World Soccer Cup from South Africa. Sony has stated that they will broadcast 25 matches from FIFA 2010 with seven stereo rigs with Pro HDC-1500 cameras processed via their MPE-200 (with automatic parallax control) and 3D Outside Broadcast trucks. As I write, the French Tennis open and various USA baseball games will be 3D cast soon. Contrary to many announcements in the media, none of these were the first live 3D sports broadcasts, that honor belonging, as far as I know, a webonym to the Milwaukee Brewers game done in anaglyph in 1953.

This reminds me that even if uptake of new 3D ready TV‘s (i.e., polarized or shutter glasses displays) follows the most optimistic projections there will still be only a minority of households with a 3D set 5 or 10 years from now, even in the rich countries. The only way to solve this is anaglyph broadcasts or simulcasts with anaglyph on one channel and other 3D formats on others. It would be easy to include one or more anaglyph outputs as a format choice in the new TVs, STBs, BR3D players etc., but I doubt it will happen (however anyone with a PC can playback any 3D program-including recorded broadcasts in SpaceSpex yellow/blue format using Suto‘s or Wimmer‘s stereoplayers). The perception seems to be that anaglyph is so bad that it‘s not a real choice, which in

77 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 my view is mistaken – a result of the fact that few in the broadcast industry have ever seen a properly done amber/blue anaglyphic video on a TV properly calibrated for amber/blue anaglyph. In any event, everyone wants to sell new TVs, new DVD players, new STBs, and other hardware. Well done anaglyphs will obviate at least some of this demand so there is less money in it for most of the food chain, but presumably a lot more for broadcasters. Money talks so anaglyph walks! Of course some will say – quality talks so anaglyph walksǁ but this leaves 6 billion people out of 3D at home for the indefinite future. At least STB and DVD players might provide 50 and 60hz field sequential output for shutter glasses used with CRTs (i.e., the Home 3D Theater system introduced by 3DTV Corp in 1990) which will remain the dominant display in most of the world for a decade or two. Failing this, it seems likely that cheap boxes which can covert the side-by-side format to field sequential will appear. Field Alternative is in the HDMI specs as an output format but this is no guarantee the TVs, STBs or Blu-ray players will support it.

This is probably the last year in which it will be possible to see 3D hardware, software, and broadcasting as arenas separate from their 2D counterparts. In a year or two everyone will assume that products, program producers and distribution channels are 3D-ready, as the alternative is that they are planning on going out of business. There are of course stumbling blocks – the wretched economy, the high cost of new hardware, the insistence of hardware and software producers in providing inferior products rather than waiting until they have it right, poor quality 2D-to-3D conversions in some TV sets and computer software, unacceptably dim projection in many theaters and, worst of all, fake 3D that is advertised as real 3D in major commercial films (Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Pirhana 3D and doubtless many others to come).

It is also the last year in which the 3D industry will be driven largely by films. 3D broadcast is growing so fast that it will soon become the tail that wags the 3D dog. Although broadcast by the preferred high quality methods greatly limits its spread, cinemas are also lagging behind demand. Here is a graph showing the penetration of 3D-ready cinemas worldwide as of the beginning of 2010 and you can see that those without greatly outnumber those with 3D. As of mid-2010 there are about 11,000 3D digital, 9,000 2D digital, 200 3D film, and 130,000 2D film cinemas. About half of the 3D theaters have Real D systems and another 5,000 or so are under contract.

Last year there were about 25 booths which had some hardware or software directly relevant to stereoscopic imaging and about 15 3D displays in use. This year there were almost too many to count with about 100 showing new 3D products and at least that many with polarized, anaglyph or shutter glasses displays for their legacy 2D products. It is amusing beyond words to see the widespread and mostly enthusiastic adoption of both passive and active (i.e., shutter glasses) displays for everything from tiny PDA‘s to giant cinemas after listening to people badmouth glasses and 3D for the last 40 years--insisting that 3D would never happen or at least not until autostereoscopic displays were available.

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Live 3D net-casts (web streaming) are also beginning, with at least parts of the USA Master‘s Golf Championship available in 3D during NAB (http://www.nvidia.com/object/3D_Vision_Requirements.html3D) to anyone with an Nvidia 3DVision system. I expect this could also have been seen with polarized or shutter glasses with other hardware than 3D Vision and presumably with the Zalman TriMon with their GeForce Driver and CP glasses (also with anaglyph glasses on any monitor or TV). Their system analysis tool told me that my year old GeForce 9500 was not up to it: Minimum: GeForce 8800 GTX or above, GeForce 9800 GT or above, or GeForce GTS 250 or better. Nvidia also gives you a list of DLP shutter glass-based monitors and HDTVs and since the latter all have the VESA stereo jack (see the most comprehensive list in the FAQ on the 3DTV page), owners of the 3DTV Corp Universal Emitter (http://www.3dtv.jp) can view such webcasts (or satellite or cablecasts) with nearly any kind of shutter glasses. Contributors to the Nvidia blog were not uniformly successful with this but their comments are instructive and useful since it appears the Masters will be available in 3D subsequently and webacasts will likely be done frequently http://blogs.nvidia.com/ntersect/2010/04/masters-golf-streaming-3d-vision.html,

Just a few days before NAB, Britain‘s SKY launched the SKY 3D channel with a live broadcast of a soccer match. They have committed to another half dozen live 3D soccer games and daily 3D programs beginning immediately. Anyone who has their HD and Top Channels pack gets these free and over 1000 clubs and pubs have already subscribed as of April. For QC on 3D broadcasting see http://introducingsky3d.sky.com/a/bskyb-3d-tech-spec/. The Stereoscopic encode format is Side-by-Side compressed within a 1080i25 frame BSkyB utilizes Linear or Horizontal Line based encoding (Not Quincunx based) as detailed in HDMI 1.4 Annex H – 3D Video Format Extensions (3D_structure = 1000, 3D_Ext_data = 0000). Main subject point should nominally be the screen focus point or convergence point of the two images. Positive disparity or image separation at distant points (into the 3D at screen) should not exceed 2% for majority of shots. Negative disparity Image separation at close points (Out of Screen) should be used with care and not nominally exceed 1% for shots. Care should be taken for images breaking the frame edges with floating windows utilized where appropriate. Conversions of 2D, HD content to 3D is not acceptable and may only be proposed by prior agreement with understanding of the editorial techniques and conversion process involved. Automated systems may not be utilized at this time. In the 100 year history of 3D Movies there were never any standards and much of it was unwatchable. How things have changed in just a few years! However, as it appears they used side by side squeezed, half the H pixels needed for 3D are lost and that‘s really too bad and could be avoided by using the top/bottom squeezed which loses the less essential vertical pixels.

As this makes clear, the satellite companies themselves are promoting high quality 3D, as could be seen in the large booth of SES World Skies (http://www.ses.com based in Luxembourg with head office in the Hague) who have 18 channels on their 44 satellites that can be simultaneously 3D active. The two 3D panels in their booth, one with active glasses and one passive were being fed real-time on separate two channels from their uplinks on the East Coast (see photo).

Satellite company SES Worldskies used two satellite channels to send programs from the East coast USA to NAB in Las Vegas. One was on a Panasonic shutter glasses monitor and the other on a JVC CP monitor.

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Korea is possibly the most wired country in the world and it is not surprising that first to market with regular satellite 3D broadcasting seems to be SkyLife, who began including 3D programs in their HD package on Jan 1st while CJ HelloVision has had limited 3D VOD programming since the end of 2009. Some will recall the satellite broadcasts of C3D in the US and of Japan 3D in off-hours on the Home Shopping Network a decade ago when CRTs and shutter glasses were the only available means. CRTs will remain the dominant display for home TV in most countries for at least a decade and there is a resurgence of interest in the 50 and 60hz shutter-glasses-based Home 3D Theater systems which 3DTV Corp marketed in the 90s.

Another media transport giant GlobeCast – a France Telecom subsidiary, which transports over 10M hours of media/year over its satellite and fiber networks, featured its 3D readiness in the booth it shared with its management arm Netia. Sweden-based Net Insight, which is originating and transmitting media to 100M people in 35 countries over its Nimbra network with IP and optical emphasis, also demonstrated its readiness with live 3D broadcasts at the show.

Perhaps of more immediate interest are the plans of many cable providers to begin 3D programming since this is far easier and cheaper to do than satellite. Whatever the broadcasting means, it seems that current compression is able to achieve about 25% file size reduction so that 3D images will have about half the resolution of a home 3D Blu-ray system which it seems has reduced 3D file size from twice that of 2D to 1.5x. There is of course lots of info on the BR3D format on the net but if you want to see what they have actually patented look at US 2010/0092148, US 2010/0086285, US 2010/0020158, US 2010/0067873, and US 2010/0104262.

Presumably the worst broadcast format is the side-by-side favored by SENSIO and many others (now an HDMI 1.4, 3DTV and broadcast standard), as this discards the H pixels needed for stereo depth, whereas the top/bottom or line alternate (interleaved as used in the CP panels) methods sacrifice vertical pixels. The side by side squeezed format has been used many times for film, photography, graphics, and video for half a century including various video cards in the 80s and the 3DTV Corp SpaceStation 3D format converter in the early 90s and suggestions that it is protectable by patent are preposterous.

Some providers are discussing the use of two full HD channels (Simulcasting), but in addition to doubling the bandwidth and presumably the cost, this requires a device to multiplex and display full dual bandwidth signals at the consumer end. Blu-ray 3D does not lose anything since it stacks the two images in full res top/bottom (frame packing), if played out on suitable TVs, but if e.g., it is played out in the checkerboard on 3D-ready DLP or Plasma TVs and some projectors or in interlace, field sequential, or some other formats on other TV‘s, it may have half resolution per eye.

It appears if one counts all the 30 or so 3D-ready models of DLP and plasma TVs from Samsung and Mitsubishi for their laser DLP TV over the last 3 years, there may be 5 million in circulation with sizes up to 82-inch diagonal, and new or used they are selling for far less than the new 3DTVs. It appears that the new BR3D players and even some older BR players will support checkerboard out from the older field sequential 3D DVDs that are widely available. HDMI 3D spec1.4a supports output in checkerboard (called quincunx) so even the new BR3D DVDs should be playable on them. For those who don‘t want to buy a new player, or cannot play old field sequential 3D DVDs in checkerboard, Mitsubishi will shortly introduce a $100 3D format converter – the 3DC-1000 – to enable 3D viewing on these 3D-ready DLPs. It appears XBOX and PS3D will also support this format soon since all consumer video devices ought to become HDMI 1.4 compliant. See the FAQ on the 3DTV page http://www.3dtv.jp for the latest on how to get 3D on your TV at home.

The Japanese giants have committed totally to 3D with both Panasonic and Sony making various announcements regarding major 3D efforts and both had huge booths dominated by stereoscopic hardware and software. Panasonic‘s 3D Theater had two 103-inch and one 152-inch plasma screens showing mostly Olympic highlights with their new LCD shutter glasses running at 120hz. These were very bright and I did not notice any ghosting but

80 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 the out-of-synch footage so evident in the Olympic sports shots was very noticeable here and in other booths. Panasonic has said it developed ghost reduction and maybe preprocessing of their footage was one reason it looked pretty good. If so, this may be featured in the software that goes with their editing systems but conceivably it could be put in the displays firmware where it would be necessary to reduce ghosting of broadcast and BR3D inputs. However they have done much (maybe $100 million in R&D) to reduce ghosting in the construction (drive electronics, phosphors, etc) of the panels and it‘s not clear if they do software ghost reduction as well.

Panasonic‘s Illustration of ghost reduction in their new PDPs

I saw the 3D PDP first prototyped by NHK in Japan a decade ago and the one released by Samsung about 2 years ago, but they had intolerable ghosting. Having invested a huge amount in PDP, Panasonic has continued to improve brightness, (said to be 2X that of 2009 models) phosphors, and electronics so that in 2D or 3D they seem to have an edge on current LCDs. However the weight, fragility (one hard knock and the vacuum is broken) and production costs of larger sizes seem major disadvantages to me and I still expect the rapidly improving LED-lit LCDs (confusingly marketed as LED TVs) and maybe LEDs, OLEDS, TOLEDS, TOUPLEDS, ELs, DLPs, etc to replace them.

Having invested a huge amount in PDP, Panasonic has continued to improve brightness, phosphors and electronics so that in 2D or 3D they seem to have an edge on LCDs. For details on the 3D technology check out Panasonic’s website: http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/3d/technology/index.html, and for more on their whole Panasonic 3D business see http://3d.panasonic.net/en/#outline. Regarding the diagram on this page, display expert Professor Vasily Ezhov tells me that closing the shutters before the image has totally decayed will lead to eliminating or fading the lower part of image because it appears no displays (except DLPs) show all pixels simultaneously and the phosphor decay time is not the time axis of the image scan. It is the time axis of each pixel or image line including pixels of the last line of image that matters. So there is something wrong with their explanation of ghost removal – probably the glasses are shuttered as normal and the fast phosphor decay is the reason for ghost reduction. Of course Real D (WO 2010/019922, US 2010/0040280 and numerous others US 2009/0244266, US 7,558,320, WO 2010/015868, to cite only a few recent patents), have been working on algorithmic ghost reduction – which could be incorporated in the firmware of all types of displays, video editing software and processors. In related work, NEC describes how to prevent beat frequencies by driving panels at multiples of the ambient fluorescent illumination (US 2010/0060723).

Ghosting was evident in all the Samsung shutter glasses displays I saw but not as obvious in those from Sony or Panasonic (but one really needs to see the same software on them). However, like nearly everything electronic these sets are updateable and several companies that were showing the Samsung 3DTVs released only weeks before the show told me they had already updated the firmware twice with noticeable image improvements.

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Incidentally, neither the displays nor the shutter glasses from any of these displays really run 3D at 240fps as this is beyond the ability of the glasses and the panels. They run at 120Hz and turn off the image display earlier in 3D mode giving the image time to decay in order to reduce ghosting – so you have 120fps alternating with black (US 2010/0066820, US 2010/0091207, US 2010/0066661, US 2009/0237495, WO2010/032927). This of course reduces brightness but new drive electronics and phosphors (in PDPs) provide adequate compensation. There is lots of noise on the net about the relative merits of the motion compensated 240fps displays from Sony and Samsung (supposed – real 240fps) vs those of Toshiba, LG, and Vizio which are – fake 240fps. LG has responded by announcing the imminent release of their new 3DTVs with 480fps – the LG INFINIA 55LX9500 55-inch Class 3D 1080p 480Hz LED LCD TV.

