projection
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Georgia's AMC Avenue Forsyth theater opens with Sony 4K projectors
It's been quite some time since we heard of a theater right here in the US of A opening up with 4K projectors tucked inside, but for residents of Cumming, Georgia, such a scenario is about to unfold in your town. The AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 will be the first all-digital theater in the area when it opens on May 16th, packing Sony 4K digital cinema projectors and two auditoriums with screens stretching over three stories high and 50-feet wide. In sum, the venue will boast a dozen auditoriums with over 2,220 seats with rocking-back chairs, and folks who make their way down on opening weekend will even get a free small popcorn with each (presumably overpriced) ticket. There, we made some plans for you -- hope you're available!
Eddo Stern's WoW and MMO sculpture installations
The National Post has an interview with an artist named Eddo Stern, who has created what he calls "sculptures" of figures from WoW. You can clearly see what looks like a dragon (Onyxia), Chuck Norris, and a Night Elf above, and there is apparently another sculpture in the series featuring Chuck Norris mashed up with something from Chronicles of Narnia. Finally, Stern apparently has created a video installation of a thread from the EverQuest forums called "Best... Flame War.... Ever." Sounds like pretty standard forum posturing to us -- a kid calls another guy a noob, said guy threatens to show up in RL for a fight and then talks about his buddies in Iraq.Stern is supposedly playing with the virtual machismo of playing in MMOs, and how different the players supposedly are from the heroic character they're playing. Sounds like interesting stuff. While I don't really agree with his premise all that much (there are all kinds of people playing these games, and the vast majority of them don't really emulate Chuck Norris or try to pick fights on message boards), I like the techniques a lot -- those projections look pretty good. And his next project sounds even cooler: he's going to try and project a huge dimensional portal on the side of the highway in San Jose. Should be fun to see.[Via Worldofwar.net]
IMAX expands footprint in Russia, coming to three theatres
Looking to get the IMAX experience while traveling to the largest country on Planet Earth? If you can manage to hold off a bit longer (2009 to 2011), you can. Announced this week, IMAX Corporation has inked deals to get its digital projection systems into three separate venues in Russia -- one each in the cities of Sochi, Nizinhy Novogorod and Novosibirsk. Respectively, the agreements are with Luxor Cinemax, Electronika and Art Science Cinema Distribution. As it stands, IMAX theaters already operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan, but plans are to have a total of ten open in the country by 2011.[Via AboutProjectors, image courtesy of Pathe-IMAX]
iCinema and projectiondesign collaborate on panoramic displays
Oh sure, it's not like we haven't witnessed ginormous rotating panoramic displays before, but it seems as if projectiondesign and the iCinema Research Centre of Australia's University of New South Wales are taking their long-standing partnership even further with new applications for the AVIE 360-degree 3D multimedia display. Recently showcased at the International Sydney Festival, T_Visionarium will offer up "an all surrounding 3D spectacle of hundreds of video clips that the viewers can interactively sort and edit," and apparently, the duo is also gearing up to bring the somewhat similar iDome to various training facilities across New South Wales. Unfortunately, we have our doubts about such technology ever being home-bound -- for obvious reasons, of course. [Via AboutProjectors]
iSuppli looks at LCD dominance, emerging competition
Not that it bears repeating, but LCDs have a pretty firm grip on the display market at large. Of course, that doesn't mean that other technologies will just sit idly on the sidelines, and research firm iSuppli managed to take a closer look at emerging competitors to see just how viable some alternatives actually are. It should be noted that the report tends to focus on displays used in smaller wares, such as navigators, cellphones and heads-up displays, but the findings can certainly be applied to the HDTV industry at large. Throughout the writeup, bi-stable displays -- defined as "electronic displays that are capable of presenting an image without using power" -- are expected to see the biggest growth in the coming years, while near-eye display revenue and the global HUD market will see slightly less impressive gains. Moreover, the pocket projector market is poised to explode, as it promises gigantic output from an incredibly diminutive footprint. Granted, it remains to be seen how long it'll take for a 1080p projector to fit in the palm of one's hand, but we can safely say we're already infatuated with the idea.[Image courtesy of PolymerVision]
Olympus creates 360-degree HD camera and projector
Sure, regular HD is nice -- you really get a gander at an anchorman's makeup, and the stars' wrinkles are shocking -- but does it go far enough? Olympus doesn't think so. The camera company -- long known to bring the goods on the picture-takin' end -- has just created the first 360-degree, 1080i camera and projection solution. Utilizing a proprietary system based around an "axisymmetric free-form-surface lens," the camera can shoot video at horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 360-and-50-degrees, respectively; the images can then be projected in the same range by a separate unit. Obviously, you won't see this in the consumer sector any time soon, but it does open some pretty interesting opportunities for installations and security alike.
