Entertainment Technology Center @ USC

Eizo’s DuraVision FDF2301-3D might look like an ugly machine, but this 23-inch monitor sports a full HD resolution display that can offer 3D content – without those pesky glasses. There isn’t a price tagged to this monitor just yet, but you can bet that it won’t come cheap. It’s expected to arrive in the first half of 2011 and offers VESA Stereo Sync and two DVI connectors. In case you’re feeling strong, you might want to take note that it weighs a good 16kg.

full story here: http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/12/eizo_duravision_fdf2301-3d_glasses-free_3d_monitor.html

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MORE INFO FROM stereoscopynews.com

Eizo (Germany) ‘s DuraVision FDF2301-3D is a 23″ autostereoscopic display for professionals. 16 Kg, 10.000 euros, no glasses!

The screen is using a dual backlight switching method to present a full HD 1920×1080 resolution to each eye, a technology already seen on the Fuji W1 and W3 cameras back screens.

The FDF2301-3D will be available in the first half of 2011. To enjoy the autostereo view, you will have to be at the hot spot at 89 cm (35″) from the screen and not move laterally more than 65mm (2.5″) .

full story here: http://stereoscopynews.com/hotnews/stereoscopic-displays/autostereoscopic-displays/1085-eizo-duravision-fdf2301-3d.html

[Phil Lelyveld comment: This article is an excellent overview of the current state of autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3D display technology.]

Ever wish you could lose the specs and watch a 3D TV without those annoying glasses?

Analysts at Futuresource Consulting predict that by 2011 the UK will have more 3D TVs than the current front-runners, France and Germany, with one in three homes 3D Ready by 2014 – and a staggering 50 per cent by 2015.

That’s an awful lot of 3D glasses – and at £100 a pop, it’s a serious complaint about the 3D home experience. The solution, of course, is a 3D TV without glasses.

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“Nine views is the current standard, but coming down the pike is 15 views, though that will require more processing and a meaty chip,” says Foster. “It has been suggested that a large screen auto stereoscopic 3D TV could need up to 100 views.”

Exactly how camera rigs would be able to film from that many viewpoints is anyone’s guess.

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Full story here: http://3dradar.techradar.com/3d-tech/3d-tv-without-glasses-explained-02-12-2010

3-D entertainment is only beginning to trickle into our homes. But look for an eye-popping 2011 if you want to experience the same effect seen in movie theaters. A host of Blu-ray movies, live sporting events, nature shows and video games are coming soon to a home theater near you. To prepare yourself for the opening floodgates, you’ll need to invest in 3-D-compatible gear to watch (or create) three-dimensional content.

At least the price of admission is dropping as the competition heats up. And it’s the holiday season, so you can take advantage of discounts. Whether you’re prepping your home for its first 3-D holiday or buying for an entertainment lover on your list, the following are product ideas that can help pull the image out of the screen and onto your lap.

Full story here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-12-01-giftguide3d01_ST_N.htm

By 2012, 3D-enabled smartphones would represent 45 percent of all 3D-enabled mobile devices shipments

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In-Stat’s  market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the mobile Internet and digital entertainment ecosystems. The current report discusses the opportunities for 3D in mobile devices, the developments in mobile 3D technology, the total market available and the worldwide shipment forecasts. It also mentions the key market drivers and the challenges that 3D technology faces.

In a move that could be a forerunner to enabling 3D on mobile devices, major movie studios are being kept busy by transferring 3D content to homes from cinemas. This turnaround of events has been triggered by TV manufacturers shipping increasing numbers of 3D-ready TVs.

According to In-Stat, the number of 3D-enabled mobile devices shipped in 2014 is expected to surpass 60 million units. Other research finding revealed that autostereoscopic 3D is necessary for 3D mobile device consumer acceptance, and predicted that by 2012, 3D-enabled smartphones would represent 45 percent of all 3D-enabled mobile devices shipments. The handheld game console market segment was expected to do very well, with tablets, smartphones, and handheld game consoles incorporating 3D more quickly than other portable devices.

Stephanie Ethier, senior analyst, said, “Due to advancements in autostereoscopic 3D technology, a type of 3D technology that does not require glasses to view 3D images, 3D technology is finding its way into mobile devices.”

Commenting on the fast infiltration of 3D into smartphones, she said, “The more predictable viewing distance of mobile devices enables a compelling and convenient 3D experience. Additionally, many of the chipsets found in today’s smartphones have the processing power to handle 3D content; therefore the smartphones promise the largest opportunity for mobile 3D technology suppliers over the next five years.”

The companies that were profiled included Movidius, Myriad, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Sharp (News - Alert) Corporation and Texas Instruments.

By Mini Swamy, TMCnet Contributor

full story here: http://www.tmcnet.com/ce/articles/122872-autostereoscopic-3d-technology-trigger-proliferation-3d-into-mobile.htm

Up until 2010, there were nearly no off-the-shelf cameras for consumers to create digital 3D photos and movies; it was pretty much a hobbyist or professional thing to do. But with people hungry for content to view on their 3D-enabled TVs or computers, manufacturers started trickling out cameras and camcorders this year that just about anyone can use for shooting 3D.

The cameras don’t all create 3D in the same way, though. Panasonic, for example, is currently relying on add-on lenses that feed stereo images to a single sensor. Fujifilm, DXG, and others, however, are using dual lenses and sensors, which is the more traditional way–and some might argue the best way–of creating stereoscopic images.

Sony skips both of these methods by using a single lens and high-speed shooting and processing to simultaneously capture left and right images that are stitched together in camera. (I expect the remaining manufacturers that don’t have 3D cameras to go this last route, as it’s likely the least expensive option to implement.)