It is interesting (to me) that at least some of these means to reduce motion blur seem to divide the frames into 3 subframes horizontally with frame one occupying the top and bottom 1/3 and frame 2 occupying the middle third and the reverse for the next frame. This is one of the methods I diagrammed 30 years ago when looking for a method for reducing flicker on field sequential CRT‘s, but the rest of the display tech available then was not up to it – e.g., the shutter glasses would have had to do microsecond switching without a line missing in the video. I thought of rolling the line down the screen etc., but never implemented it.

Sony has shown (e.g., CEATEC JAPAN 2009) the pictured true 240fps single lens 3D camera but I don‘t know of any commercially available monitor to display it. I assume the 240 fps TV‘s in current release would have intolerable ghosting. Presumably the image could be projected in the cross polarized method with their SRX projectors or de-muxed into two projectors and possibly DLP projectors could be made to work at this speed but no current consumer shutter glasses nor the CP switching mechanisms can work at this speed but maybe the MasterImage wheel or the Dolby wheel might do it. In Sony‘s words – optical tests have shown that a frame rate of 240fps represents the limit of human visual perception, and beyond that it becomes difficult to detect differences in terms of blur and – jerkiness of moving images (where images that were continuous are now seen as a series of distinct snapshots). By developing a 240fps frame rate CMOS image sensor with properties close to the human eye, which is capable of capturing natural images of even fast moving subject matter, Sony has succeeded in further enhancing the quality of 3D video images.ǁ Historians please note the photo of Bull‘s high speed stereo camera from over 100 years ago at the end of this article.

Sony is constantly updating new cams, decks and switchers for 3D compatibility and the new 5800/2 HDCAM deck can operate at twice speed to record two full HD streams and playback 4:4:4 at twice speed. Now that a standard has been set for 3DBR they will soon release Blu-Print 6 Blu-Ray 3D compatible authoring software. Those wishing to check out the latest Sony patents on 3D hardware and software should see WO 2010/027971, US 7,659,934, US 2009/0262184, and US 7,605,776 (a most unusual patent as it is issued jointly to Sony, Sharp and Sanyo).

Diagram of the dual sensor and mirrors in the Sony 240fps single lens 3D camera.

Though Panasonic showed a variety of hardware and software for capturing, editing

82 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 and playing back 3D, I think their Professional Twin Lens AVCHD camcorder probably got the most attention. In spite of a huge effort by dozens of companies to make 3D video with mirror boxes or side by side rigs, it’s still lots more effort to shoot 3D and every video producer would like to see an easy to use 3D camcorder. Even though it‘s not slated for release until September, the AG-3DA1 ($21K) was in many booths with some featuring footage from it on 3D panels. Panasonic has shown prototypes of a high end P2HD 3D Camcorder with much larger lenses but it was not at the show and I have not seen any release info. Also for September release is the BT-3DL2550, a 25-inch production monitor with 3D support. It has two HD-SDI and a DVI-D input with the HD/SD-SDI inputs able to display the left or right 2D or 3D input in line-by-line or side-by-side modes viewed with CP (circular polarized) glasses. One thing made clear by this show is that nearly all of the 3D monitor and TV manufacturers are hedging their bets by making both shutter glasses and CP 3D monitors and most of them continue also to work on PDP‘s and auto stereo. Panasonic gave out a clear 12p brochure with all the details and you can find the latest at http://www.pro-av.panasonic.net/en/3d

The mystery Panasonic P2HD 3D camcorder has been shown periodically for a year.

In spite of the greatly improved images on the newer panels, the weight, fragility (one hard knock and the vacuum is broken and you have a paperweight that will cost a fortune to ship and repair), and production costs of larger PDP sizes seem major disadvantages to me and I still expect LCD‘s and maybe OLEDS or better TOUPLEDS (US 2010/0096617), and ELs and DLP one piece and two piece projectors (esp. when the TI 4K chip arrives along with white LED – bulbs for home apps) to replace them.

The Panasonic 3D ready AG-HMX100 mixer will be available this summer. It has four HD/SD-HDI inputs/outputs, two HDMI inputs, and two analog composite inputs and seems to be the first reasonably affordable 3D ready mixer, but as they tell you, it cannot yet do all the effects in 3D.

World leading large venue projector manufacturer Christie (owned by #2 US theater chain AMC) was presenting their digital signage capabilities but had no 3D to show. They have recently released a new active stereo projector with a special dark interval adjust for shutter glasses at 120Hz – the Christie Mirage WU7. This brings to mind an odd omission at NAB – the absence of even one 3D DLP front screen projector. There are 50+ models from many companies: http://dlp.com/projector/find-dlp-projector/default.aspx?p=0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 and they cost as little as $250 or about a tenth or even twentieth the cost, size and weight of 3D capable flat panels. These are now ubiquitous, made by many companies and well promoted by TI so their total absence here was bizarre. http://dlp.com/projector/dlp-innovations/3d-ready.aspx Of course there are about 20 new models of one- piece 3D Ready DLP TV's from Mitsubishi (and about 10 from Samsung) that work with shutter glasses, and at least one at NAB (in the Nvidia booth), but Mitsubishi’s booth only showed their large LED signs in 2D!

All of these devices have the DLP link emitter built in so they need no outboard emitter for wireless glasses, but so far the glasses are rather expensive ($150 vs. $40 for 3DTV Corp Model X or $15 for wired) and with limited availability and it is still necessary to play files at 120Hz on a PC. However, using the 3D PC system from 3DTV Corp enables use of these with ordinary shutter glasses and external emitter, provided the dongle (glasses sync cable) is triggered with appropriate code present in 3D video software such as Neotek’s TriD or educational CDs http://www.neotek.com, the very common H3D, I/O, X3D, 3DTV, dimensional, iZ3D or older Nvidia game drivers, or the Wimmer or Suto 3D video players. However the 3DTV manual dongle does not need software triggers. Free downloads of 3D game drivers and of TriD and Neotek players and images are now available from 3DTV Corp for those who want to try and you only need the common dongle and wired glasses (ca. $35 as a new kit, but about a million in circulation). With TriD, files of nearly any type can be rectified and compressed for TriD playback without need for page flipping so this makes it ideal for 3D-ready DLP projectors.

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The new (mid 2010) displays from Samsung, Panasonic, Sony etc have wireless glasses emitters built in, but in all cases you need the over $100/pair glasses and all these systems are currently incompatible. I have started to change that by making multi-standard glasses and emitters available, but none work yet with the newest 3DTV‘s.

Also absent from the show was Digital Projections line of 14 active stereo projectors which can be used with any of the four 3D cinema projection methods (though not currently certified by the monopoly as DCI compliant because that costs $millions/year), as well as the oldest method (dual xpol projectors) which, in spite of making most sense from an economic and quality standpoint, seems totally unused in DCI compliant theaters. Many thousands of 3D venues have both active and passive 3D setups with DP projectors.

Digital Projection’s Lightning series of 3D-capable DLP projectors http://www.digitalprojection.com/Accessories/Total3DExperiencesyste m/tabid/111/Default.aspx

They have recently released the M-Vision Cine LED – a 600 lumen home theater projector with an LED light source capable of running eight hours a day for over 20 years without changing the bulb http://www.digitalprojection.com/BrowseProjectors/SeriesList/Proje ctorList/ProjectorDetail/tabid/87/ProjectorId/161/MarketTypeId/11/ Default.aspx. A cross-polarized pair of these with a silver screen and suitable demux for HDMI signals and you would have lifetime 3D cinema. However, the smaller home theater projectors from DP are not capable of active stereo as that requires a dual link DVI port. The least expensive choice for that seems to be the iVision 3D at $27K but for my birthday present I‘d settle for a pair of cell phone stereo projectors (US 2010/0103379).

An exciting shutter glasses capable display shown (but not in 3D) at NAB was Christie‘s MicroTiles,DLP driven LED illuminated cubes http://microtiles.christiedigital.com/microtiles.php. The 720x540 pixels/ 12-inch by 16-inch by 10-inch deep cubes can be stacked in nearly any size array for bright, durable hires nearly anywhere. Of course this technology is being developed by many others as well. A polarizer overlay would permit passive 3D viewing and anaglyph can be done with any display. It could also form the basis for auto-stereo with lenticular or parallax barrier technology.

MicroTiles are an LED illuminated miniaturized version of the Texas Instruments DLP projection engine which dominates and made feasible the 3D digital cinema and is also present in many TV‘s including the 3D Ready line of Mitsubishi‘s. and Samsung‘s. The one piece rear projection DLP TVs have not had great success versus total flat panel sales, but with LED lighting, other improvements, and the coming 4K version of the DLP chip this may change. As I have noted, the Sony 4K SRX projector with the Real D lens enabled the deal with huge American cinema chains AMC and Regal that has resulted in almost 500 3D 4K installs in the USA in less than a year, but TI will soon release the Cinema Enhanced 4K DLP engine and this will put them back at the top of the market as it can do field sequential (i.e., Real D, MasterImage, Dolby, XpanD) as well as simultaneous 3D (i.e., top/bottom cross polarized dual lens).

Many other pro video companies, including Sony, were showing twin rigs side by side or with one or more of the 15 or so models of mirror boxes now available from at least a dozen companies (and many had both). I was hoping to see 3D video-cam pioneers Toshiba (a consumer 3D camcorder in 1988), Canon (a prototyped but never released prosumer 3D camcorder in 1999) and Ikegami (a pro 3D zoom camera in 1995) showing new 3D cams, but the latter two had only rigs from others using their cameras and lenses and Toshiba (in spite of the fact that they continue to work on 3D – US 2009/0237495, US 2010/0066661 ) showed no 3D at all. Ikegami gave out a very slick CDROM catalog with exquisite details on a very wide range of world class broadcast products but not a word about 3D. When we have spoken to them about it their personnel only say that they were not successful with their 3D Camera (15 years ago) and so no interest. Very sad. But I bet it changes in a year or two.

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One of the stereo rigs in the Ikegami booth featured the Musashi Optical device that I gave Best of Show in 3D hardware last year (see photos). This nifty optical instrument permits variable and small interoculars on side by side cameras without convergence--i.e., the parallel shooting which I have suggested as the best option when possible (see my page) and presumably would see wide use if they make a sustained marketing effort. But in spite of NHK‘s and my promotion few 3D experts seem aware of its existence or maybe just don‘t appreciate its practicality (but it was used on Avatar).

The Musashi Optical TL-3DA/1a Lens Shift Adapter (interaxial reducer) http://www.musashi-opt.co.jp was in several booths this year. This shot (on the left) of the rig in NHK Cosmomedia America booth shows how close you can get two big cams (61mm) without convergence or beam splitters. The max lens diameter is 61mm and it can reduce from max 167mm for these 2/3 inch B4 mount cams, but of course the principle could be adapted to fit any lenses and cameras. Two of their broadcast cameras in the Ikegami booth (on the right) in a side by side rig using the Lens Shift Adapter by Musashi Optical (two small black boxes with white labels on top and larger black boxes behind them).

Germany-based Element Technica has been so successful with their lovely but pricey mirror boxes and associated equipment that they have fielded 3 different rigs and opened a Los Angeles office and a new page http://www.technica3d.com. Their original Quasar has baby brothers in the Neutron and Pulsar – so that nearly any camera can be used and, though all 3 rigs can be adapted for side by side shooting, the Neutron enables this to be done in just minutes. Their THC-S (Technica Hand Controller Stereo) is a very intuitive device with slider and wheel that can control devices such as the STAN, v3 or Sony MPE-200 when these are used with the rig. The THC is customizable for 6 axis control and is user configurable to link various parameters such as focus, zoom, etc., from the latest off-the-shelf) servo lenses from Canon, Sony, Angenieux etc. Last year I mentioned my meeting with Christopher Mayhew of v3 in the Angenieux booth, his method of getting 3D out of a single 2D lens and my discussion with him of its possible use in 3D dual format. This has now been done and the THC now controls the v3 lenses. http://www.inv3.com/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_III_Imaging,_Inc.

Fujinon is famed for their industrial strength pro video lenses and in their booth was the latest creation from Vince Pace featuring a modest sized side by side stereo pair of cameras with Fujinon HA18x7.6 BEZD-T4DD 7.6mm zoom lenses with the new quick framing function mounted on top of a large pro Fujinon lens on a pro camera. I respected his wishes and so no photos but those who want to see details on their rigs can consult the recent patents US 2010/0098402 and US 7,643,748. The point is that all the lenses were synced so that a single operator could make the 2D and 3D video at the same time with one set of controls – a great savings in cost and space. There is often limited space for cameras and this type of rig is likely to find considerable use. Fujinon has gone to a great deal of trouble to QC lenses and specify them for dual camera 3D HD rigs and has a whole section in their catalog just for 3D qualified precision servo lenses. They have also developed special dual lens hardware (ERD-10A-DO1 Zoom Controller and HJ-303A-06 Synchronizer/Focus Controller) for maintaining precise control over parameters of zoom and focus.

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Preston, producer of industry standard remote lens controllers FI+Z and others, has a FI+Z 3D unit and Lens Tweak software that will control two Fujinons (and I assume the many other lenses normally controlled by their 2D units) for 3D sync http://www.prestoncinema.com/products.html. Adding their HU3 and MDR2 controllers permits interaxial and convergence control, which can be locked to keep convergence as the interaxial is varied and software adapts it for both mirror or parallel rigs.

Regarding camera accessories that are now becoming standard on high end 3D productions, I will note the Telecast Copperhead 3200 (3400 due soon) Camera Mountable Fiber Optic Transceiver System which has been used by Cameron/Pace, 3ality, and many others http://www.telecast-fiber.com.

The British firm Calibre was showing one of their range of broadcast quality processors (blenders, scalers, converters, synchronizers, noise reducers etc) displaying 3D on a panel http://www.calibreuk.com. Teranex, famed for their image processors and format converters, some of which can convert 122 formats in any direction (expandable to 275!) announced the imminent 3D compatibility of several of their top processors http://www.teranex.com/company/news/3D-Encoding-Decoding. For-a, http://www.for-a.com, showed new tools for 3D production and live calibration and parallax adjust such as the CEQ-100HS color equalizer and the HVS300 HS Hanabi series production switcher able to do 3D DVE transitions.