DIY'er gets busy with automatic projector calibration
While you may not think a 4+ minute clip involving a monotone narrator, flashes of light and lots of sensors could hold your attention (okay, so maybe that came off a bit more riveting than we'd hoped), we'd bet the one posted after the jump could. The video demonstrates a fairly svelte automatic projector calibration system, which relies on very little hardware (and time) to work its magic. Essentially, the low-cost method utilizes rear-mounted optical fibers wired into light sensors, which can channel gray-coded binary patterns through a USB connection. From there, a PC determines precisely how the projection should be outputted for the target surface to be completely filled with an undistorted image. We know, it's tough to wrap your head around, but all the enlightenment you could ever want (on this subject, anyway) is just a mouse click away. [Warning: PDF read link][Via HackADay]
TI pushing to get DLP in your cellphone, local cinema
It's not terribly uncommon to see a manufacturer try to push a product (or platform) into every crevice of your life, and it seems that Texas Instruments is diverting quite sharply from its calculatorish ways of old and making an aggressive push to get that DLP logo slapped on everything you own. While we've seen (literally) the diminutive Microvision display do its thang here at CES, TI is hoping to steal that thunder away by talking up its forthcoming palm-sized DLP projectors. The "fully featured" Pocket Projectors, which are co-developed by OMAP, would weigh "less than one pound," use the .55 DLP chip, and could purportedly connect to handsets or PDAs to beam up that big(ger) screen imagery for a crowd to see. Unfortunately for TI, these devices are not (at least initially) supposed to be integrated units, which could easily get overlooked if those built-in alternatives can muster acceptable quality. Additionally, TI is hoping to get that DLP logo stamped on your brain even when you visit the cinema, as the company now has its technology in 3,000 theaters worldwide and is frequently throwing logo-clad splash screens onto the canvas during pre-show advertisements. So if you wonder why you're strangely drawn to the DLP sets during your next HDTV shopping trip, trust us, it's not the mirrors, it's the marketing.[Via AboutProjectors]
Microvision unveils tiny projector for mobile devices
There are monstrous projectors, run-of-the-mill renditions, small versions, and then there's ridiculously tiny ones, but we've got love for 'em all. It looks like Microvision tends to favor the diminutive kind, however, as the company is looking to showcase its "ultrathin, miniature full-color projection display" at next week's CES. Hoping to cram this bad boy into your next mobile phone, PDA, or other handheld gizmo, the firm is touting its incredibly small form factor as the next coming of mobile displays. Taking up the same amount of space as Apple's 2G Shuffle, the display can project "extremely sharp and vivid" imagery onto walls, bodies, screens, or skyscrapers, with a maximum image size "similar to a big screen plasma TV." Sure, we're fully aware of the sensationalism they're tossing in, but this type of development could refine mobile video and the ability to view it on a decent sized screen, so hopefully we'll catch a glimpse of this miniscule PJ in just a few days.[Via Uber-Review]
DNP unveils daylight-friendly Supernova Flex Screen
While the Claro TV fights off the dimness so often associated with watching front-projection in broad daylight, and Planar's Xscreen claims to work without the gargantuous pricetag, now there's yet another firm in the mix of miracle-working screens. Germany's DNP has unveiled the Supernova Flex Screen, which claims to deliver "ten times" the contrast and "double" the brightness compared to standard screens when used in daylight. Available in both fixed and retractable versions, and in widescreen sizes up to 120-inches (100-inches for 4:3 versions), the Supernova is reportedly compatible with all LCD, DLP, and LCoS projectors. It also sports an "ultrafine" .0065-millimeter pitch along with a "high-contrast filter" that allows the projected image to be reflected by the screen while it absorbs incidental light from other sources. While we've no idea how much DNP plans to charge for this daylight-friendly device (nor if it actually works as claimed), we shouldn't have to wait around too much longer to find out.
