Entertainment Technology Center @ USC

See the original press release here: http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=2321

[Press Release]

In a groundbreaking product introduction, XPAND 3D today announced the XPAND Infinity™, a complete 3D system that is designed to deliver the best possible viewing experience in any cinema. The XPAND Infinity system features two different models of eyewear and offers optimal 3D performance, multi-directional synchronization and the highest 3D contrast ratio ever delivered.

“XPAND Infinity was created to deliver the most spectacular 3D experience ever,” said Maria Costeira, CEO, XPAND. “It is adaptable to a wide variety of cinemas and screen types including the world’s best and largest venues, and brings a new level of 3D realism and excitement to moviegoers.”

Using the patented Infinity controller, XPAND Infinity can support almost any screen size, shape and surface. Whether the screen is 300 feet or 30 feet wide, flat, curved, dome-shaped or even Cinerama format, XPAND Infinity will transform the theater into the finest 3D environment. The system works with any type of screen surface.

XPAND Infinity is packaged with seven controllers, and a choice of XPAND Infinity or XPAND Infinity Deluxe 3D glasses. XPAND Infinity Deluxe glasses combine a new, stylish appearance with exceptional 3D viewing performance. The lightweight Infinity Deluxe eyewear offers up to 38% transparency and a 3000:1 contrast ratio, and comes with rechargeable batteries. Their ergonomic design ensures long-wearing comfort.

Meanwhile, the XPAND Infinity 3D glasses have a lightweight, functional design and provide up to 37% transparency and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The glasses are shaped for comfort and use replaceable batteries.

The XPAND Infinity system provides the brightest, most vivid and realistic 3D images achievable, without ghosting or artifacts for any viewer in the theater. An unlimited number of Infinity systems can be linked together to operate as a large-scale system.

In addition, XPAND Infinity and XPAND Infinity Deluxe Glasses are equipped with RFID tags. RFID technology can be used for anti-theft purposes, allowing theater owners to track and monitor each pair of glasses.

“XPAND’s new Infinity glasses were developed in order to provide optimal quality. In addition, we made sure that the Infinity glasses are a cinema owner’s best friend,” Costeira added. “The new glasses are more durable and allow the cinema management to monitor its inventory and usage levels throughout the cinema location in real time. Some of our beta sites achieved a 3DCPU (3D Cost Per User) of less than 4 cents US, making XPAND the best and most cost-effective 3D system on the market.”

For more information on XPAND 3D glasses, please visit www.xpand.me

See the press release here:  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110329006207/en/XPAND-3D-Introduces-XPAND-Infinity™-High-Quality-3D

[Press Release]

[Philip Lelyveld comment: Lightspeed is an ETC equipment donor and supporter.]

Lightspeed Design, Inc. / DepthQ® is pleased to announce the debut of the new DepthQ® Polarization Modulator for 3D Digital Cinemaat the CinemaCon tradeshow (Booth #305A) at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 29-31. When combined with a silver screen, the DepthQ® Polarization Modulator allows your digital cinema projector to display stunning stereoscopic 3D films, viewable using inexpensive passive circular polarized glasses.

Paired with projectors up to 18.5K ANSI Lumens, DepthQ® provides a spectacular 3D experience for screens up to 13.7m (45ft). DepthQ® meets Hollywood’s demanding image quality standards by precisely and efficiently varying the polarity of light passing through it in perfect synch with the “triple-flash” of left and right eye images. An unprecedented symmetrical 50 microsecond switching time between the eyes ensures bright, low-crosstalk operation.

Features include:

• Bright, low-ghost 3D
• Crisp, sharp image
• Heat-tolerant, accepts up to 22K Lumens
• With 18.5 K lms, 3D screen sizes up to ~13.7 m (45 ft)
• Simple, easy to setup and use
• No moving parts – low cost/maintenance
• Works with all DLP projectors
• Compatible with standard polarized 3D glasses
• Two position actuator allows easy switch between 2D and 3D
• Simple, single-cost business model
• Approved by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The DepthQ® Polarization Modulator is co-developed by Lightspeed Design, Inc and LC-Tec Displays, AB. The two companies have over 18 years of experience in their respective fields of stereoscopic design and liquid crystal manufacturing and development. Lightspeed Design is the exclusive worldwide distributor of the DepthQ® Polarization Modulator.