MultiDyne, whose LightBox pro fiber optic video/audio transport and routing hardware, has been widely used for sports and ENG (electron news gathering) for years, introduced a new version specially configured for 3D the LightBox 3D. They told me it had already been used in many 3D productions including Avatar.

Last year Mikrom was ahead of the game with tiny 3DHD capable recorder/players and they showed the latest version at the show but many companies are getting into the market with Convergent Design‘s Nano3D being one of the tiniest. It consists of twin nanoFlash‘s which provide on-set pixel synced recording (native Quicktime or MXF at 35 to 280 Mbps) and playback of two HD-SDI or HDMI streams with linked filenames and time-codes. It merges dual streams into popular 3D formats such as side by side, top and bottom, and line by line (interlace). The merged video is output over a single HD-SDI cable for display on professional 3D monitors. A low-cost HD-SDI to HDMI converter enables the 3D HD-SDI stream to be displayed on consumer 3D TVs. Two nanoFlashes plus the nano3D kit costs ca $5800. http://www.convergent-design.com.

There are now so many mirror box rigs (i.e., metal boxes with 50/50 semi-silvered mirrors for mounting two cameras at right angles) in use that nearly any camera or lens pair can be accommodated. Of course the very large or very wide angle lenses are still not feasible (though remember that the huge IMAX film cameras have been so used for decades). This is so in spite of the fact that everyone knows of their many limitations (e.g., 50% light loss, reflections, color distortions etc). In fact several of the 3D editing packages now available include specific tools to conform non-matching portions of the image made with such rigs. Cameras are normally mounted top or bottom with the other in the back (i.e., towards the operator) but one neat variation had the second one side mounted.

Some booths had the 36-megapixel Canon Mark 5D in a stereo configuration and it is becoming so common to use this and other high end still cams in video mode that you see the phrase stereo DSLR (i.e., Digital Single Lens Reflex) used routinely. There is so much demand that at least one company now offers them with 35mm PL mount for cinema lenses http://www.hotrodcameras.com. The Canon was chosen by David Niles of Niles Creative http://www.nilescreative.com/ for a 360-degree 3D Super HD exhibit he is currently doing. Director Peter Jackson is also making a 360-degree 3D program for the new King Kong show at Universal Studios.

Although panoramas have occasionally been done in 3D for many years, it is only recently that the tools for registration, edge blending and camera sync have been perfected to the point where a very high quality result can be obtained. Many of the purveyors of edge blenders and other image processors now emphasize their ability to process 3D images in various formats and these were abundant at the show.

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A contender for best of show regarding intuitive promotion of the 3D capabilities of their products is Miranda, whose high end video processors are used by broadcasters worldwide. Not only did they have 3D displays in their booth, but they handed out a 16p brochure http://www.miranda.com/prod-spot/2010/3DPRODS/3D.pdf entitled Stereo Image Processing with Miranda. Unlike some who merely noted that their processors could do 3D in the side by side or anaglyph formats, Miranda was one of several who made new hardware with multiple 3D I/O formats (they left top/bottom out of their brochure but told me it worked).

Pascal Carrieres of Canadian broadcast video manufacturer Miranda (http://www.miranda.com) showing 3D processed by their Densite 3DX-3901 in the side by side Sensio format displayed on a JVC CP monitor.

360 Systems new MAXX 2020-HD reference recorder brochure headlines – “Two Uncompressed HD Channels for 3D and Multi-Screen” and notes it‘s one of the first that can record/play two full HD streams. The newly released 3D HDMI formats will be supported Q2 2010. Those who are interested can download the 3D HDMI specifications at http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/specification.aspx.

They were careful to support nearly all 3D formats including the top/bottom (over/under, above/below) that Neotek, 3DTV Corp and others have favored for almost 20 years, but it seems the importance of supporting what will likely remain the dominant formats –50 & 60hz field sequential on CRT‘s and anaglyph – escaped them. They have designated a field sequential output option but it’s not clear what frequency and whether anyone will support it.

Last year. I mentioned well known broadcast hardware vendor Evertz, who had a small stereo display to advertise their unreleased card that could be used with some Sony cameras to record dual 3DHD. This year they had a whole section of their booth and catalog featuring video processors, displays, 3D Advanced Dual Test Signal Generator, 3G Miniature Stereoscopic Display Processor, HD/SD JPEG2000 Decoder or Encoder with optional 3G (i.e., Gigabits/second) support and others. Since these change frequently, those interested should track these at http://www.evertz.com/products/production/#ThreeD.

Harris, another top maker of broadcast hardware had nothing 3D in their booth last year but this time it was a major theme. Harris is a huge (currently 371 in the Fortune 500 and rising fast) intl. media company and anything they do re 3D should be worth attention. As they put it: -- “Harris Corporation is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees – including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications products, systems, and services.” They showed 3D IP via their newest soft and hard such as Inscriber TitleOne XT character generator, the G5 XT production graphics system, Inscriber Connectus media management tool, Inscriber G-Flow workflow tools, the new G-Flow Titler, and switchers, monitors, etc throughout the broadcast chain. Though it says little about 3D, those who want a clear summary of the emerging 3GB/sec video transport schemes should get this 7-page brochure http://www.broadcast.harris.com/media/3Gbs_25-5669.pdf

Tektronix, a classic name in high end video and electro-optic test equipment and a pioneer in LCD glasses (remember the Atari 3D system ca. 1984?), CP switching polarization plates, 3D HMDs, etc., was at the show but sadly sold off its 3D line long ago. It was once the leading LCD technology firm in the USA, but poor management led to its being sold off to Asian companies, some of which passed via NuVision and McNaughton to XpanD – the dominant name in theatrical shutter glasses.

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I mentioned last year the stereo tools in the Ocula plugin to Nuke, a leading visual FX and IP software from The Foundry (used in e.g., Avatar, Alice in Wonderland 3D) www.thefoundry.co.uk . The subtitle of the Ocula section of their 50p color booklet says it all: ―Taking the headache out of stereo post-productionǁ. It now has the ability to generate disparity maps from CG depth maps as well as from live action stereo. Such maps give you 3D position and movement info that permits pixel level control (e.g. warping, zooming) of any portion of the image in any frame, as opposed to manipulating the entire frame. The unprecedented 2500 stereo VFX shots in Avatar were handled as a Nuke stereo workflow by the VFX houses, with Weta Digital and Framestore using Ocula. Weta used Ocula‘s ColourMatcher, DisparityGenerator and NewView to match local areas of L/R images and VerticalAligner to correct convergence-caused keystoning and vertical parallax on nearly all live and some CG shots. Free 15 day licenses are available on their page http://www.thefoundry.co.uk.

A lovely little app I saw that every 3D shooter could use for determining the parameters of stereo shooting and screening is Leonard Coster‘s Stereographer‘s Interocular Calculator.

Here is the description from his page http://www.speedwedge.com: It calculates the inter-ocular distance needed for each camera setup based on measurements from the actual set. Provides handy sliders and nudge buttons to set the distances to the nearest and farthest objects in the scene, as well as the desired convergence point – whether or not you converge in camera or post. The sliders are logarithmic so you get finer control at the short end:

 Calculates the foreground and background divergences as percentages and actual distances for your chosen screen size and limits the background divergence to infinity.  Also computes roundness factor so you can match the apparent depth from shot to shot even when changing lenses and setup.  Operates in metric and imperial.  Suitable for Motion Picture and Stills work, Film or Electronic cameras.  Best of all it's fast and intuitive.

Settings for:

 Camera sensor size, with a whole bunch of presets for both film and electronic cameras.  Lens kits – enter the focal lengths in your kit for fast selection.  Screen Size - with handy presets for TV, cinema, etc.  Maximum permitted overall divergence – typical is 3%.  Maximum background divergence in actual mm on your chosen screen size - typically 65mm.

You can buy it on Apple‘s online store: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/iod-calc/id359080381?mt=8 and you can get a copy of the new Real D stereo-calculator there too.

Of the many newer companies with shooting products, a superbly engineered line from Germany stands out. Screenplane (http://www.screenplane.com) is named with reference to the appearance in the plane of the screen of stereo pairs with zero H parallax. Their cutting edge selection of hardware and software was presented in one of the slickest brochures at the show. This includes of course two mirror boxes, the Production Rig for larger cams and the 3-Flex meant for small cams, macro and SteadiCam work. These have a variety of useful special features but, like

88 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 their new custom LM-1 lens motor, will not be available until summer 2010 and then through rental houses. Following the universal trend, they have incorporated digital motor control software and hardware for remote realtime adjustments.

A beam splitter rig by Screenplane

Screenplane‘s DPC (Direct Plane Control) of interaxial, convergence and focus via the cmotion remote which permits input of screen and far-plane distances as absolute values (absolute mode) or via direct readout of lens focus (relative mode) with a slider for H shift of the plane. They have also created HISCON (Horizontal Image Shift Control) as a supplement or alternative to manual or motorized convergence or interaxial changes – i.e., digital shifting/cropping to make use of the extra H pixels in modern cameras (as discussed in my other articles and implemented in my 3D work for the last 20 years). HISCON – done by percent and so resolution independent--supports DPC, is incorporated in the cmotion 7 axis wireless controllers and so can not only be used for previewing shots with such multiplexing/viewing devices as their new Merger, but via their USB device 3D Log it makes the all 3D camera and lens data timecode stamped and available throughout the postproduction stereo workflow via a USB ports on both mirrorbox rigs.

All Screenplane devices are supported by German software company IRIDAS‘s SpeedGrade, and FrameCycler and soon will be by ClipFinder-the software created for the RED cameras (see the latest on ClipFinder at http://www.daun.ch/hamingja/. Also available by summer are the X-Y lens mount for REDs, tiny XS-HD cams, the Snuggle Puggle (no misprint!) a tiny handheld rig for small cams, and the Merger which has the full set of 3D format mux/demux functions, web interface (i.e., LAN jacks) and image display and/or ipod support now becoming standard.

A scene captured by the Kronomav camera rig shown below, composited realtime with computer graphics with Brainstorm software and a FOR-A switcher and displayed on a Mitsubishi DLP monitor viewed with Nvidia shutter glasses. Brainstorm (http://www.brainstorm.es) is a Spanish software company which provides realtime broadcast 3D graphics solutions and they recommend the 3D Ready Nvidia Quadro cards (most with the VESA stereo glasses jack for the 3DTV Emitter) for output.

Venerable Chyron (http://www.chyron.com), whose tools for broadcast graphics creation, management, and playback are industry standards, had nothing on 3D last year but this year it was their main theme and it‘s the first thing you see on their page. Their upcoming Lyric Pro 8 software has full stereoscopic support and they even podcast the tutorials.

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The author with the Kronomav http://www.kronomav.com side-by-side rig in the Nvidia booth. The Kronomav control box has the orange stripe on the side.

EVS booth featuring their 3D Live system fed by the Panasonic 3D Camcorder at the right. EVS is well known for its video servers and other hardware used in production and on site broadcasting and 3D Live continues the revolution in sports broadcasting started by their Live Slow Motion system. It is the first real-time live 3D HD slow motion system, has full time-code sync and is based on their XT[2] Production Server.

Representatives of Class Manufacturing of Spain with one model of their Kubok 3D Vision series of cross polarized displays viewed through the dual polarized glass plates. They have many sizes and of course paper or plastic polarized glasses could be used as well, especially in venues such as movie theaters lobbies and trade shows where people already have them. With the spectacular growth of 3D films and displays many companies such as MicroVision are now offering classy designer CP glasses and it is quite possible that many people will soon carry around their own. Some are starting to sell sunglasses that double as viewers.

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91 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 5th China International 3D World Forum (C3D World) April 9-11, 2010, Shenzhen, China

Phillip Hill covers presentations from Sigma Designs, 3D Switch, and Barco

3D Decoding and 3D Output Considerations for Set-top Boxes and Blu-ray Players Keith Jack, Sigma Designs, Milpitas, California

Jack discussed 3D video decoding issues. There are various ways of conveying additional 3D data. These can be both images in one video frame (optional enhancement data may be present), or second stream conveying enhancement data – ancillary data or metadata, or separate bit stream. As a result, there are a wide variety of 3D source formats. Anaglyph schemes use any 2D display, cheap glasses, and full resolution, but produce the poorest 3D image. No additional bandwidth is required, and they can be red/cyan, red/cyan (optimized), red/cyan (Dubois), amber/blue, green/magenta, TrioScopics3D (green/magenta plus additional processing), and ColorCode 3-D (amber/blue plus additional processing). Another format is 3D source in standard 2D frame size, which is useful for applications wanting minimum or no additional bandwidth to support 3D (IPTV, broadcast, satellite). It uses H.264 or MPEG–2: side-by-side, over-under (top-bottom), line interleaved, checkerboard, and 2D + delta. There are a variety of horizontal and vertical down-conversion schemes. H.264 MVC (multi-view coding) is used for Blu-ray 3D and there is interest in using it for IPTV and cable. The base layer is full HD for either left or right eye and is also used for 2D presentation on non-3D systems. The enhancement layer is the baseline plus enhancement, which gives full HD for the other eye. It uses 50% more bit rate than 2D. Legacy 3DTV input formats (so current 3DTV can be used) are side-by-side; over-under (top-bottom); line interleaved; checkerboard; 2D + delta; and frame sequential (page flip). New input formats defined by HDMI 1.4 are frame packed; line interleaved (for progressive video); field interleaved (for interlaced video); and half-width side-by-side (for progressive video).

Diagonal or Quincunx filtering – 3D source in standard 2D frame size

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Challenges in 3DTV Content Delivery Chen YiWei, 3D Switch, Rome, Italy

There are two main paths to bring 3D content to the final user: packaged media (DVD, Blu-ray discs, on-line distribution) are better suited to theatrical content (e.g. movies); and broadcast delivery (cable, satellite, terrestrial) is mandatory for live events (e.g. sport events). There are two platforms characterized by different requirements and consequent technical specifications: distribution over storage media can afford high bandwidth – backward compatibility is not a limiting issue; broadcast distribution suffers limitations due to the architecture and performance of existing infrastructures – backward compatibility is mandatory.