Innovation Lab busts out pixel-infused concrete display
Companies have been lighting up (and drawing attention to) simple brick walls for some time now, and while hitting up a game of Tetris is indeed novel, we're thinking the real profit resides in lightweight screens we use in front projection. This rock-hard display consists of not-so-average concrete with "embedded optical fibers, arranged as pixels, capable of transmitting natural as well as artificial light." When light is projected from the rear, the pixels illuminate to display imagery, which could certainly transform a vanilla office building into an ad-filled poster board. While we're not sure when we can expect these things to start popping up around here, Innovation Lab claims that orders are already backing up, and of course, there's always the live action video after the break to tide you over for now....[Via We Make Money Not Art, thanks Naser A]
Authentic Ltd's ASS-60AK NXT SoundVu projection screen
Remember when we saw one of NEC's laptops equipped with NXT's SoundVu, and we jokingly mentioned how we didn't think it could cut it in a home theater system? Well apparently Authentic Ltd. thinks otherwise, because they've just announced their, ahem, ASS-60AK front projection screen, that doubles as a display surface and a speaker. The screen, which vibrates at a rate undetectable to the human eye to create sound, is made of Teonex, a material specially designed to produce high frequencies other fabrics would absorb. The release suggests it can be used as a stand-alone speaker or as the center channel to your surround sound system, thus mimicking the acoustically transparent screens used in full-scale multiplexes. While it sounds great in theory (caugh), NXT technology has been hit or miss enough that you'd probably to hear what it actually sounds like before dropping more than $500 for your own.
The Giovannoni TimeSphere projecting alarm clock
We've seen plenty of alarm clocks that offer different ways to pull you out of bed no matter how hungover, sleepy, or otherwise incapacitated you are. Almost all of these clocks, however, rely on the same old LEDs or LCDs to actually display the time. The Giovannoni TimeSphere may not rumble or fly around the room, but it will project the time on any surface. Fine, yea, we know it's not the first clock with a projector either, but it is one of the more stylish (if 80s-style cyberpunk designs are your thing), and it is apparently the first with a wireless projection unit -- that's what the ball thing sitting on top is, which you position anywhere you like to get the best view of the time. Also, unlike so many of these alarm clocks we keep telling you about, this one is an actual product, available from Oregon Scientific for the hefty sum of $150.
Carbon nanotubes manage 1080p on a 0.7-inch microdisplay
We can't say it was love at first sight for us and carbon nanotube displays, with the first screen cap resembling a Lite-Brite a lot better than a next generation display technology. Well, now we're ready to give this nano tech another chance, since Syscan Imaging has just managed to squeeze a 1920 x 1080 resolution onto a 0.7-inch LCoS microdisplay for use in projection TVs. It's even at a lower cost than competing technologies, and should hopefully overcome some of the current problems with the low yields and color inconsistencies of LCoS. Carbon nanotube displays also run cooler and have zero ghosting, so we're pretty stoked, but we'll have to wait until 2007 for these to make it to shelves.[Via HD Beat]
1080p projector roundup
HDTV Magazine talks 1080p, covering such issues as frame rate and de-interlacing. While we've discussed de-interlacing and upconversion before, this article breaks down the difference some devices may have in adjusting the framerates of 1080p content, while Sony's upcoming Blu-ray player will output 1080p at 60fps only, Philips is opting to push the native 24fps and so far Toshiba has forgone 1080p altogether. That's one more setting that you may want to make sure your next TV and high-def DVD player purchase include the option to adjust, or if they don't adjust, have default settings that mesh properly. Since that wasn't enough full-resolution controversy, they make a cursory comparison of two LCoS-based front projectors, the JVC DLA-HD10K and Sony VPL-VW100 with four projectors featuring Texas Instruments' new true-1080p DLP technology, no wobulation here. The Optoma HD81, Sharp XV-Z20000, Marantz VP-11S1 and Action model 3 1080p.[Corrected Sharp model #]
Prospect of HDTV sales keeps Best Buy's stock highly rated
Maybe confusion is slowing HDTV sales, or maybe not, but one Piper Jaffray analyst thinks Best Buy's stock is a good pick because of their tech support business and also the growing market for high definition TV's and next generation game consoles. I haven't been in a Best Buy in a while to check out their "personal shopping assistants", but a blogger at Kotaku did and had a decent, if mixed experience. PSA's or not, they seem to be very optimistic expecting DTV sales growth of 100% next year. Any of you had help or no someone who had help from one of Best Buy's "blue shirts"?
Disney helps take another step bringing the theater/home theater experience closer
But not from the side you may think. On Thursday the mouse & Co. put its money up, along with Christie Digital Systems (cameras) & Access Integrated Technologies (software) to not only distribute it's movies digitally, but to put up 150 new digital screens by the end of the year, and up to 4000 more by 2007. Theater operators have the same thing to gain by going to digital that we did coming from tapes, no more reels breaking or wearing out as they are repeatedly showing, plus it will lower costs of getting the movies to the theaters. As many other large media companies continue to hem and haw on standards for digitally showing their films, it's good to see Disney take this step, although they really need to upgrade their facilities.They also haven't answered the most important question of all in getting me back to the movie theater, when am I going to be able to get a two tickets, two sodas and tub of popcorn for less than $25? If it happens, you won't need to check HD Beat, just look outside for the pigs flying.