Plus, there’s software to take the 2D content you already have and convert it to 3D, which saves you the trouble of buying a new camera or camcorder altogether. (You could always go back to film or DIY, too.)

by Joshua Goldman

Full story here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20024125-1.html

Rolling Stone Magazine makes CE product recommendations for:

ENDLESS FUNCTIONALITY

4G CONNECTIVITY

INTERACTIVE EREADING

CLOUD GAMING

3D HOME VIDEO

Full story here: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/gear-up/blogs/November29/238615/238012

LG has announced plans to launch a £6 million marketing campaign in the UK focused on tackling the confusion among some consumers about 3D technology.

The campaign includes TV and press adverts, along with an “experiential tour” of shopping centres, dedicated Facebook activity, an online interactive Q&A and a new cinema advert, marking LG’s first foray onto the silver screen.

As an approved 3D TV partner to Sky’s new 3D channel, LG has so far enabled more than one million customers to experience 3D sport in pubs and bars across the UK.

LG, the only manufacturer to offer both passive and active 3D TV formats, is launching its latest campaign under the slogan: “Bringing the magic of 3D into your living room.”

The nationwide experiential activity will bring the ‘Life’s Good Lounge’ to cinemas and shopping centres, starting at London’s Westfield complex. Consumers will be able to experience how 3D TV could feel in their living room, including a family-sized sofa, popcorn, 3D gaming and the Sky 3D channel.

LG Home Entertainment head of marketing Stephen Gater said: “Our unique partnership with Sky has helped solidify LG’s position at the forefront of 3D consumer technology.

“Millions of people have now enjoyed a 3D experience in the cinema. Working with Sky, we have now brought 3D to life to around a million people in pubs across the country. The next step and the aim of this new integrated campaign is to help people bring the magic of 3D into their homes.”

The campaign will also feature a 3D cinema advert to show film-lovers how the 3D experience can be recreated in their living rooms. Directed by The IT Crowd star Richard Ayoade and created by Mindshare, the ad will be shown before screenings of Tron Legacy and the newChronicles of Narnia film, starting on December 9.

Television and print ads featuring comedy duo Tim Key and Lloyd Wolf will focus on the common concerns about purchasing a 3D TV, using verbal and visual illustrations. LG will also interact with the online community via a dedicated Facebook page.

“We recognise that technology has evolved at an astonishing rate over recent years and that some consumers are overwhelmed by the choice and variety now available,” said Gater.

“LG is committed to empowering consumers to not only make the right purchasing decision for them, but to also understand and enjoy new technology. This campaign is our chance to really shout about being Sky’s first choice for 3D TVs, whilst also explaining to the public what that means to them.

“LG is fully committed to 3D technology and this investment will carry forward into 2011, when we will continue to educate consumers on the benefits of 3D technology and the wide range of products available.”

Last December, the South Korean firm set itself the ambitious target of selling 400,000 3D-ready TV sets around the world by the end of 2010 as it aims to dominate the nascent market.

By Andrew Laughlin, Technology Reporter

Full story here: http://www.digitalspy.com/broadcasting/news/a290884/lg-readies-gbp6m-3d-tv-marketing-campaign.html

Samsung is starting to show that, here in the near future, one market they will be focusing on is going to be the foldable and flexible. Especially when it comes to consumer electronics. They took some time out of their busy schedule to showcase what they believe the next stage of home entertainment will look like. Their idea, is that you should be able to enjoy your 3D entertainment wherever you are in the living room, thanks to your TV being folded in a particular way.

Full story here: http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-mobile-display-shows-off-flexible-3d-oled-concept-at-fpd-international-30116927/

Step into any electrical store and you can’t escape the way TV manufacturers have designated this to be the 3D Christmas. There are plenty of sets vying for attention, none of which are definitively the best; although, in this area, plasma screens currently seem to have the upper hand over LCDs

More exciting are the other devices starting to overcome the obstacles inherent in 3D technology. With much of the content, for instance, originating in the cinema, a projector seems a natural way to view it. The LG CF3D shows 3D in a form that can be viewed using inexpensive, lightweight polarizing glasses.

Although high-definition camcorders are relatively commonplace, the first consumer 3D camcorder, the Panasonic HDC SDT750, has only appeared recently. And for anybody who is regularly stuck in a hotel room with nothing more than CNN for company, the HP Envy-1195ea 3D multimedia laptop could be a welcome gift, provided they’ve got the shoulders to lug it across the airport concourse.

Outdoors, bringing a birds-eye view from the ground, the DraganFlyer X6 is perhaps the ultimate remote-controlled toy, although it has plenty of serious uses. A pair of Zeal Optics Transcend GPS skiing goggles, meanwhile, will make any serious skier desperate to get on the slopes to try out its real-time display of speed, altitude and location.

Outside the realm of multidimensional offerings are a couple of other notable gadgets for the home. The audiophile will appreciate the Harman Kardon GLA-55 multimedia speakers, which are as loud as they look, while coffee lovers will envy the compact Miele CM5100 freestanding coffee machine, with its wide variety of easy-to-use programs. Meanwhile, the diamonds around the edge of the £5 million Stuart Hughes iPhone 4 could just solve the phone’s infamous aerial problem.

HP Envy 17 3D laptop; from £1,559. Sharing the looks, high-quality sound and processing power of the rest of the magnesium-alloy-built HP Envy range, this ups the multimedia ante with a stunning 17-inch HD display and is the first laptop to use ATI’s 3D technology. The downside is that, for all its perks, it’s heavy.

Panasonic HDC SDT750 camcorder; from £999. Not only is this the first consumer 3D camcorder, but it’s also an extremely capable 2D device. Footage shot through the converteradds a dimension for 3D TV owners, provided they’re aware of the zoom limitations of the technology.

By NICK CLAYTON

The full article with images is at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624333161112358.html?mod=googlenews_wsj