 Looking at 3D over storage media, the reference platform (the only standard available as of today) is the specification for 3D Blu-ray discs. The main feature is that the content will be encoded in H.264 MVC format (full resolution progressive frames for both views). The main issue is that MVC performance for stereoscopic content still remains un-assessed. 3D Blu-ray products won’t be available tomorrow, so alternative technologies (based on frame packing) might still have a chance.  Looking at 3D over broadcast networks, 3D media broadcasting is feasible reusing existing HD infrastructures, but available bandwidth is limited (~13Mb/s for a 1080i 25fps stream). Producing progressive content might not be immediately feasible – the majority of existing production infrastructures are not designed to support progressive content distribution from cameras to encoders. Millions of DTV (cable, terrestrial, satellite) HD decoders are already in place – a legacy to handle with care. While pay TV operators can afford dedicating a channel to 3D, public service broadcasters will probably intermix 3D and 2D contents.

Two concurrent approaches have been defined. Frame compatible distribution is where the left and the right images are geometrically squeezed in a single 1080 frame by dropping half of the pixels. At display time, the missing pixels are reconstructed applying interpolation techniques. Service compatible distribution can be implemented as a simulcast of two independent video streams for the R and L channels (prohibitively expensive) or by encoding one channel as a base layer and the one as an enhancement layer carrying only the differences between the two views (2D + delta, MVC). The use of frame compatible techniques in the early stages of 3D broadcasting requires special attention to the dialog between the decoder and the TV set. The decoder will decompress the H.264 encoded frames and will pass them to the display for presentation. The decoder has to be able to understand the frame-packing format and negotiate a display format with the TV set or means have to be provided for the TV set to understand how the image has been composed. Existing standard interface technologies present a number of issues. HDMI 1.3 and 1.4 specify up to 330MHz pixel clock but the state of the art is limited to 220MHz. HDMI 3D specs only include the following profiles: Dual 1080p24, and Dual 720p50/60.

A practical example of the 3DSwitch system

Each interface is specified by a different standardization body and requires different and sometimes incoherent signaling and payload. The 3DSwitch approach is injection of metadata in the video frame. It trades off a video line to insert metadata (or inserts in supplemental video lines). It guarantees metadata transport over different media with no need to transcode it or update any hardware. It is resistant to major compression algorithms and low bit rates. There is no need to update hardware along the food chain, only displays are affected. It provides immediate business opportunities for any broadcaster. Frame accurate encoding description allows frame-by-frame format switching.

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Contributing to China 3D Development Fei Yan, Barco, Kortrijk, Belgium

Barco produces a full range of digital cinema projectors based on Texas Instruments’ DLP technology. There is a huge potential of about 120,000 theaters worldwide that need to convert from analog to digital. Today, Barco has 6500+ digital installations worldwide including Premiere Cinemas and Cinemark in the US, Kinepolis and Lusonondo in Europe, and the China Film Group in Asia.

Active stereo applications; on the right is Norsk Hydro Mega-CADWall – hybrid 8-channel active stereo

Chian National Offshore Oil Company, Tianjing, China

Veritas et Visus (Truth and Vision) publishes a family of specialty newsletters about the displays industry:

Flexible Substrate Display Standard 3rd Dimension High Resolution Touch Panel

http://www.veritasetvisus.com

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Eye Tracking Research and Applications March 22-24, 2010, Austin, Texas

Phillip Hill covers papers from Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg/Blekinge Institute of Technology, Bielefeld University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, and Clemson University

Advanced Gaze Visualizations for Three-dimensional Virtual Environments Sophie Stellmach, and Raimund Dachselt, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany Lennart Nacke, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Ronneby, Sweden

Gaze visualizations represent an effective way for gaining fast insights into eye tracking data. Current approaches do not adequately support eye-tracking studies for 3D virtual environments. Hence, the researchers propose a set of advanced gaze visualization techniques for supporting gaze behavior analysis in such environments. Similar to commonly used gaze visualizations for two-dimensional stimuli (e.g., images and websites), they contribute advanced 3D scan paths and 3D attentional maps. In addition, they introduce a “models of interest timeline” depicting viewed models, which can be used for displaying scan paths in a selected time segment. A prototype toolkit is also discussed which combines an implementation of the proposed techniques. Their potential for facilitating eye-tracking studies in virtual environments was supported by a user study among eye tracking and visualization experts. The paper proposes a monocular scan path depicting 3D gaze positions as intersections of a gaze ray and a viewed model. Besides traditional spherical representations (see Figure 1a), the researchers used conical fixation representations pointing at a corresponding gaze position (see Figure 1b), since it may integrate additional information about varying camera positions. So, cones could represent gaze positions (apex), fixation durations (cone’s base), viewing directions (cone’s orientation), and viewing distances (cone’s height) within one representation. The traditional saccade representation can cause problems in 3D, because saccade lines may cross through surfaces. A simple solution is to maintain the traditional saccade representation with the possibility of adapting rendering options of 3D models (e.g., wireframe models or hiding objects) for determining linked fixations. It is also important to visualize how the locations and viewing directions of the virtual camera have changed during observation. This may aid in finding out, for example, if a scene was observed from diverse locations. The researchers propose to visualize the camera path with traces pointing at the respective gaze positions. Figure 2 shows an example for a camera path for which the camera locations are depicted as red lines and viewing directions as straight blue lines. Displayed scan and camera paths can be filtered by means of the models of interest timeline to provide a better overview.

Figure 1: Two alternative fixation representations, spheres (a) and cones (b), are presented for 3D scan paths; Figure 2: Two examples of camera paths (viewpoints and viewing directions) and fixations

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Figure 3: An example of the models of interest timeline with selection markers for confining displayed scan and camera paths

A timeline visualization maps data against time and facilitates finding events before, after, or during a given time interval. Thus, it can be used to answer several questions, such as: has object x been observed repetitively? In what order and for how long are objects looked at? Therefore, the researchers propose a space-filling model of interest (MOI) timeline (see Figure 3) for a compact illustration that effectively utilizes assigned screen space by omitting voids. They suggest using the term “Model of Interest” to describe distinct 3D objects. The MOI timeline gives an overview about a user’s gaze distribution based on viewed models. Each model is labeled with a specific color, which can be manually adapted. By assigning the same value to different objects, semantic groups can be defined, for example, for grouping similar looking models, object hierarchies or closely arranged items. A legend is displayed for providing an overview of assigned colors (see in the left area of Figure 4).

Figure 4: A screenshot from SVEETER illustrating multiple views at a scene. The MOI timeline is shown in the lower area with its legend displayed to the upper left.

Visual Search in the (Un)Real World Tobit Kollenberg, Alexander Neumann, Dorothe Schneider, Tessa-Karina Tews, Thomas Hermann, Helge Ritter, Angelika Dierker, and Hendrik Koesling, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) that use a see-through display method allow for superimposing computer- generated images upon a real-world view. Such devices, however, normally restrict the user’s field of view. Furthermore, low display resolution and display curvature are suspected to make foveal as well as peripheral vision more difficult and may thus affect visual processing. In order to evaluate this assumption, the researchers compared performance and eye-movement patterns in a visual search paradigm under different viewing conditions: participants either wore an HMD, had their field of view restricted by blinders, or could avail themselves of an unrestricted field of view (normal viewing). From the head and eye-movement recordings they calculated the contribution of eye rotation to lateral shifts of attention. Results show that wearing an HMD leads to less eye rotation and requires more head movements than under blinders conditions and during normal viewing. The present study has shown that current head-mounted video see-through devices still present considerable restrictions to users, in particular with regard to the field of view that is available and accessible without problem. Findings also highlight the urge to improve presentation display technology so that the width and quality of the field of view better resemble normal viewing conditions. This would make the use of HMDs more intuitive and provide more natural viewing and interaction conditions. With advances in technology and miniaturization, the integration of an eye tracker in an HMD may be a problem that we can solve in the near future. This should significantly increase the accuracy of attention-based augmented reality displays and thus improve user friendliness and acceptance of such advanced interaction technology.

Left: Participant wearing Trivisio HMD and eye tracker. Right: Participant wearing blinders and eye tracker.

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Estimating 3D Point-of-regard and Visualizing Gaze Trajectories under Natural Head Movements Kentaro Takemura, Yuji Kohashi, Tsuyoshi Suenaga, Jun Takamatsu, and Tsukasa Ogasawara Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan

The portability of an eye tracking system encouraged the team to develop a technique for estimating 3D point-of- regard (POR). Unlike conventional methods, which estimate the position in the 2D image coordinates of the mounted camera, such a technique can represent richer gaze information of the human moving in the larger area. In this paper, they propose a method for estimating the 3D point-of-regard and a visualization technique of gaze trajectories under natural head movements for the head-mounted device. They employ visual SLAM technique to estimate head configuration and extract environmental information. Even in cases where the head moves dynamically, the proposed method could obtain 3D point-of-regard. Additionally, gaze trajectories are appropriately overlaid on the scene camera image. The purpose of this research is to estimate the 3D POR of an observer who moves freely. In general, head pose (position and orientation) is estimated by an extra sensor such as a motion capture system or a magnetic sensor, but the measuring range is limited. The measuring range of a magnetic sensor is about 5m, and many cameras are needed for covering a wide area using a motion capture system. To solve this limitation, the researchers propose to estimate the head pose using a scene camera installed in the eye tracking system. ViewPoint (Arrington Research) is used as the head- mounted eye tracking system. Its scene camera is utilized for visibility of POR on the image, so it is a low-resolution camera. For this research, the scene camera was FireFly MV (Point Grey Research) as a high-resolution camera as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Eye tracking system

As shown in Figure 2, triangles, which include 2D POR and the projected points of head direction, could be computed in real-time. Additionally, gaze trajectories are back projected to the scene image along with the head pose using interest points. When the observer was free to move dynamically, gaze trajectories are kept on the scene camera image as shown in Figure 3. Thus, they could follow the observer’s gaze trajectories intuitively. Although they do not have the ground truth of the 3D PORs, the result of overlaid 3D PORs shows focus areas such as title and figures on posters, and gaze trajectories are correctly kept on the image even when pose of the scene camera changed.

Figure 2: Snapshots of determining triangles, which include the 2D POR by Delaunay triangulation

Figure 3: Snapshots of gaze trajectories using augmented reality techniques. When a head-mounted eye tracking system move without restriction, gaze trajectories were drawn on the environment appropriately. White arrows show the corresponding points on gaze trajectories between two images.

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Measuring Vergence Over Stereoscopic Video with a Remote Eye Tracker Brian C. Daugherty, Andrew T. Duchowski, Donald H. House, and Celambarasan Ramasamy Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

A remote eye tracker is used to explore its utility for ocular vergence measurement. Subsequently, vergence measurements are compared in response to anaglyphic stereographic stimuli as well as in response to monoscopic stimulus presentation on a standard display. Results indicate a highly significant effect of anaglyphic stereoscopic display on ocular vergence when viewing a stereoscopic calibration video. Significant convergence measurements were obtained for stimuli fused in the anterior image plane. The anaglyphic stereogram used in this study was created with a red image for the left eye, and a cyan image for the right eye. Likewise, viewers of these images wore glasses with a red lens in front of the left eye, and a cyan lens in front of the right. The distance between corresponding pixels in the red and cyan images creates an illusion of depth when the composite image is fused together by the viewer. Eight anaglyphic video clips were shown to participants, with a ninth rendered traditionally (monoscopically). All nine videos were computer-generated. The first of the anaglyphic videos was of a roving disk in three-dimensional space, as shown in the figure. The purpose of this video was calibration of vergence normalization, as the stereoscopic depth of the roving disk matched the depth of the other video clips. The goal was to elicit divergent eye movements as the disk sunk into and beyond the monocular image plane, and to elicit convergent eye movements as the disk passed through and in front of the monocular image plane. The roving disk moves within a cube, texture-mapped with a checkerboard texture to provide additional depth cues. The disk starts moving in the back plane. After stopping at all four corners and the center, the disk moves closer to the viewer to the middle plane. The disk again visits each of the four corners and the center, before translating to the front plane, where again each of the four corners and center is visited.

Calibration video, showing a white disk visiting each of the four corners and the center of each visual plane, along with a viewer’s gaze point (represented by a small rectangle) during visualization: (a) the disk appears to sink into the screen, (b) the disk appears at the monocular, middle image plane; (c) the disk appears to “pop out” of the screen. The size of the gaze point rectangle is scaled to visually depict horizontal disparity. A smaller rectangle, as in (a), represents divergence, while a larger rectangle, as in (c), represents convergence.

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99 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 Stereoscopic Displays and Applications Conference January 18-20, 2010, San Jose, California

In this second report, Phillip Hill covers presentations from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Durham University, Ohio State University, Nokia Research Center/University of Helsinki/Waseda University, KAIST, Clemson University, Eindhoven University of Technology, ETRI/Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Nagoya University/Tokyo Institute of Technology

Cosmic Origins: Experiences Making a Stereoscopic 3D Movie Nick Holliman, Durham University, Durham, England

Stereoscopic 3D movies are gaining rapid acceptance commercially. In addition the developers’ previous experience with the short 3D movie ”Cosmic Cookery” showed that there is great public interest in the presentation of cosmology research using this medium. The objective of the work reported in this paper was to create a three- dimensional stereoscopic movie describing the life of the Milky Way galaxy. This was a technical and artistic exercise to take observed and simulated data from leading scientists and produce a short (six minute) movie that describes how the Milky Way was created and what happens in its future. The initial target audience was the visitors to the Royal Society’s 2009 Summer Science Exhibition in central London. The movie is also intended to become a presentation tool for scientists and educators following the exhibition. The presentation and playback systems used consisted of off-the shelf devices and software. The display platform for the Royal Society presentation was a Real D LP Pro switch used with a DLP projector to rear project a 4-meter diagonal image. The LP Pro enables the use of cheap disposable linearly polarizing glasses so that the high turnover rate of the audience (every ten minutes at peak times) could be sustained without needing delays to clean the glasses. The playback system was a high speed PC with an external 8Tb RAID driving the projectors at 30Hz per eye; the Lightspeed DepthQ software was used to decode and generate the video stream. A wide range of tools were used to render the image sequences, ranging from commercial to custom software. Each tool was able to produce a stream of 1080p images in stereo at 30fps. None of the rendering tools used allowed precise calibration of the stereo effect at render time and therefore all sequences were tuned extensively in a trial and error process until the stereo effect was acceptable and supported a comfortable viewing experience. The developers conclude that it is feasible to produce high quality 3D movies using off-the shelf equipment if care is taken to control the stereoscopic quality throughout the production process.