The system includes the liquid-crystal modulator as well as its control unit, plus hardware which mounts the unit to the front of your projector, and an actuator to move the modulator in and out of the projection path (for switching between 2D and 3D). Sync output from your projector’s GPIO port is supplied to the control unit, which then conditions the signal to match the modulator’s required input.

For more information, go to www.depthq.com/cinema-modulator.html or contact our sales department at sales@lightspeeddesign.com or at +1-206-784-1385.

See the original post here: http://www.lightspeeddesign.com/news.cgi

Kodak has received FDA approval on a variance that it believes is an important step in bringing to theaters its developing laser cinema projection technology.

A question is what potential impact this technology might have on the digital cinema rollout, which is already well under way with more than 22,000 digital projectors now installed worldwide. In related news, Barco on Thursday began shipping its new DLP Cinema 4K digital cinema projectors to Cinemark’s theaters.

Kodak believes that its technology could have an impact on 3D while reducing projector ownership costs.

“We expect that the projectors based on our technology will be very cost effective compared to today’s digital cinema projectors,” said Les Moore, Kodak’s chief operating officer for digital cinema, who claimed that “exhibitors can expect to replace a Xenon bulb every 500-1,000 hours, whereas we expect these laser sources to last over 30,000 hours before they need to be replaced.”

Screen brightness is common concern in 3D, and Moore also contends that laser projection offers more brightness than projection technologies commonly used today.

The FDA variance allows for the sale of the laser projection technology to cinema exhibitors without the need for individual site or show operator variances. Additionally, Moore noted: “The FDA variance serves as a template to be followed by manufacturers that we license to incorporate this new laser technology.”

Kodak has an eye toward market implementation within the next two years.

See the original post here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kodak-one-step-closer-bringing-161247

Today, Barco achieved another industry first by shipping its new DLP Cinema 4K projector to Cinemark Holdings, Inc., marking the first commercial installation of DLP Cinema Enhanced 4K in the world.

Digital cinema pioneer Barco began shipments of its newly released DLP Cinema 4K projectors to Cinemark’s theatres today, starting with Cinemark’s West Plano, Texas theatre. This shipment of native 4K DLP projectors is another milestone demonstrating Barco’s technology leadership. In the same way that Cinemark has achieved differentiation in the market with its XD concept, Barco will continue to help deliver a premium experience for moviegoers with its 4K projectors.

“Across the globe, the Cinemark brand represents a premium digital cinema experience. As a premiere movie exhibitor, it is critical for us to continually offer the best technology available at all times and with Barco’s unparalleled brightness, image quality and reliability, we know that we can deliver the ultimate theatre experience to our patrons time and time again,” commented Alan Stock, CEO of Cinemark. “Just as importantly, Barco has met every single commitment they’ve made to Cinemark, including 100% on-time installations even with a very aggressive deployment schedule.”

Barco has rapidly lifted production to fulfill demand around the world, providing several models of its DLP 4K projectors for the various theatre footprints maintained by Cinemark. The DP4K-32B will be installed in Cinemark’s largest theatres, including XD premium auditoriums, while the DP4K-23B will be deployed in the majority of Cinemark’s standard auditoriums. Barco’s projectors feature the highest image quality and Guinness world record brightness, with a modular design that enables easy installation and maintenance, an intuitive user interface and smart auto lamp alignment, all at the lowest total cost of ownership, thanks to low lamp and electrical operating costs, reusable filters, and minimal maintenance requirements.

“Cinemark continues to be a fantastic partner to Barco and we are very happy to keep them at the forefront of movie exhibition. Our continued technology leadership, featuring numerous industry firsts, ensures that our projectors perform at the highest caliber to provide a rich, immersive, and differentiated experience for their moviegoers,” commented Todd Hoddick, VP of Barco’s Entertainment Division in North America.

Cinemark is a leading domestic and international motion picture exhibitor, operating 430 theatres with 4,945 screens in 39 U.S. states, Brazil, Mexico and 11 other Latin American countries as of December 31, 2010. Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco is active in more than 90 countries with about 3,500 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 897 million euro in 2010.

See the original press release here: http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/prc/Barco-and-Cinemark-Are-First-to-Initiate-Commercial-4K-DLP-Deployments_12957.html

The projection category has been pretty stable the last 10 years, but with new technologies such as 3D, LED, integrated/interactive projectors, solid state and 2D-to-3D conversion, projectors are showing a new life that retailers are finding exciting

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Although flat-panel TVs continue to dominate the U.S. home-theater marketplace, manufacturers of front projectors are expecting renewed growth in their categories this year as the economy improves and new technologies bring new excitement.

