News Stories

Samsung Announces Explore 3D Video App

To meet the ever-growing demand for 3D content and immersive home entertainment, Samsung announced its beta version of the “Explore 3D” videoapp, available for free download from Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTVapps store.

“Explore 3D” is the first application we’ve heard of that provides streaming 3Dcontent via the Internet. Currently, viewers can access 3D movie trailers from box office favorites Shrek Forever After, Megamind, and How to Train Your Dragon directly on their 3D-capable smart TV from Samsung, without the need for additional equipment such as a Blu-ray player or cable device. Apparently, more content will be made available through this app in the future. With the dearth of real 3D content on Blu-ray, this is one way Samsung can at least begin to justify sales of its new 3D televisions – something that is turning out to be a real bust for most manufacturers this year.

See the original post here: http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/samsung-explore-3d-video-app

(Phil Lelyveld comment: This story is a rerelease of a story that was originally reported on over a month ago – https://www.etcenter.org/2010/11/samsung-3d-streaming-service-described-video/ )

Cinema’s popularity on the rise

(Excerpts) WHILE the cricket kept many entertained at home, Gold Coasters also embraced another great Boxing Day tradition yesterday — spending the day in front of the silver screen.

Robert Olive, the manager at Harbour Town’s Reading Cinemas, said admissions increased by 10 per cent each year.

”New technology such as the roll-out of 3D movies, better sound quality and bigger screens has made viewing experiences even more superior,” he said.

”I expect admissions to increase further in the future as more and more people realise watching a film at home can’t beat watching a film on the big screen.”

According to ABS figures, attending the movies seems to be favoured among young people, with 93 per cent of 15 to 17-year-olds going at least once in 2009-10, compared with 71 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds and 32 per cent of people aged 75 and over.

Read the full story here: http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/12/27/278855_more-gold-coast-gig-guide.html

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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