The Sun photographed in stereo by the NASA/JPL STEREO satellite pair

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Case Study – Beauty and the Beast 3D Benefits of 3D Viewing for 2D to 3D Conversion Tara Handy Turner, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Burbank, California

From the earliest stages of the “Beauty and the Beast” 3D conversion project, the advantages of accurate desk-side 3D viewing was evident. While designing and testing the 2D to 3D conversion process, the engineering team at Walt Disney Animation Studios proposed a 3D viewing configuration that not only allowed artists to “compose” stereoscopic 3D but also improved efficiency by allowing artists to instantly detect which image features were essential to the stereoscopic appeal of a shot and which features had minimal or even negative impact. At a time when few commercial 3D monitors were available and few software packages provided 3D desk-side output, the team designed their own prototype devices and collaborated with vendors to create a “3D composing” workstation. This paper outlines the display technologies explored, final choices made for Beauty and the Beast 3D, wish-lists for future development and a few rules of thumb for composing compelling 2D to 3D conversions.

The engineering team envisioned a workstation for 2D to 3D conversion in which changes in depth could be observed in real time. This design mimicked high-end finishing systems such as commercial production suites or editing bays where an artist alters footage or composites in software and the result displays almost immediately on a high-quality secondary monitor. This “stereo composing” approach suggested the need for an accurate, reasonably priced secondary desk-side monitor that would connect directly to the output of the 2D to 3D conversion software and provide comfortable long-term 3D viewing. In addition, it was preferable that the stereo quality duplicates the movie-going experience of the audience as closely as possible.

One of the most exciting qualities of stereoscopic 3D filmmaking is that shots that could appear ordinary or even cluttered in 2D planar viewing may transform into highly immersive imagery when viewed in stereo 3D. Crowd shots are a good example of this change. The added dimension of depth opens up the space between characters and objects and more clearly focuses the attention of the viewer on the subject as well as other interesting features that may have been lost in the details. The illustration provides an example of a crowd shot that, while true to the style of Disney artistry and expertly composed for focus and space in 2D, still becomes even more compelling when converted to stereo 3D. The sign on the left of the image also illustrates an image feature that is easily overlooked in the 2D imagery, but is surprisingly apparent and appealing in the stereoscopic 3D version of the shot.

For cross-eyed viewing: a well composed 2D crowd scene is even more compelling when 3D exposes additional space, focus and details not as apparent in the 2D image

Matte Painting in Stereoscopic Synthetic Imagery Jonathan Eisenmann, and Rick Parent, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

While there have been numerous studies concerning human perception in stereoscopic environments, rules of thumb for cinematography in stereoscopy have not yet been well-established. To that aim, the paper presents experiments and results of subject testing in a stereoscopic environment, similar to that of a theater (i.e. large flat screen without head-tracking). In particular the researchers wish to empirically identify thresholds at which

101 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 different types of backgrounds, referred to in the computer animation industry as matte paintings, can be used while still maintaining the illusion of seamless perspective and depth for a particular scene and camera shot. In monoscopic synthetic imagery, any type of matte painting that maintains proper perspective lines, depth cues, and coherent lighting and textures saves in production costs while still maintaining the illusion of an alternate cinematic reality. However, in stereoscopic synthetic imagery, a 2D matte painting that worked in monoscopy may fail to provide the intended illusion of depth because the viewer has added depth information provided by stereopsis. They observed two stereoscopic perceptual thresholds in this study, which will provide practical guidelines indicating when to use each of three types of matte paintings. They ran subject tests in two virtual testing environments, each with varying conditions. Data were collected showing how the choices of the users matched the correct response, and the resulting perceptual threshold patterns are discussed.

These two images show the effect created by placing a 2D matte painting in the background (as shown on the right), eliminating unwanted clutter in the scene and also adding visual interest to the sky

Top row: “The Golden Compass”, Ragnar’s Palace: created using rendered, texture painted geometry in Body-Paint 3D Copyright New Line Cinema 2007 Bottom row: “The Ring”, Moesko Island: most of the island is a 3D matte painting with the exception of the water. The water plate was shot just outside San Francisco, and projected onto the 3D geometry. Copyright Matte World Digital 2002

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Student Production: Making a Realistic Stereo CG Short Film in Six Months Celambarasan Ramasamy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

This paper breaks down the R&D and production challenges faced on a stereoscopic CG short film that was developed on a six-month time budget. Using this film as an example, the manner in which technical innovation and storytelling techniques can be used to emphasize the strengths and hide the weaknesses of a limited timeframe student production is discussed. One aspect is the importance of layering objects in the frame in order to maximize the stereo depth. There were instances where adding just a few objects into the shot greatly enhanced the perception of stereo in the shot. For example, in the figure, the perceived stereoscopic depth in the left image is poor but is greatly enhanced in the right image after additional elements are introduced into the shot. The image on the right contains two additional depth planes in the form of the two shelves. It also contains additional beams that run along the ceiling, which helps to enhance the perceived stereoscopic depth in the shot.

Enhancing stereoscopic depth through layering of objects in the scene (see text)

Quality Improving Techniques for Free-viewpoint DIBR Luat Do, Sveta Zinger, and Peter H.N. de With, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Interactive free-viewpoint selection applied to a 3D multi-view signal is a possible attractive feature of the rapidly developing 3D TV media. This paper explores a new rendering algorithm that computes a free-viewpoint based on depth image warping between two reference views from existing cameras. They have developed three quality enhancing techniques that specifically aim at solving the major artifacts. First, resampling artifacts are filled in by a combination of median filtering and inverse warping. Second, contour artifacts are processed while omitting warping of edges at high discontinuities. Third, they employ a depth signal for more accurate disocclusion inpainting. They obtain an average PSNR gain of 3dB and 4.5dB for the “Breakdancers” and “Ballet” sequences, respectively, compared to recently published results. While experimenting with synthetic data, they observed that the rendering quality is highly dependent on the complexity of the scene. Moreover, experiments were performed using compressed video from surrounding cameras. The overall system quality is dominated by the rendering quality and not by coding. The proposed rendering algorithm was evaluated with two series of experiments. Firstly, the rendering quality was measured while varying the angles between the reference cameras. Secondly, the researchers evaluate the effect of compressing the data prior to rendering, which would be the typical case in a future system. The camera setup of the test sequences consists of eight reference cameras positioned along an arc, spanning about 30° from one end to the other. Applied video sequences in the experiments are shown in the figure.

Test video sequences

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Structured Light-based High-accuracy Depth Imaging Applied for DIBR in Multiview 3DTV Roger Blanco Ribera, Taeone Kim, Jinwoong Kim, and Namho Hur, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, South Korea, Wookjoong Kim, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea

In this paper the researchers address the estimation of scene range for multiview 3DTV applications. Based on their similar setup requirements, they propose a depth camera system combining the strengths of “structured light” and “active stereo” techniques to obtain a fast depth map recovery for a larger variety of scenes and from a wider view with less occlusion. The proposed system is composed of a stereo rig and a projector. A stripe-based one shot pattern is projected into the target scene. Using an efficient decoding technique, reliable correspondences can be found between each camera and the projected pattern. Decoded areas common to both cameras are triangulated and used to calibrate the projector on the fly in order to estimate depth in decoded areas only visible in one camera. Correspondences in undecoded areas are estimated via a stereo matching procedure. The different estimated data is then combined in a single depth map. The researchers introduce a 3-projection method that improves the structured light identification in strong illumination conditions and more robust to color objects surfaces of the scene. They demonstrate the efficacy of the integration method experimental results with special emphasis on its performance in the context of the development and contents creation for depth image-based representation (DIBR) 3DTV.

(a) One of the captured patterns. (b) Detail of the projected patterns corresponding to the highlighted areas in (a). (c) Color representation in CIELAB space: the projected colors on the scene are highly biased towards the surface color; the shown examples correspond to the highlighted areas in (a). The black point corresponds to surface color obtained from the texture image. The red, green and blue dots correspond to the surface color biased towards pure red, green and blue by a limited amount.

A Study on Correlation between Stereoscopic Cinematography and Storytelling Yang Hyun Choi, and Jaehong Ahn, KAIST, Deajeon, South Korea

Nowadays stereoscopic technology is being paid attention as a leading technology for the next generation film industry in many countries including Korea. In Korean stereoscopic film production, however, the quality but also the quantity of stereoscopic contents still leaves much to be desired, and know-how and skill of stereoscopic film production has seen tardy progress. This paper shows research on the correlation between stereoscopic cinematography and storytelling. Based on a case study of a documentary film about Ho Quyen, UNESCO World Heritage in Vietnam, the researchers deliver guidelines for stereoscopic film production and storytelling. For the study, they analyzed scenes and shots of a documentary film script in pre-production stage. These results were reflected on a storyboard. A stereographer grasped the idea of storytelling that a director had meant through a script and storyboard. Then he applied suitable parameters for a stereoscopic cinematography to every shot with a beam- splitter rig. A researcher wrote major parameters like interaxial distance and convergence angle in every shot. Then average parameter values of scenes were calculated from the parameter database, and the relationship between stereoscopic cinematography and storytelling was derived by shot-by-shot analysis.

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What Do People Look At When They Watch Stereoscopic Movies? Jukka Häkkinen, Nokia Research Center, Tampere, Finland; Jari Takatalo, and Göte Nyman, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Takashi Kawai, and Reiko Mitsuya, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

The researchers measured the eye movements of participants who watched a 6-minute movie in stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic form. They analyzed four shots of the movie. The results indicate that in a 2D movie viewers tended to look at the actors, as most of the eye movements were clustered there. The significance of the actors started at the beginning of a shot, as the eyes of the viewer focused almost immediately to them. In S3D movies the eye movement patterns were more widely distributed to other targets. For example, complex stereoscopic structures and objects nearer than the actor captured the interest and eye movements of the participants. Also, the tendency to first look at the actors was diminished in the S3D shots. The results suggest that in a S3D movie there are more eye movements, which are directed to a wider array of objects than in a 2D movie.

Heat maps of scenes analyzed in the study. The red color indicates the higher number of fixations, and yellow and green colors lower number of fixations. S3D left column, 2D right column.

Novel View Synthesis with Residual Error Feedback for FTV Hisayoshi Furihata, Tomohiro Yendo, Mehrdad Panahpour Tehrani, and Masayuki Tanimoto, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan; Toshiaki Fujii, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

The availability of multi-view images of a scene makes possible new and exciting applications, including free- viewpoint TV (FTV). FTV allows us to change viewpoint freely in a 3D world, where the virtual viewpoint images are synthesized by depth image based rendering (DIBR). In this paper, the researchers propose a new method of DIBR using multi-view images acquired in a linear camera arrangement. The proposed method improves virtual viewpoint images by predicting the residual errors. For virtual viewpoint image synthesis, it is necessary to estimate the depth maps with multi-view images. Some algorithms to estimate depth map were proposed, but it is difficult to estimate an accurate depth map. As a result, rendered virtual viewpoint images have some errors due to the depth errors. Therefore, this proposed method takes into account those depth errors and improves the quality of the rendered virtual viewpoint images. In the proposed method, the virtual images of each camera position are generated using the real images from each camera. Then, the residual errors can be calculated between the generated images and the real images acquired by the actual cameras. The residual errors are processed and fed back to predict the residual errors that can happen to virtual viewpoint images generated by conventional method. In the experiments, PSNR could be improved by a few decibels compared with conventional methods.

105 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010

http://www.insightmedia.info/training/index.php

106 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 New product introductions: lessons lost by Norman Hairston

Norman Hairston is a third generation TV professional in that many of the people that he worked with early in his career had worked with the inventors of color TV set technology. He has held technical, commercial and strategic planning positions in the display industry and has worked with a variety of technologies including CRT, LCD, laser based displays, Telaria and CRT projection. He began his display career at Corning developing their early strategic plans for the LCD substrate business. He has since held display positions at Honeywell, Gemfire, Intel, and as a consultant. He holds both Chemical Engineering and Materials Science degrees from MIT and an MBA from Stanford.

Since the introduction of basic color TV in the 1960’s there have been at least five other new product introductions of consequence. Four of the five were done badly with substantial negative consequences for the product being introduced. As with understanding the TV set market during a recession, the industry seems to have forgotten everything it knew prior to the transition to flat panel TVs and seems destined to repeat many of the mistakes of the CRT era with the introduction of 3D.

Front Projection TV: Front projection TV was first widely introduced in the mid 1970s and, of course, the innovator Klaus Video Beam, did not survive the introduction. The initial single CRT design was dim and it required a specialized screen that could not be easily cleaned by the consumer. My assessment of the root causes of the failure is that they are twofold. First, the initial design could have been much better. The single color tube was rapidly supplanted by 3 monochrome tubes designs that were 15 times brighter (due to the absence of the shadow mask). Like many display design innovations, the basic idea came from outside the industry. However, like many display design innovations, the innovator did not make use of the productization experience within the industry and simple refinements that could have vastly improved the initial product went un-implemented. Klaus was rapidly ejected from the market by other companies that understood CRT design.

The second issue with the original Klaus Video beam product was that it presumed consumers were willing to submit to specialized viewing conditions to watch TV, specifically a dim room. While people do occasionally focus on their TVs, the great portion of TV viewing is a very passive thing. TV viewers are multitasking, doing other things, while watching TV or otherwise in a location where dimming the lights is inconvenient or completely not practicable. Even the 3 tube front projection designs were subsequently supplanted by rear projection. Some thought about the design and about keeping TV viewing easy for the consumer and the projection TV industry could have skipped the first two generations of product and gone straight to a product that had a reasonable chance of wide adoption. As it was, the industry accumulated a great burden of bad PR that it has never been able to shake. Fundamentally, front projection consumer TV was a half formed idea that should never have been launched.

Rear Projection TV: After two generations of product that essentially had no chance, the projection TV industry finally arrived at a workable basic design; but even here there were significant missteps. The initial sets were difficult for the consumers to align. This further contributed to the technology’s bad rep as potential purchasers saw misaligned sets in the neighbor’s homes and decided against the technology. However, the alignment issue was fixed and rear projection, although still a premium priced product, rose in market share to levels that were roughly appropriate for its pricing. In fact, in surveys conducted at Corning in the early 1990’s, many consumers reported owning 40-60” direct view CRTs, indicating that the technology had gotten so good that many were purchasing projection sets without even knowing what they had bought.

