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DreamWorks CEO participates in live transatlantic 3D broadcast
While it's not quite a hologram interview, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg still managed to wow onlookers in Amsterdam by being the subject of a live 3D broadcast originating in Los Angeles. This isn't the first of its kind, mind you, but those involved are still patting themselves on the back and dubbing it the "first transatlantic HD stereoscopic 3D broadcast." Part of the demonstration was to showcase the bigwig's belief that 3D is the future of cinema, as he stated that it was "the most exciting thing to happen to the visual experience in 70 years." Over at IBC2008, 3D HD was being pumped up by firms such as 3Ality and Quantel, and as much as we doubted that this stuff could ever catch on, we can't say the marketing teams aren't doing their darnedest to make it so.[Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]
Barco demoes 10MP 3D stereo CADWall setup
Barco has a knack for stopping shows, and while Tokyo's Industrial Virtual Reality expo didn't exactly shut down, we can only imagine how many folks took the time to check out the CADWall concept. Hailed as a "multi-channel display system with a high pixel density that consists completely of Barco technology," said system utilizes a pair of LX-5 projectors, a superflat high-contrast screen and just two-channels to create a 10-megapixel 3D stereo image. Sure beats six or eight to make the third-dimension come to life, huh?[Via AboutProjectors]
Forum post of the day: Idiots, children, and oldschoolers. Oh my!
At one point in time or another, most guilds face at least a little bit of drama, from loot distribution, to relationships, to guild bank robbery. Zeida of Tichondrius has created an list of guild member archetypes for folks she does not want in her guild. The list of stereotypes covers the first four posts in the thread so there is a considerable amount of reading. The list includes newbs, n00bs, trolls, elitists, and many more. The original poster went into detail on each of these archetypes. Here's the short version:
Lightspeed Design / InFocus team up on DepthQ 3D projectors
Although high-end projection makers have been figuring out this whole 3D beaming thing for awhile now, Lightspeed Design and InFocus are looking to bring the technology to a wider audience with the introduction of its DepthQ stereoscopic 3D projectors. Available in XGA and WXGA flavors, these PJs promise "rock-solid, 120Hz stereo 3D at 1,280 x 720 or 1,024 x 768 resolution" and feature Texas Instruments' DLP / BrilliantColor technologies, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a total weight of just 6.9-pounds. Best of all, these undercut most other single-lens 3D projectors by coming in somewhere under $6,000 apiece, though exact numbers have yet to be disclosed.[Via AboutProjectors]
MS considered 3D tech for Xbox 360
Think about this for a moment. Preparation for an evening long session of Halo 3 could have included snacks, beverages, console, game disc and a stereoscopic 3D display. According to a July 3 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, XNA's general manager, Chris Satchell, said Microsoft considered the tech for console gaming. In an excerpt from the interview, Satchell revealed that Microsoft actually looked into using stereoscopic technology (seen in the upcoming Ubisoft game Avatar and Texas Instruments' upcoming DualView TV) for gaming. Ultimately it was determined the need for special glasses made the idea impractical. "I think it is hard to be mainstream with asking people to wear headgear to play games," he said. We'd prefer the headgear above, thank you. While technology is being developed to overcome some original obstacles for stereoscopic displays, Satchell believes the possibility of the tech is, "very interesting." As Joystiq pointed out, we're officially one step closer to the "Holodeck," people! Awesome?[via Joystiq]
Mitsubishi teams with NVIDIA and Aspen for in-home 3D solution
Neither Mitsubishi, NVIDIA nor Aspen Media are members of the recently formed 3D@Home Consortium, but that's not stopping the trio from teaming up in order to bring the third-dimension into the home. In a rather vague release issued today, the three companies are seemingly coming together in order deliver "high-value 3D content to the consumer at home in one convenient package." What exactly is in that package remains to be seen. From what we can glean, Aspen will be providing the Aspen Media Server, which will in turn possess one of NVIDIA's 3D-capable GeForce FX Go GPUs. From there, we'd bet Mitsubishi throws in an HDTV to seal the deal. C'mon you guys, throw us a bone here, will ya?