Currently, much of the new home-theater projector market growth is being driven at both the entry end, where applications for crossover business and hometheater uses continues to bring customers into the big box and online environments, and the high-end, where well-heeled consumers continue to look for the latest and greatest.

At the same time, established players at the low-end are also moving upscale while some upscale manufacturers are seeing more business from down-scaled products, “so everything is kind of bleeding into the middle,” observed Tamaryn Pratt, Quixel Research principal.

“The market is really bifurcated right now,” she continued. “On one end, there is demand for affordably priced low-end products and specialized products like Epson’s DVD/3LCD combi projector. At the other end, there are companies like JVC, Sony, Sanyo and Runco that are seeing activity at the middle of the market.”

According to Quixel market estimates made after the third quarter of 2010, the total U.S. home-theater front-projector market was expected to rise 32 percent to 150,899 units for full year 2010, and should rise another 3 percent this year to 155,346 units.

Manufacturers and analysts told TWICE that one growth segment in the midrange is coming from models with new light sources, like LED light systems that don’t directly replace traditional projector sales.

“The reason is that this is mostly new business at present,” said Jon Grodem, Optoma product marketing senior director. “Also, we will see brightness improving to create multiple segments in LED-based personal portable projectors with price points in the $500 to $700 range. We expect this segment to appeal strongly to the mobile professional.”

Pratt said she was calling for a significant amount of new business in the less-than-$1,500 1080p projector segment, which has been driving consumers into stores.

On the other hand, Runco, she pointed out, is doing a good amount of business in down-scaled models (the LS3 and LS7 series are the company’s biggest sellers) and is also enjoying some business at the very high end ($250,000 projector) level, working exclusively through installers and A/V specialists.

Though the actual unit numbers may be small in comparison to entry-level goods, Adam Schmidt, Runco general manager and VP, said his company is expecting a return to growth in the high-end in 2011.

“Runco has completely revamped its high-end offering with a handful of new cinema projectors,” he said. “This boom in the high-end segment is driven by the growing — and currently largest ever — population of high-net-worth-individuals in the world. There are more than ever before. They have more of their wealth concentrated in residential real estate than ever before, and they are demanding top-of-the-line theaters and cinemas for their homes.”

Runco rival Sim2 saw a similar trend and recently took steps to emphasize upscale offerings and to move away from less-profitable lower-priced goods.

Digital Projection, meanwhile, had a phenomenal fourth quarter, Pratt said. The company saw good volume playing closer to the entry end of the business, without disrupting a good flow of product at the high end in the Titan projector series.

At the lower end, meanwhile, companies like Vivitek, Epson, Sanyo, Casio and Optoma are enjoying new opportunities from advanced video gamers, mobile business professionals and institutional/educational channels.

This, in turn, has encouraged more big-box electronics retailers to add projector departments, said Rick Nguyen, Vivitek general manager/senior VP.

“The projection category has been pretty stable the last 10 years, but with new technologies such as 3D, LED, integrated/interactive projectors, solid state and 2D-to-3D conversion, projectors are showing a new life that retailers are finding exciting,” Nguyen continued.

Casio introduced its first projector based on a hybrid LED/laser light source in January 2010, and “we were very successful, having enjoyed a doubling of our projector sales for our best year to date,” said Joseph Gillio, Casio projector marketing director. “The projector was positioned as the brightest bulb-less projector in the market. He said the applications and target audiences were wide ranging, and included strong sales in the home theater and gaming markets.

Customers were attracted to the bright picture, rich colors and low overall cost of ownership through the use of a low-power light source, said Matt Mustachio, Casio projector group general manager.

Epson enjoyed the second-best-selling projector in the industry last year in its MovieMate DVD combi model with 540p resolution and a $550 street retail, said Quixel’s Pratt. A lot of consumers bought the product for family movie nights in the back yard under the stars, she observed.

Pratt said inexpensive models with 480p to 540p resolution amounted to about 11 percent of category sales in fourth quarter of 2010.

Despite the difficulty in presenting in-store demos, big-box CE retailers and large regional chains were selling projectors off the shelf or online, industry observers said. Interestingly, channels like warehouse clubs and discount department store chains have yet to take off with the category.