There was one remaining issue with conventional CRT rear projection sets that was never fully addressed. Being the only large size technology at the time, these sets were frequently purchased for commercial applications such as for use in bars and other public forums. In these applications these TV sets were frequently at elevated heights so

107 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 that viewers were well outside of the design viewing angle. If you’ve seen these sets in these sorts of circumstances you are well aware of the consequences: dim images and color bleeding. Again, exposing consumers to a crappy image, when image is what you are selling is not the way to promote a technology. If the industry had developed sets specifically for commercial requirements, this problem could have been largely avoided.

Rear Projection also had other impediments as innovators attempted to graft their new technology onto the platform. Although there were and are a variety of technologies tried, they all relied on an external light source of limited life. Consumers are generally accustomed to not having to maintain their TVs. The screens get covered with dust, the color falls out of alignment and the picture generally, but smoothly deteriorates but consumers are still happy with their sets as long as they are not compelled to do anything but turn them on and watch. Introducing a maintenance item to a maintenance free product provides a routine opportunity to reevaluate whether the owner wants to continue owning this set. It is also generally upsetting to the consumers’ normal mode of passive interaction with their TV set.

Introduction of field sequential technology with a color wheel introduced a mechanical device to the set. The original color CRT technology relied on a color wheel, however these sets never came to market as the color wheel was not as reliable as even the then-unreliable tube based CRT sets. Resurrecting this long-ditched technological dead end produced yet another dead end.

Plasma: Like projection TV, Plasma was introduced when it was good enough to sell but not good enough to make a good first impression. Of course, the problems with early plasma sets were the short term image burn in problems and the longer term phosphor life issues. Both issues still haunt the technology even though they are no longer a real concern for the consumer. Currently, even though plasma sets are noticeably cheaper than LCD and have better performance in some parameters, LCD outsells plasma by a wide margin. Many consumers will not consider the technology because of its reputation. As with projection technology, the rocky start is tough for the technology to overcome. The best hope, surprisingly, for the technology to regain some of its lost market share is the marketing messages of some of the LCD makers, elevating the importance of the performance parameters were plasma bests LCD.

HDTV: Although the display industry is currently reaping the benefits of the HDTV transition, the introduction of HD was in and of itself something of a marketing disaster. From the time HDTV was widely discussed in the press to the actual transition was about 20 years and for those 20 years there were consumers hoping to eke out a few more years on their existing set so that they would not have to buy a new set then immediately replace it with an HDTV. Though set sales continued to grow through that period the uncertainty in the mind of the consumer was a depressing factor on sales growth… particularly when there were a lot of stories in the news.

As with all product lines, it gets tougher to sell the old models once the new one has been announced. It would have been much better for the industry to minimize talk of the new format until there was an actual schedule for the transition from the government. In my opinion, the “HD Ready” sets, many being marketed before the format was even agreed to, did as much to add to the confusion as their intended purpose of easing the consumer’s mind about buying now as the store associates were hard pressed to explain what HD Ready meant.

LCD TV: LCD technology was the only major technology in the past 40 years whose introduction to the market went smoothly. In part, that was because the industry had time to shake out the bugs with intermediate applications before applying it to TV on a mass scale. Also, LCD showed up to the market in numbers just when the dominant format was switching from 4:3 to 16:9. As plasma had limited ability to do smaller sized sets, and CRTS had limited ability to do 16:9, the move to 16:9 produced an opening with perfect timing for LCD entry in vast numbers. The product was right; the timing was right.

Lessons for 3D TV: As we have learned from Projection TV and Plasma, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Though circumstances may change and the technology improve, the damage done by selling

108 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 a product that consumers will be unhappy with in the long term can hobble a technology for decades. The projection experience also teaches that it is a good idea to consult the experts. In this case the experts are not the optics people or CRT designers, but the human factors community. The display industry is attempting to capitalize on the increased availability of 3D content from the movie industry without giving much thought to the greatly differing usage models between watching a movie at a cinema and watching TV at home. Further the movie industry, itself, bears some burden. Just as major motion pictures are filmed with an eye to the TV market, keeping important action out of the corners that get chopped off on a TV set; they must also learn to compose 3D content that plays well on a smaller screen as well.

Additionally, though it was not an unwise choice, my own bias would be to always make it easy for the consumer. Active glasses take cost out of the total system, and they may be necessary to compensate for a consumer that is not sitting upright as they watch but they do leave the consumer with an expensive pair of glasses and a maintenance item, batteries that must be recharged. Short of a non-glasses solution, active glasses may be the right way to go but it just seems one step removed from a color wheel.

Finally, as the industry touts 3D TV as the next new thing, it is not particularly surprising that LCD TV sales have taken a pause from the growth it has shown through the economic upheaval. Though that upheaval may be ultimately the cause of the recent set sales slowdown, the situation is reminiscent of the impact of the premature HDTV discussions in the early 1990’s. If the plan is for a rapid migration to 3D, then taking the sales hit now may be unavoidable. However, with significant numbers of standard definition TV sets still in use, the industry has given the late adopters one more reason to delay replacing their sets.

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109 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 To 3D or not 3D, that’s no longer the question

by Jon Peddie

Dr. Jon Peddie is one of the pioneers of the graphics industry, starting his career in computer graphics in 1962. After the successful launch of several graphics manufacturing companies, Peddie began JPA in 1984 to provide comprehensive data, information and management expertise to the computer graphics industry. In 2001 Peddie left JPA and formed Jon Peddie Research (JPR) to provide customer intimate consulting and market forecasting services. Peddie lectures at numerous conferences on topics pertaining to graphics technology and the emerging trends in digital media technology. Recently named one of the most influential analysts, he is frequently quoted in trade and business publications, and contributes articles to numerous publications as well as appearing on CNN and TechTV. Peddie is also the author of several books including Graphics User Interfaces and Graphics Standards, High Resolution Graphics Display Systems, and Multimedia and Graphics Controllers, and a contributor to Advances in Modeling, Animation, and Rendering.

Visual stereoscopy, also known as S3D, has definitely come to the PC. It was actually always there, just not exposed. Soon there will be video stereo-scopy available on your TV, you can see cinematic stereoscopy now in most metropolitan theaters in the industrialized world, and this time next year most new smartphones will offer web, game, and video stereoscopy content via auto-stereoscopic glasses-free displays. All of this gets bundled in the phrase “3D.” Obviously “3D” leaves a lot to be desired in terms of meaning and to the people using it.

Yes, issues still exist and probably will for a couple of more years, as Luis Giglioti, Metro 2033’s creative director at THQ said at the 3D Gaming Summit, “we’re just taking baby steps now.” And Greg Spence, lead programmers on the S3D version of Everquest II agreed. In demos shown at the conference there were lots of artifacts like ghosting, inter-axial spacing and depth issues that were obvious, and the unwanted effects caused by them brought out the critic in everyone. All of sudden everyone was an expert, or a naysayer on S3D. Baby steps.

Mark Rein sees the big picture and with a wave of his hand pushes aside the objections, “It’ll happen, that will all be taken care of” he says with his usual flair and enthusiasm. He sees a different challenge—changing the user interaction with an S3D game. Rein wants the user to be able to reach in, and move about in the scene and thinks Natel and Wii2-like technologies will get us closer to that capability.

Everyone who was not a naysayer pretty much agreed shutter glasses were better than passive polarized versions. For one simple reason: shutter glasses give you full resolution, and as Phil Eisler mentioned in the demo area, you can lie on your side and watch an S3D movie with shutter glasses, something you can’t do with polarized glasses— I never thought about that before.

Neil Schneider, the self appointed cheerleader for S3D, challenged the game developers to do a better job and take into consideration frame rate, film grain, and depth – that earned him another wave of Rein’s hand. But Neil did raise the issue that doesn’t seem to get much discussion except at esoteric S3D conferences. Again, Rein seemed to put his finger on it and said games today are being done after the fact, in the Nvidia driver. When games are made for S3D from the beginning, things like individual scene compensation for depth will be made.

However, the game developers are certain a game player will be willing to wear glasses for six to eight hours. It’s one thing to wear them for a couple of hours in a passive situation like watching a movie. Still, in a AAA FPS that gets played for many hours glasses may become annoying. As Giglioti pointed out, there haven’t been enough systems sold yet to give any meaningful feedback from the users.

It’s pretty clear from all the discussions that given the differences in humans we will have to have explicit adjustment available for inter-axial distance, and depth. Games may have an auto-setup mode as they do now for lighting and AA filtering, with a manual override for advanced or expert users. Baby steps.

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Consoles will not be too attractive for S3D given their five year old technology and the preponderance of 60 Hz TV displays. The consoles don’t have the graphics horsepower, bandwidth, or memory to generate to 60 Hz HDTV images even if the screen was available.

I’ve long felt there wouldn’t be a next generation console because the technology is moving so fast and the games are getting so demanding. However, Reins suggested that if there is a next gen, S3D this is going to be one of the justifications for it. That will happen when Moore’s law makes it possible to deliver the kind of performance in a $300 box that now is available in a $1,000+ PC. However, Darkworks thinks their slightly anaglyph S3D approach will bring S3D to existing consoles now, and the examples we saw led me to agree with them. And there is a new technology approach coming out of ET3D based on work done at the Aerospace Corporation (a U.S. federally funded not-for-profit lab) that has a novel no glasses approach. Another similar no-glasses approach is that from Masterworks which has a matrix screen it puts in front of a LCD display.

Glasses are a bit of a problem, even though I challenge people who complain to tell me if they ever wear sunglasses. But, using myself as a test subject I don’t think I can wear glasses for extended periods of time. It’s not uncommon to play a game in excess of four or six hours. I know I get tired of the S3D effect after about 45 minutes – I think my record is maybe an hour and then I take them off and turn off the S3D and continue the game. I plan to test this further and subject some of our people to be guinea pigs as well.

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111 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 Is 3D doomed? – Point/Counterpoint Peterson and Schneider duke it out…

In this piece, we reprint by permission of the authors, a blog exchange that was recently published on the http://www.gamasutra.com blog site. Although we suspect that most readers of this newsletter will be inclined towards Neil Schneider’s point of view, it’s important to recognize that not all industry observers are fully on the 3D bandwagon. Enjoy!

Five reasons 3D display is doomed

by Steve Peterson

Steve Peterson has marketed products and services for a wide variety of companies, from startups to billion-dollar giants. His clients include Electronic Arts, Activision, Capcom, Sega, Wizards of the Coast, and many others. Steve is also an award-winning game designer, having co-designed the Champions superhero RPG and numerous other RPGs, and videogames such as Dragon Wars and Vegas Gambler. He's written an interactive fantasy novel and numerous strategy guides for games such as 7th Guest and 11th Hour, as well as documentation for a variety of video games, video, and 3D design products. You can find his regular thoughts on marketing games at http://20thlevelmarketing.blogspot.com and his consulting web site at http://www.20thlevel.com. This article was first published on July 30, 2010.

Does 3D display really have a chance to revitalize the game industry (or, at least, sales of traditional console titles)? I realize that a great deal of enthusiasm has been expressed about its prospects, but that's mostly by executives with a vested interest in seeing it succeed. What are the real chances? I think it's doomed to be a mere blip in the sales charts, and here are 5 reasons why:

1. 3D Is Expensive. The new generation of consoles helped catalyze the purchase of HDTVs, and now we ask customers to drop at least $2000 on a new set so they can play 3D titles? We don't even have complete penetration of HDTV yet, and asking for a major upgrade when the economy is still recovering seems a bit much. Then there are the 3D glasses, which are $150 to $199 a pair right now. Yes, those prices will drop, but it's not going to happen until numbers get very much higher... which may not ever happen. 2. It's Nauseating. Some games with fast motion, like Wipeout, can induce motion sickness in susceptible people even without 3D. A 3D display exacerbates the problem; some estimates have 15% of the population affected. Headaches, dizziness, nausea... not exactly the effects you want your game to induce. Samsung even warns users (http://www.samsung.com/au/tv/warning.html) on its web site about 3D. Now, this effect may get less over time as developers learn how to properly use 3D, and perhaps Nintendo's 3D slider might help if it gets used on other hardware (though the very fact they felt it necessary to include it should tell you something). Also: http://kotaku.com/5593762/the-good-3d-the- bad-and-the-nauseating and http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/06/19/a-guide-to-3d-display-technology- its-principles-methods-and-dangers/ 3. Resolution/frame rate loss. 3D requires you to give up half the frame rate, or give up resolution, in order to display twice as many frames as normal. Many processes result in lower brightness (a big problem with 3D movies). Some developers have looked at the 3DS and said that they may just want to use the higher resolution and frame rate and not even implement the 3D effect. Many hardcore gamers are annoyed at low frame rates, especially with FPS play. Will they really opt for 3D and watch their frame rate get halved? 4. No new gameplay. So far it's not clear what 3D display brings to the game design table in terms of enabling new forms of play. The Wii showed that relatively simple and cheap technology could bring innovative new gameplay modes; so did the DS with its two screens. I have yet to hear how 3D display

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will enable new game play, or even refine current gameplay. Without something new to offer, will customers buy into it? 5. 3D is dying in theaters. The highly anticipated wave of 3D movies has washed over the theaters and pulled away, leaving the beaches exposed. Avatar did great business, but successive movie had lower audiences. Critics have complained about the process and the higher prices, and it looks like the fad is fading. This does not portend well for 3D display in gaming, especially since the 3D movies were supposed to help drive adoption of the 3D TVs necessary for 3D gaming.

These problems could, I suppose, be overcome, but it's hard to see how 3D gaming will be the Next Big Thing.

Five reasons 3D display ISN'T doomed (a rebuttal)

by Neil Schneider

Neil Schneider is the President & CEO of Meant to be Seen (mtbs3D.com) and the newly founded S-3D Gaming Alliance (s3dga.com). For years, Neil has been running the first and only stereoscopic 3D gaming advocacy group, and continues to grow the industry through demonstrated customer demand and game developer involvement. His work has earned endorsements and participation from the likes of Electronic Arts and Blitz Games Studios, and he has also developed S-3D public speaking events with the likes of Crytek, Epic Games, iZ3D, DDD, and NVIDIA. Tireless in their efforts, mtbs3D.com is by far the largest S-3D gaming site in existence, and has been featured in GAMEINFORMER, Gamecyte, Wired Online, Joystiq, Gamesindustry.biz, and countless more sites and publications. This rebuttal was first published on August 1, 2010.