Philips introducing 52-inch 1080p 3D display
It's no nightmare -- 3D is officially in style. Or it's succeeding in fooling us, one or the other. Further proof that taking things to the third-dimension is all the rage has arrived courtesy of Philips, who has announced its intentions to reveal a 1080p 52-inch 3D display at InfoComm later this month. The unit will utilize the same WOWvx technology showcased a year prior in its 20-inch display, and will feature 700 cd/m2 brightness, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and an 8-millisecond response time. The auto-stereoscopic display should be "commercially available from Q4 2008 onwards," but we haven't a clue how costly it'll be when it eventually lands.[Via SlashGear]
World's largest 3D display revealed in 4D spacetime
Ooo, ahhh, you feeling that 3D display on your 2D panel? You should, it's the world's largest 3D LCD panel from VMJ measuring in at 65-inches. The stereoscopic panel developed with support from VisuMotion features a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 6-ms refresh, 120-degree viewing angle, and DVI and RGB inputs. Best of all, no goofy 3D glasses of any type are required thanks to the incorporation of Sharp's Parallax Barrier viewing technology. Priced at ¥3.15 million (about $30k) when it starts advertising CosaNostra Pizza around Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong.[Via Akihabara News and Impress]
Sapphire Technologies demoes new 3D monitors and drivers at Computex
Sapphire Technologies is showing off some new 3D gear at Computex this week, with a pair of 3D monitors and a new stereoscopic graphics driver on display. The driver works with ATI graphics cards to send a polarized image to the dual-layer monitors, which displays a 3D image to viewers with special glasses. Details on the monitors are pretty sketchy, but Sappire says it's not working with Zalman and that it'll have something on the market in the "next couple of months." Great -- now just ditch the shades and we'll be all good.
projectiondesign to launch F10 AS3D active 3D stereoscopic projector
Look out, naysayers -- projectiondesign is giving this whole "3D revolution" thing some serious street cred with the F10 AS3D. Slated to debut at InfoComm 2008 in Las Vegas, the unit marks the company's first active 3D stereoscopic projector. Notably, this isn't the firm's first foray into the third-dimension, as eight of its F20 sx+ PJs are currently being used in a 3D visualization system at Munich University. Moving on, we'll also find its brand new three-chip DLP F80, which features a WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, ACOP (Advanced Color Optical Processing) technology and a stratospheric price tag (we're guessing on that last one). We'll be holding out for pricing / release information, but we don't suspect it'll be too long before those critical points get divulged.
TDVision demonstrates HD-3D TDVisor / TDVision applications at SID 2008
TDVision Systems has been pushing its mysterious TDVisor since just after CES, but now the firm is looking to get serious about demonstrations at SID 2008. Both the visor and a "complete suite of TDVision applications including the stereoscopic virtual world, the AlterSpace, Dejaview and the 3D media player" will be showcased, and even more interesting will be the demo "of the 2D and MPEG-compatible TDVCodec running on a Blu-ray Disc." If you'll recall, the TDVCodec (a stereoscopic 3D format) was designed to be backwards compatible with 2D systems, and it's suggesting that the same BD flick can carry the traditional 2D imagery as well as 3D scenes thanks to its technology. Now, all that's left to do is wait and see how fantastic the results really are (or aren't).
TDVCodec stereoscopic 3D format is backwards compatible with 2D systems
Camcorders you can never afford weren't the only things being demonstrated at NAB Show 2008 -- oh no, TDVision dropped in to show off a new format that manages to deliver 3D content yet still play nice on legacy systems without any image degradation. Essentially, video streams encoded in the TDVCodec format can be viewed on all existing 2D set-top-boxes, DVD / Blu-ray players and presented on 2D televisions, but for those with TDVReady devices and PCs with TDVision's Dejaview software, eye-popping visuals are available from the very same stream. Regrettably, there's no word on any major firms picking up the solution and planning to distribute, but if something akin to this takes off, it could give folks one more reason to splurge on a 3D-ready DLP from Samsung or Mitsubishi (or a TDVisor, if that's your bag).