“As users become more knowledgeable and technically savvy, we see the need for live demos diminishing. Buyers are researching using enhanced online content and are then using informed decisions to buy. We are seeing a strong synergy between online content and in-store experience,” noted Optoma’s Grodem.

Much of the business is coming from crossover business data projectors that can also be used in the home theater on weekends, and from educational departments looking for cheaper and cheaper products in a time of constricting budgets.

One strong selling point here is high brightness output (2,000 ANSI lumens and better for institutional channels), and models that can handle 1080p HD source material, for those times when the projector is taken home or used to present movies and special events in class rooms and auditoriums.

With prices for 1080p HD starting at less than $1,000 in some cases, some consumers in big-screen sizes that can match the value.

Newly emerging trends in the business include models with wireless HDMI support to easily facilitate wireless networking hookups and easily move projectors from room to room.

As for 3D, front-projector manufacturers have a wide range of price points and performance levels to choose from this year, reflecting the general sentiment that 3D is yet another opportunity for their technology to shine.

“3D is done best big and projectors do big best,” observed Grodem. “Home theater is the natural fit for 3D. A second market [for 3D] is gaming … as the new gaming technology moves in the players and consoles, fully immersive huge images are exactly what is wanted.”

“As content becomes more available and as people experience good (and bad) 3D, it’s clear that the best experience is an immersive experience, in a home theater,” Runco’s Schmidt pointed out. “A projector compromises neither brightness, nor resolution, nor comfort. Runco’s D-73 hits the mark on all fronts, and the initial response to it has been tremendous.”

“The future for 3D looks very promising,” agreed Vivtek’s Nguyen. “Most of our data projectors are currently 3D ready. We are also launching a line of projectors that has built-in 2D-to-3D technology (without an external box). We’re being very aggressive with our 3D product line in terms of technology and price points.”

See the original post here: http://www.twice.com/article/464181-Front_Projectors_Targeted_For_Growth.php

Doremi has been a pioneer of technological advancements and cutting edge engineering for over two and a half decades, and the journey continues with the recent attainment of its 4K technology patent.

Doremi’s 4K technology development was initiated five years ago with the intent of being integrated into Sony’s 4K cinema product. This engineering effort carried on to afford Doremi the position as today’s only commercially available 4K solution for Texas Instruments’ DLP Cinema® 4K platform.

With the recent release of DLP Cinema® 4K chips from Texas Instruments to its licensees, leading manufacturers of Digital Cinema projectors have been able to showcase their newest product lines to some of the largest global motion picture exhibitors. At the core of the dazzling 4K demonstrations, lies Doremi Cinema’s    IMB-4K (Integrated Media Block). Utilizing Doremi’s patented 4K decoding technology, the IMB-4K proves to be a fundamental building block in accomplishing the pristine playback of 4K resolutions on the big screen.

Doremi Cinema, through its vast in-depth vision of technological advancements and collaborative alliances with DLP and their licensees has managed to conclude the development of their 4K system. The company has been extremely savvy in playing a major role in the evolution and perfection of 4K resolution. The IMB-4K will be demonstrated at the upcoming CinemaCon exhibition in March along with Doremi’s cohesive 2K/4K playback and mastering line of products.

“We have set a precedent over the last five years to ensure our customers always have the ability to obtain the latest technology,” stated Michael Archer, Vice President, Digital Cinema.  “The issuance of this patent is a tribute to the vision and fortitude of our engineering team to keep Doremi ahead of our competition.”

The original press release is here: http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=2185

Most newly launched 3D home theater projectors cost well into the five-figure range, but this is not the case for the latest Mitsubishi HC9000. At S$7,999 (US$6,145.99), the HC9000 is one of the more affordable 3D beamers featuring SXRD technology (read: LCoS) for a high 120,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. To view 3D content, users are required to install an optional infrared emitter and don active shutter 3D eyewear. The HC9000 is compatible with 3D Blu-ray films, as well as side-by-side and top-and-bottom formatted 3D broadcasts.

Other notable performance-centric features include 240Hz frame interpolation to minimize 3D crosstalk or double images, and an HQV Reon VX processor renowned for jaggies-free DVD-upscaling. Installation is also further simplified through a powerful 1.8x extra-low dispersion (ED) zoom lens and wide lens shift adjustments without compromising picture quality. Having said that, you might also like to check out the S$6,999 (US$5,377.64) JVC DLA-RS40, which comes with comparable, if not better, hardware specifications on paper.