I'd like to respond to the blog written by Steve Peterson on Gamasutra.com. In it, he lists “5 Reasons 3D Display is Doomed”. It's a very fixed position, and I feel compelled to share some insight of my own. First, Mr. Peterson's article begins with the statement “I realize that a great deal of enthusiasm has been expressed about its prospects, but that's mostly by executives with a vested interest in seeing it succeed. What are the real chances?”

I will first remark that this “3D executive” took an interest long before 3D was popular. http://www.mtbs3D.com started as an idea posted in the early Nvidia 3D gamers' forum (I'm “Chopper”) over four years ago, and grew from there. Much of MTBS is put together by volunteers who invest their personal time because they love 3D gaming and want to see it succeed. This gamer driven movement is what later made The S-3D Gaming Alliance possible. If I have a vested interest in 3D, it's because I'm a customer first. Now to respond to Mr. Peterson's remarks:

1. 3D Is Expensive: “The new generation of consoles helped catalyze the purchase of HDTVs, and now we ask customers to drop at least $2000 on a new set so they can play 3D titles?”

Over ten years ago, the first traditional HDTVs were sold in 1998 for between $5,000 to $10,000 US – and the dollar was valued higher back then. Looking at a current Best Buy online listing, the most expensive 3D HDTV featured is the Samsung 55-inch unit going for about $5,000 US (Model UN55C9000). The Samsung 46-inch 3D Plasma is going for about $1,400 US (Model LN46C750).

In the 2D market, Samsung's 65-inch (Model UN65C6500) is going for over $4,000 US, and the majority of mid-range units are going for about $2,000 a piece. Not so far off from the 3D world, if you ask me. I only focused on Samsung for consistency, but it's a very diverse market including Sony, LG Electronics, Panasonic, and more.

A leading criticism Mr. Peterson uses against 3D is that people won't buy a second set, let alone make a purchase like this in the current economy. According to DisplaySearch, LCD TV sales saw a 50% increase in 2009. According to iSuppli, even during a recession, 2009 saw a first quarter flat panel sales

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increase of 7.8 million units, or 17 percent. This was attributed to cocooning, or cutting back on travel in favor of a great home entertainment system.

We have to remember that these tail-end buyers aren't the early adopters, they are the bargain hunters. If indeed people want the 3D benefits, and all the customer data we have to work with says they do, then it's a brand new product cycle for the early adopters looking to upgrade their living room experience - which is justification for a second HDTV in their home.

While I admit that $1,400 is very reasonable for a 3D HDTV, the 3D market is clearly targeting the early adopters now, with the mass market to follow - similar to HDTV.

2. It's Nauseating: “Headaches, dizziness, nausea... not exactly the effects you want your game to induce.”

If we look at the 3D cinema world, there is a lot of repeat business happening with masses of people going to 3D movies. Unfortunately, cinema has a handicap that forces them to come up with a single 3D experience for everyone. Despite this, the papers have not been strewn with claims of Avatar 3D nausea – just sales.

In the gaming space, we have a double-edged sword. You can customize the 3D experience individually, right down to the level of depth, and how much of that depth is inside and outside the screen. Very exciting stuff! Unfortunately, it can be an uncomfortable experience if gamers don't choose their settings properly. There is a small learning curve here.

It's unfortunate that Samsung's warning label was blasted across the media the way it was. MTBS has countless members who have been happily gaming in 3D for a very long time, and see this as a protective corporate measure – not a warning of things to come.

3. Resolution/frame rate loss: “3D requires you to give up half the frame rate, or give up resolution, in order to display twice as many frames as normal. Many processes result in lower brightness (a big problem with 3D movies).”

I'm going to let you in on a dirty gaming industry secret. While the console spec encourages 60 frames per second game play, many top game developers render at 30 frames per second. So while the expected drop in frames is getting its share of media coverage, most gamers won't notice.

As far as resolution is concerned, only a handful of console games render at 1080P. 720P is closer to 2D standard than most realize. Using traditional 2D gaming as the standard, this drop of resolution and performance isn't a big deal at all.

The brightness aspect has to do with the choice of 3D television and glasses more so than anything else. Similar to HDTV progress, 3D displays are getting brighter to compensate, and there are future 3D innovations to come, I'm sure!

4. No New Gameplay: “So far it's not clear what 3D display brings to the game design table in terms of enabling new forms of play. The Wii showed that relatively simple and cheap technology could bring innovative new gameplay modes; so did the DS with its two screens. I have yet to hear how 3D display will enable new game play, or even refine current gameplay. Without something new to offer, will customers buy into it?”

It's not about the game play – it never was. According to the 2009 U-Decide Initiative, the number one reason for gamers to regularly buy updated equipment (e.g. GPUs, CPUs, Sound Cards, better displays, etc.) is game immersion - the desire to feel part of the game. 3D ties into that perfectly, which is why so much interest has developed around it.

There have been some experiments around treating depth as part of the game; like catching fireflies in a net. However, immersion is the big motivator right now.

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5. 3D is Dying in Theaters: “The highly anticipated wave of 3D movies has washed over the theaters and pulled away, leaving the beaches exposed. Avatar did great business, but successive movies had lower audiences.”

A source wasn't quoted for this remark, so I'm going to take an educated guess. The Wrap ran an article featuring a chart of 3D movies, and their declining 3D to 2D revenue share. What The Wrap failed to mention was that each listed movie had fewer and fewer screens to work with. When Avatar was released, they had virtually no 3D competition. Now that multiple 3D movies have to share the limited 3D screen space at the same time, the audience numbers look very different – artificially so.

We also have to remember that Avatar was the biggest selling movie of all time with a 15 year development history – not a 2D/3D afterthought conversion. Not even Steven Spielberg can shatter movie sales records week after week after week. If life were like that!

I will conclude by saying that while 3D has a committed and exciting future, the whole industry is going through a learning curve. Several organizations including The S-3D Gaming Alliance, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Panasonic, Blitz Games Studios, Steelseries, Zalman, and more, are doing a study of what gamers think about 3D and which experiences excite them the most. It is hoped that what is learned from The 2010 U-Decide Initiative will help shape video games to come.

Once the study is complete, over fifty prizes will be drawn including a 3D HDTV, gaming headsets, a 3D monitor, and over 40 console and PC video games. The preliminary results will be revealed at GDC Online (formerly GDC Austin) in October. Both traditional 2D and experienced stereoscopic 3D gamers are welcome to participate...even Steve Peterson!

Point/Counterpoint

Peterson: You make the point that 3D TV prices will continue to drop, which is true. But whatever price drops occur for 3D TVs will also occur for non-3D TVs, and there will continue to be a price differential. The differential will probably shrink, but right now it's about $1,000 or more. Which is a lot to pay for an additional feature unless you are really, really sure you want it. You say there's customer data that says people want 3D... I'd love to see it, and examine the methodology of the studies. Right now I think it's pretty early to say with any degree of certainty just how much people would be interested in 3D display for gaming, before the technology has even been shown to more than a handful of people (relative to the market size).

Schneider: I think it's a misnomer to label 3D as the price differential. 3D is being implemented as default technology in most premium grade HDTVs. With the exception of polarized solutions, laser TVs, or unannounced 3D technologies, most of the high-end units are adding 3D support as default technology through 120Hz panels (LCD shutter glasses compatibility). It's an easy default technology for the manufacturers because it's not too radical a change for the production lines. I need to research this more, but I'm told the premium grade 2D televisions from last year, are closely priced to the 3D televisions available this year. Are we comparing premium to premium, or 2D to 3D? Kakaku ran an online survey of almost nine thousand people, and found that over 30% are interested in buying a 3D HDTV this year. This is excellent (though this received criticism for some strange reason). NPD Group revealed findings that “3D Capable Home Entertainment Product” revenue exceeded $55 million dollars in the US in the first three months of their product launch. Again, this is very good news when thinking about the premium grade product market. You are correct that there is limited consumer data to work with. We are hoping to get a clearer picture of the expected buying patterns as part of the current study.

Peterson: My point about nausea and headaches still stands; it's a problem, and it's unclear how much it will affect the market. Much will depend on implementation, both on the hardware side and the software side, and then on how individual gamers deal with the games. Uncertainty breeds hesitation, especially when making major purchase decisions. This is something the industry will have to work to overcome, not just shrug and ignore.

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Schneider: I completely agree with this. Properly (or improperly) authored content will make or break this industry for sure. I think the confidence will grow as the market matures and more diverse content is available.

Peterson: I'm well aware of frame rates in console games, and I'm also aware that frame rates are a major aspect of reviews of graphics cards aimed at hardcore PC gamers. Certainly there's a lot of awareness of frame rates out there among the hardcore, and those are exactly the early adopters you'd expect to want to spend thousands of dollars on a new technology. So you'd better have a good argument to overcome their concerns... even though there may not be much of a perceptual difference between 30 and 60 fps in a given game, hardcore gamers are often annoyed to think they're getting fewer frames than possible. Again, this is a problem that needs to be overcome.

Schneider: I was referring to console gamers when I was talking about frame rate. PC gamers are a different animal, and I can agree with your logic. We did research in an earlier study about acceptable frame rates and under what circumstances. I can try to pull it up later. I don't think the frame rate issue is a problem for console on condition that that 30 FPS is met. It's more challenging on PC, but they have the advantage (and now the justification) to buy multi-GPU systems.

Peterson: The updated equipment you're referring to gamers buying is for PC gamers; console gamers don't upgrade until a new console comes along, for the most part. Their TV and sound system decisions are made only partially on the basis of gaming; that equipment is used for other purposes. Immersion is an element of good game play, not necessarily tied to equipment. Typically console gamers have bought add-on hardware (like guitar controllers and band instruments) because it specifically enables game play they want (like Guitar Hero or Rock Band). I think 3D display needs to show gamers what they get out of it that's worth an investment of over $1,000... you can buy a lot of software for that (or much better screens or a sound system). New gameplay modes are a compelling reason to buy ("This Rock Band thing is really different and cool!"); "greater immersion" is vague and hard to use to get people to open their wallets.

Schneider: I think it's very appealing for an existing console to do something it previously couldn't like show 3D Blu-Ray movies and play 3D video games. What matters most is if the 3D is appealing enough and there is enough content to support it.

Peterson: There have been many critics of the 3D process being used now (among them Roger Ebert and Christopher Nolan), and it's certainly true that nothing is doing business like Avatar. Jim Cameron was using the process he created, and doing it well, as opposed to many of the latest movies which have done a 3D conversion in post-production (with bad-to-awful results for non-animated features, e.g. Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender). Hoping that success of 3D in movie theaters will drive adoption of 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray players seems chancy unless Hollywood starts doing a much better job creating 3D movies. Right now, success for 3D in the theaters is anything but assured, which adds to the risk for the gaming market.

Schneider: It's much worse than that. You're being kind here! With the exception of a chosen few, the 3D display manufacturers literally sat on their hands around gaming. There was way too much focus on Blu-Ray and 3D sports, and now the industry is starting to pay for it. On our vacation, I went to Best Buy to see the units on sale. Guess how many display manufacturers had gaming content to show? Just one. Everyone was so focused on Blu- Ray and 3D sports and 3D events, they didn't have basic license agreements with game developers to show their video games in 3D! So forget the 3D and the 3D quality for a moment. If you are a customer and you want to buy the TV that is right for you, are you going to buy the unit that can't show you the games you want to play? Who are you going to trust? The TV that says it will work when you take it home, or the TV that has an active gaming demo? It's a serious problem. Fortunately, things are changing for the better.

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116 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 MTBS visits Best Buy in Wilmington, DE

by Neil Schneider

One of the challenges of living in Canada is it takes a bit longer for the latest and greatest models to make it north of the border. My last trip to the local retail store only featured the Samsung LED 3D HDTV, and the Sony Bravia just recently started to make an appearance. The MTBS team took some much needed vacation time and drove down to Wilmington, Delaware on the tail end of our trip. For fun, we decided to scope out the local Best Buy, and according to their staff, it's arguably the biggest Best Buy in the United States! Maybe it's because Wilmington, Delaware has no sales tax? A definite plus for those shopping for pricier gadgets!

We got the go ahead to take several pictures of the 3D HDTVs on display including models by Panasonic, Sony, LG, and Samsung. We don't do hardware reviews at MTBS because it's not our place to give competitive advantages to one solution over another. However, we will share some opinions that the retailer shared with us.

This is the Panasonic 50-inch 3D HDTV. According to the Best Buy representative, the image quality ranked highest between the units. When asked about the longevity of plasma versus LCD displays, he explained that plasma is much better than it used to be, and estimated the lifespan of this unit to be about 85,000 hours.

The Sony Bravia 3D HDTV ranked second for display quality according to the staff. By the way, the above picture was taken through Sony's glasses with a 3D camera. If you are viewing with an S-3D monitor, you will see how Motor Storm looks on PS3!

Sony boasts the highest number of emitters among the televisions (fifteen) compared to the others (three to six). According to the sales rep, more emitters mean you will have a wider field of placement for the glasses. I recommend visiting a retailer in person to see where the glasses physically work and don't work in relation to the TV, and find out how many glasses you can use simultaneously. This may or may not be an advantage for you.

117 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010

Samsung 3D HDTV

LG Electronics' 3D HDTV

The Samsung units were also on display, as was LG's. For whatever reason, the Samsung and LG 3D modes were not active when the pictures were taken – sorry about that. I never saw LG's shutter glasses solution until now, so that was a learning experience. Our earlier demonstrations with LG were all based on their polarized solution – it would have been good to see that at a Best Buy too!

A bit of analysis I can share is that content is king, and display manufacturers need to get in the game - literally. According to the helpful sales reps, customers are asking about 3D gaming above all else. The problem is that out of all the TVs we saw on display, only Sony had 3D gaming content to show, and that was a major handicap for the other display makers.

It's understandable that Sony was able to do this because their internal game developers can easily pump out content and license it out for display on Sony Bravias. The other manufacturers didn't do nearly enough in the gaming arena, and only had generic sports and movies to show. What is a customer going to buy? The 3D HDTV that shows the content they want, or the manufacturer that says they can play the content they want? This is a serious problem for our otherwise diverse industry.