Cine-tal develops Dolby 3D Color Processor
Don't look now, but we've got yet another reason to talk about 3D. Cine-tal Systems has recently announced that it has conjured up "customized, image processing technology for Dolby Laboratories that facilitates the playback of 3D movies using a Dolby 3D Digital Cinema process while they are in production." Put simply, the technology is designed for use in movie studios for handling "post production operations such as color grading and screenings" on stereoscopic 3D films. Moreover, the system ensures color accuracy so that what's seen in the lab is what's seen in theaters. Is 2008 really shaping up to be the breakout year for 3D, or are we just hallucinating?[Via AboutProjectors]
World's first 46-inch stereoscopic 3D TV from Hyundai on sale in Japan
3D baby, that's what we've wanted from home television for 50 years. Now it's yours... if you live in Japan anyway. Introducing the world's first 46-inch 3D stereoscopic television. Built by Hyundai, the 1,920 x 1,080 set is capable of grabbing BS11 3D broadcasts pumped by Nippon BS in Japan for the last few months. The ¥498,000 (about $4,857) LCD brings 2x HDMI and 3x composite inputs (to name a few) and apparently works fine for traditional 2D broadcasts. Unfortunately, you'll have to wear what appear to be 3-feet wide, 3D glasses judging by the image provided above. Perhaps they're meant as a radiation shield since the set is also the world's first TV with built-in "nuclear reactor" according to the machine translated text. Be careful out there kids, it's just television.[Via Impress]
3Dims and projectiondesign craft 3D visualization system
As the 3D bandwagon continues to fill, along comes a setup geared more towards research than entertainment. The interactive 3D stereoscopic computer aided virtual environment (CAVE), cutely named Four Space 110, was created by Germany's own 3Dims GmbH and is currently located at the Human Machine Communication Center at Munich University. The installation relies on eight F20 sx+ DLP projectors from projectiondesign and enables users "to be completely immersed in the application with surrounding walls, floor and a ceiling." Within the CAVE, scientists and students can see 12 million pixel 3D images come to life as they study "human–machine interaction and communication," and while the gurus behind it purport that it could be used in car manufacturing / design or electronic modeling, we can only imagine how heavily the virtual reality crowd must be drooling just thinking of the possibilities here.[Via Widescreen Review]
TDVisor-HD: world's first "portable" 720p 3D visualization system is still impractical
CES 2008 brought us plenty of gimmicky 3D-related gadgetry, a bit that was respectable, and apparently, the TDVisor-HD. Nearly three weeks after the show concluded, TDVision Systems has just now gotten around to tossing out a press release boasting about how much fun was had by folks stopping by and checking out the "world's first portable, all digital, high-def 3D visualization system." Unfortunately, we're left to ponder on precisely what this thing is, but as best we can tell, it's yet another Virtual Boy-esque device, 'cept this one does 720p (and 3D). Per usual, a price and release date are conveniently absent, but considering that we can't even recall the last time we wore anything with "visor" in the product name (well, besides that one time...), we suppose it'll be alright.
3D medical display utilizes gesture-controlled interface
Though not quite as intense as HD surgery, we'd say this thing could still project some pretty startling results. The display shown above, which was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut HHI in Berlin, relies on a pair of cameras mounted overhead and a single one integrated into its frame to capture exactly what angle the physician is gazing in at. Subsequently, the doctor can simply wave his / her finger and the image will rotate and shift as commanded in order to provide a more detailed look while keeping things as sterile as possible. Essentially, this system weds your average 3D display with a less common non-contact user interface, and while hard pricing deets weren't disclosed, the team suggested that even smaller medical practices should be able to squeeze this into their budget.[Via medGadget]
Panoram intros 24-inch PSP 2400 stereoscopic HD LCD
Panoram's 24-inch PSP 2400 certainly isn't the first 3D LCD / monitor we've seen, but the firm is pretty proud of it nonetheless. The 24-inch device boasts a 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution, touts DVI / VGA inputs and can be switched between 3D and standard modes. Additionally, this screen doesn't require that users "move their head to find the sweet spot," and according to the outfit, you can even let another kiddo watch right alongside of you (provided they bring their own eyewear, of course). Granted, acquiring the luxury of 3D on your desktop monitor definitely demands a premium, so don't be too shocked at the $4,995 pricetag, okay?[Via I4U News]
Kopin, SENSIO collaborate on new 3D eyewear
We're still trying to figure out exactly who is buying up these gaudy 3D goggles, but apparently, the market is still lucrative. Consequently, Kopin and SENSIO have teamed up to deliver a new set of 3D eyewear, which "combines Kopin's BDM-922K binocular optical engine with SENSIO's S3D-220 decoder chip technology." Reportedly, the device will output "full-color, VGA-quality (640 x 480 resolution) video, creating the effect of a virtual 48-inch display viewed from a distance of seven feet," and it'll play nice with both NTSC and PAL signals. No word just yet on a price or release timeframe, but there's plenty of other options if you just can't wait around to boost your geek factor exponentially.
Hitachi works up new stereoscopic vision display technology
Details are a bit hazy on this one, but it looks like Hitachi is readying a new "small sized stereoscopic vision display technology." Measuring in at 7.9- x 7.9- x 3.9-inches and weighing 2.2-pounds, the mysterious device apparently utilizes an array of mirrors and projects imagery in a manner than gives off a three-dimensional illusion. Reportedly, the new "synthetic image" device is similar in design to its larger "Transpost," and Hitachi hopes to implement the technology in locales such as schools, exhibitions, museums, etc. Nevertheless, the outfit is slated to show off the unit at SIGGRAPH 2007, so if anyone happens to drop in, do let us know how impressive / unflattering it really is in person.[Via Impress]