Contact your local Mitsubishi office for your country’s pricing and availability.

(Key Excerpts)

At the CineAsia distributors and exhibitors trade show here this week, Technicolor Asia is promoting a stop-gap technology designed to help theaters in the two hottest growth markets, China and Indonesia, make the leap from 2D to 3D to earn more money from higher-priced tickets.

The company’s 35mm 3D solution is needed because while films such as Avatar have proven to make more money in 3D, middle-class consumers in many of China’s dozens of second- and third-tier cities with populations of over a million aren’t yet fully ready pay for the costlier 3D tickets that will underwrite expensive new digital hardware.

Technicolor hopes its $25,000 package solution will fill a void for two to three years before China’s digital conversion process is complete, Tim Meade, Technicolor’s Asia Pacific 3D sales and marketing director, told The Hollywood Reporter on the sidelines of the annual three-day CineAsia event.

In 2011, Technicolor will focus its efforts on selling its 3D solution into China and another hot growth market, Indonesia, Meade said, setting the aim of achieving 250 installations in the coming year and about 600 over the next three years.

….

But not everybody’s as bullish on the China opportunity. South Korea’s MasterImage has a stereoscopic 3D system that sells for about $33,500 and has installed 80 of them in South China, the country’s richest region. Sales team manager Dan Zheng said despite exploring opportunities with local sales agents in northern China, most of that business appears to be locked up by state-owned firms or to be going to a cheaper 3D solution from RealD. “Our system may have some technological advances, but in China it’s hard to compete on price point and to catch up,” Zheng said.

…

Archer said that of the world’s current 150,000 cinema screens, only 30,000 are digital and thus, 3D capable. Only 21,000 screens are 3D-ready, worldwide. “It’s 3D that’s driving the switch to digital,” Archer said, noting that Asia show the greatest potential.

….

To bring the point home to CineAsia attendees, Artisan Gateway’s Pow noted that Los Angeles’ population of 17.7 million is served by 2,237 screens, or one for every 7,946 people. Of those, 476 screens are 3D-ready, one for every 37,345 residents. Beijing, by contrast, has 17.5 million people served by 278 screens – one for every 63,129 capital dwellers. Citizens there have access to only 21 3D-ready screens, one for every 83,333 people.

Full story here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/asia-faces-3d-conversion-revolution-57852

Dolby shipped more than 6,000 Dolby 3D Digital Cinema systems since November 2007

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Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) announced today that major China-based cinema company Dadi Media Group (Dadi) recently ordered 600 Dolby® Digital Cinema systems, reinforcing Dolby’s leadership in digital cinema for the Greater China region. The orders include 600 Dolby Screen Servers (DSS200s) and 600 Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors. Dadi plans to have these digital cinema systems installed by the end of 2011.

“We have three years of unique experience with digital cinema investment and operation in China’s domestic market. When we started working with Dolby in 2009, it allowed us to enhance our exhibition stability and offer our audience a new, immersing entertainment experience when watching movies,” said Liu Kaijun, General Manager, Cinema Investment, Dadi Media Group. “We have been impressed by the technical and service performance of the Dolby Digital Cinema system and with the Dolby team, which has given us the confidence for further cooperation. Dadi has ordered 600 Dolby Screen Servers and 600 Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors to serve our rapid cinema deployment in China. We believe working with a leading global entertainment technology and product innovator like Dolby will reinforce Dadi’s overall partnerships in China and contribute to our presence in the market.”

“We thank Dadi for their continued confidence in Dolby and believe this collaboration is a major breakthrough for driving digital cinema adoption in China. Dolby is dedicated to assisting China’s cinema industry transition from analog to digital,” said Mahesh Sundaram, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Dolby Laboratories. “Since the debut of Dolby technology in cinema nearly 40 years ago, we have worked to constantly improve the entertainment experience of cinema from both a visual and audio perspective. China has a dynamic entertainment market and is strategically important for Dolby. For this reason, Dolby continues to introduce a variety of technologies and value-added services to our partners in China.”

Since launching its digital cinema technologies, Dolby has attained the following landmark achievements worldwide:

Shipped more than 6,800 Dolby Screen Servers since November 2005

Shipped more than 6,000 Dolby 3D Digital Cinema systems since November 2007

Shipped more than 4,700 Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors since March 2009

Conducted more than 1,000 global installations of Dolby Surround 7.1 since June 2010

Full story here: http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=2125