Fortunately, video games and the companies that make them are very diverse, and gaming can be properly represented if it is chased! The industry just needs to do some catching up on a non-proprietary basis.

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119 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010

Frenzy in the Third Dimension

by Marty Shindler

Marty Shindler is CEO of Oculus3D Corporation, a company formed to accelerate the acceptance and penetration of stereoscopic cinema. The Company enables global theaters to install 3D projection systems at a fraction of the cost of existing systems using the vast installed base of 35MM projectors. The OculR produces images that are the brightest 3D in the industry, measuring 10fL through each eye to the polarizers. Previously, Mr. Shindler was CEO of The Shindler Perspective, a husband & wife consulting practice with Big 4 professional service firm and top 5 business school credentials. The firm consulted on business matters in a range of creative & technology businesses, from 3D, visual effects, DVDs and home entertainment options, movie libraries and their valuation to production techniques, IMAX and other aspects of the entertainment value chain. Mr. Shindler was previously employed at 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm's Industrial Light &Magic, Kodak's Cinesite and Coopers &Lybrand (PriceWaterhouseCoopers).

History repeats itself. The lessons learned from history should never be forgotten.

 It happened when sound was a new technology for feature films. It happened again when color was a new technology for feature films.  It happened yet again in the mid 90s when CGI came on the scene in a big way, spurred by the likes of Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park, major motion pictures that told Hollywood studios and many independents that computer graphics could be used for major visual effects extravaganzas and, as far as those two movies were concerned, could attract large audiences on a global basis, all paying top dollar to see the latest and greatest.

The two aforementioned movies were done brilliantly, from their writing to their execution, with the likes of James Cameron and Steven Spielberg helming the work, but the aftermath created was a frenzy by almost any definition as a new language to tell stories was being created.

The underlying 3D CGI technology for those two movies (and a few others) came at a time when more horsepower became available in computing and new tools were being created to enable even a local "garage shop" to create convincing images on screen. If you could think it, it could be created in the computer was a common philosophy. The only constraints were time and, of course, money. In the 90s, companies sprang up on a global basis to create the production level work for visual effects. Other companies sprang up to build software and hardware tools for image creation.

The burgeoning 3D CGI industry also prompted companies and schools to provide training to the waiting masses, including retraining the existing workforce, many of whom knew what images were required, but were now becoming adept at using a new tool to create. For example, a great model maker accustomed to wood, foam, steel and other "real" materials now was beginning to learn how to build models with a tablet, mouse and software. The base knowledge was there, but new tools were being used for execution.

Organizations of all kinds set up series of panel discussions, seminars, newsletters and publications, all devoted to the new digital technology. There was a frenzy to hit the marketplace at all points on the entertainment industry value chain, driven in part by the studios that thought that major visual effects extravaganzas were all that was needed to drive box office and in turn, profits.

Audiences showed up, too, expecting to see the next T2 or Jurassic Park. The problem was that in the frenzy, one important factor was left out of the mix - good stories based on believable characters. While no one ever sets out to make a bad movie, the reality is that most movies do not earn a profit for their investors.

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The increased budgets for the extravaganzas and the lack of attention to story and characters resulted in significant write downs of movies - and TV shows, too, that started to incorporate CGI, albeit on a somewhat lower scale than movies. In some cases, it was reported that the rate of losses exceeded the "norm," but a loss is still a loss. Paying audiences stayed away as the novelty for the big effects movies for the sake of exploitation wore off. The audience always knows.

It took a while for the effects heavy product in the pipeline to run its course and during that time, unfortunately, many companies came and went, all chasing a piece of the new digital CGI pie. In time, a more practical approach emerged, without the frenzy, but still incorporating the technology that made those movies and others so compelling, but with the all important elements of story and character. In fact, the whole CG/animation business today is bigger than ever.

The same frenzy is evident today with S3D, stereoscopic 3D. History is repeating itself. And in time, the industry will be enormous, if not ubiquitous, but it will take time to get there and there will be fallout. The influx of S3D movies has created a wow factor. Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and other movies have created a 3D wow factor both visually and at the box office. Studios, majors and independents, are all developing projects for 3D release. Organizations are developing training programs, seminars, etc. Software and hardware tools of all kinds are being developed to support the production, post production and exhibition needs of the S3D industry. It appears to be going at a faster rate than was the case for 3D CGI a decade plus ago, although it is certainly hard to quantify.

Already the industry is seeing a softening of the box office numbers from 3D, especially during the all important opening weekend as the percentage from 3D has declined for several of the most recent releases. It is too soon to know if this is isolated or the beginning of a trend. Speculation in some circles is that while audiences crave the look of 3D movies, they are beginning to be more discriminating, especially as the up charge adds significantly to the cost of taking a family to the local multiplex.

With the significant increase in 3D production, whether 3D is created during production or in post through 2D to 3D conversion, there will be losses to those investors as the product comes to market. We just do not know as yet which movies will succeed and which will not. In the 90s with CGI driven films, distributors aimed to get as wide a release as possible, going day and date around the world wherever viable. The goal was to collect as much in box office as possible before word of mouth set in. And for those movies that had the story, visual elements and the total budget in balance, the word of mouth drove substantial returns.

The same is happening today. And in today's connected with social networking world, word leaks out very fast when a bad movie appears at the multiplex. 3D capacity at the global theater market must increase and it must increase soon to enable the product coming to market to have at least a fair chance for success. It must also be done at a fair price as the upward spiral in product and costs is not being recouped by box office and home entertainment.

The trend is continuing into TV as sports in 3D is compelling as well. We have seen 3D baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf and recently the FIFA World Cup. The networks, broadcast and cable (does anyone really differentiate anymore?) are all devoting considerable resources to testing and experimenting with S3D.

Movies and sports drove the growth of TV in the 50s at its birth and again when color TV was introduced. (Are there any black and white TV shows?). The same was true for the introduction of HD TVs and it will be true for 3D TV. History repeats itself. To drive the sales of the 3D enabled TVs, a large inventory of available product is required in order to get past the early adopters. So, the number of movies and TV events in 3D will continue as the major TV manufacturers bring their sets to market. It will only be a matter of a few years before all new HD flat panel TVs have 3D capabilities and most likely at a nominal surcharge.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining as I have heavy involvement in this arena, too. The 3D bug first bit me as far back as 2004 when we were retained to develop a business plan for a company with an idea for 3D tools

121 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 and services. That evolved into many other consulting projects for us, as well as our involvement with Oculus3D. The first 3D panel I moderated was in September 2005, even before the release of Chicken Little, the modern era's first 3D movie. There have been many, many more since.

What I am suggesting is that we all take a sharp look at what matters - quality and the bottom line - or chance being a victim of the inevitable fallout following the frenzy. The future, history tells us, depends upon it.

Last Word: “Avatar” as the “Jazz Singer” by Lenny Lipton

Lenny Lipton is recognized as the father of the electronic stereoscopic display industry, Lenny invented and perfected the current state-of-the-art 3D technologies that enable today's leading filmmakers to finally realize the dream of bringing their feature films to the big screen in crisp, vivid, full cinematic-quality 3D. Lenny Lipton became a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in 2008, and along with Petyer Anderson he is the co-chair of the American Society of Cinematographers Technology Committees’ subcommittee studying stereoscopic cinematography. He was the chief technology officer at Real D for several years, after founding StereoGraphics Corporation in 1980. He has been granted more than 30 patents in the area of stereoscopic displays. The image of Lenny is a self-portrait, recently done in oil.

The popular myth of the coming of the sound cinema is that The Jazz Singer was the decisive film. It may have been an important moment, but if you read The Speed of Sound by Scott Eyman you will see that the story is more nuanced. Today we have a candidate for the 3D Jazz Singer: Avatar.

Lately I’ve attended several conferences where there were panel discussions and speakers who made the Jazz Singer/Avatar connection and that taken with the same notion articulated in the press has made me aware that Avatar – possibly because of its enormous financial success – is being hailed as the Jazz Singer of 3D. It has called attention to the stereoscopic medium like no other film, but in terms of its technical accomplishments (which are considerable), it’s not a trailblazer. The quality of the image is wonderful and it’s comfortable to look at – at least when it’s well projected. (I’ve seen it four times and once or twice it was well projected).

However, the work that was done by two stereographers, Rob Engle (Sony Pictures ImageWorks, and Phil McNally (first at Disney then at DreamWorks) predates Avatar by years and set the standard for stereoscopic image quality and comfort with films like The Polar Express and Meet the Robinsons. They set the bar high, fortunately for the medium. All subsequent 3D movies, CG or live action, ought to live up to that level of accomplishment, and Avatar does. Rob and Phil’s aesthetic defies the ‘punch them in the face’ effects of early IMAX and theme parks and has informed this generation of filmmakers, including Mr. Cameron.

Cameron, after coming off of his two undersea documentaries for IMAX, must have been sensitive to the many complaints that were made because portions of them those films were hard to look at. Part of the problem was that Cameron had a side-by-side rig with a fixed interaxial too large by far, and that rig also used toe-in. When shooting with toe-in and wide angle up close there will be, upon projection (if there is no rectification in post) asymmetrical trapezoidal distortion so that homologous points can have significant vertical offset, especially at the corners of the images. Attempting to fuse these kinds of images is like drinking a scalding cup of coffee.

So Cameron toned down the stereo in Avatar; following the first rule of stereoscopic filmmaking: do no harm. It isn’t Avatar that has set the bar high; it’s that Avatar has created awareness. But everyone who’s making a 3D movie, whether it’s created with live-action cinematography, or CG animation, or motion capture, owes a lot to Rob and Phil because they came up with a way to make 3D movies deep and comfortable and just plain beautiful.

122 Veritas et Visus 3rd Dimension August 2010 Display Industry Calendar

A much more complete version of this calendar is located at: http://www.veritasetvisus.com/industry_calendar.htm. Please notify [email protected] to have your future events included in the listing.

August 2010

August 6 3D Asia Symposium Singapore

August 8-10 Australasian Gaming Expo Sydney, Australia

August 12 Social TV and Brands Summit San Francisco, California

August 16-20 Designing Interactive Systems Arhus, Denmark

August 17-18 Symposium on Flexible Electronics Binghamton, New York

August 17 Digital Signage San Jose, California

August 18 TV Ecosystem Conference San Jose, California

August 19 Emerging Technologies Conference San Jose, California

August 24-27 European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics Delft, Netherlands

September 2010

September 3 IFA DisplaySearch Business Conference Berlin, Germany

September 3-8 IFA 2010 Berlin, Germany

September 6 Silicon Chip Industry Training Seminar London, England

September 6-10 HCI 2010 Dundee, Scotland

September 7-10 Mobile HCI 2010 Lisbon, Portugal

September 8-9 Ink Jet Technology Showcase 2010 Baltimore, Maryland

September 8-10 Semicon Taiwan Taipei, Taiwan

September 9-10 China FPD Shanghai, China

September 9-14 IBC 2010 Amsterdam, Netherlands

September 13-16 PLASA '10 London, England

September 15-16 3D Entertainment Summit Universal City, California

International Conference on Digital Printing September 19-23 Austin, Texas Technologies

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September 19-23 Digital Fabrication 2010 Austin, Texas

September 20-21 Organic Electronics UK London, England

September 22-23 Createasphere/EXPLORE New York, New York

September 22-26 CEDIA Expo Atlanta, Georgia

September 24-26 The 3D Experience New York, New York

September 27-29 OLEDs World Summit 2010 San Francisco, California

September 29-30 RFID Europe Cambridge, England

International Workshop on Inorganic and Organic Electroluminescence & International Conference September 27 - on the Science and Technology of Emissive St. Petersburg, Russia October 1 Displays and Lighting & Advanced Display Technologies International Symposium September 28 - Photokina Cologne, Germany October 3 October 2010

Symposium on User Interface Software and October 3-6 New York, New York

Technology

October 5-9 CEATAC Japan 2010 Tokyo, Japan

October 6-10 CeBIT Bilisim EurAsia Istanbul, Turkey

October 11-14 Showeast Orlando, Florida

October 11-14 Taipei Int'l Electronics Autumn Show Taipei, Taiwan

October 11-15 IMID/IDMC/Asia Display Seoul, Korea

October 12-14 Solar Power International Los Angeles, California

October 12-15 Korea Electronics Show Seoul, Korea

October 13-14 Printed Electronics/Photovoltaics Asia Hong Kong, China

October 13-14 3D World New York, New York

October 13-16 ElectronicAsia 2009 Hong Kong, China

Myrtle Beach, South October 17-20 AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference Carolina

October 18-21 Digital Hollywood Fall Santa Monica, California

3DDD Film Festival and Stereoscopic World October 18-24 Barcelona, Spain Congress

October 19-21 Semicon Europa 2010 Dresden, Germany

October 19-21 Plastic Electronics 2010 Dresden, Germany

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October 19-21 SATIS 2010 Paris, France

October 21-23 Viscom Milan, Italy

October 24-28 Frontiers in Optics Rochester, New York

Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technology October 25-26 Blacksburg, Virginia on Education

October 25-29 International Conference on Multimedia Florence, Italy

October 26-28 SMPTE 2010 Hollywood, California

November 2010

November 2-3 DisplayForum London, England

November 3-4 Createasphere/EXPLORE Burbank, California

November 3-4 International Workshop on 3D Geo-Information Berlin, Germany

November 7-11 Annual Meeting of the IEEE Photonics Society Denver, Colorado

November 8-10 Tabletops and Interactive Surfaces Saarbrucken, Germany

November 9-12 electronica Munich, Germany

November 8-12 Color Imaging Conference 2010 San Antonio, Texas

November 10-11 Digital Signage Show 2010 New York, New York

November 10-12 FPD International Tokyo, Japan

November 13 Taiwan TV Supply Chain Conference Taipei, Taiwan

November 17-19 InfoComm Asia Hong Kong, China

International Conference on Electronic Materials November 21-24 Cheju Island, Korea and Nanotechnology for Green Environment

November 22 Silicon Chip Industry Training Seminar London, England

China International Touch Screen Exhibition & November 25-27 Shanghai, China Seminar November 29 - International Symposium on Visual Computing Las Vegas, Nevada

December 1

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