News Stories

Warner Home Video announced first worldwide Blu-ray 3D Bundles

7.28.2010

link to posting site

Posted by admin on July 28th, 2010

BURBANK, Calif., July 28, 2010 —- Warner Home Video announces today that it has partnered with two major CE manufacturers, LG Electronics, Inc. and Sony Electronics Inc., to offer new Blu-ray 3D versions of IMAX® Under the Sea 3D, IMAX® Space Station 3Dand IMAX® Deep Sea 3D with the purchase of select Blu-ray 3D players, 3D TVs and 3D projectors.

Consumers in the U.S. and Canada who purchase an LG BX580 or BX585 3D Network Blu-ray Disc Player now through December 31, 2010 will be eligible to receive IMAX® Under the Sea 3D via mail-in coupon. Complete details on the offer are available on LG’s website atLGusa.com/3Dpromo. Consumers in various territories in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America who purchase any LG Blu-ray 3D Player, Blu-ray 3D Home Theater, 3D Projector or 3D TV will be able to receive IMAX® Space Station 3D via mail-in coupon or inside the player box*.

Also beginning in July, consumers in North America and various territories in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America who purchase any Sony Blu-ray 3D player, 3D TV or set of 3D glasses will be eligible to receive IMAX® Deep Sea 3D via mail-in coupon.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with LG and Sony in support of their Blu-ray 3D hardware launches while also seeding the market with a more diverse selection of Blu-ray 3D titles for consumers to enjoy,” said Dorinda Marticorena, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and High Definition. “IMAX is simply the best in 3D and these visually stunning titles are perfect for consumers who want to take full advantage of and show off their new Blu-ray 3D home theater systems.”

BLU-RAY 3D™ : THE NEXT DIMENSION IN HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Blu-ray 3D™ is an extension of the Blu-ray Disc™ format that enables the home entertainment industry to bring the full high-definition 3D experience into the living room. Old anaglyph 3D technology used paper glasses with red and blue lenses which filtered out light to produce a low-quality 3D experience.

New stereoscopic 3D uses “active” technology, allowing every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver full high-definition 1080p resolution to each eye. “Active shutter” 3D glasses (battery powered and either bundled with the 3D TV or sold separately) quickly block each eye in sequence to ensure that each eye only sees the corresponding image being displayed on the 3D TV set. This technology allows for a fully immersive, theater-quality 3D experience at home. What’s more, Blu-ray 3D players are backwards compatible, so viewers can still watch standard definition DVDs and 2D Blu-ray Discs without needing a separate player.

The Universe (3D TV Science Series on History Channel)

7.27.2010

Link to original article

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.:DirecTV announced today that History Channel will contribute 3D programming to it’s stereoscopic offering. History will do the season premiere of its series, “The Universe,” in 3D on July 30. The season five premiere, entitled “7 Wonders of the Solar System,” will use computer-generated graphics to illustrate recent astronomical findings. It will be telecast on DirecTV’s n3D on Ch. 103, and in 3D on Ch. 101. at 10 p.m. ET/PT this Friday.

“This is the type of programming that lends itself perfectly for 3D and still looks amazing in HD,” said DirecTV’s Derek Chang. “We are excited to be partnering with History as they embark on their first 3D mission.”

The first 3D episode of “The Universe” depicts, according to DirecTV and History, “mountain ranges on Saturn’s rings; the famous red spot on Jupiter and the indication that there may soon be another one; a volcano that would stretch the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco if it was placed on Earth; and the highest resolution images ever taken of the lava flow on Mars that might indicate volcanic activity.”

DirecTV launched 3D programming June 11 with ESPN’s stereoscopic channel. nD3, a 3D movie channel and an on-demand channel were later added. Programming has thus far included select 2010 World Cup games, the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race. The Summer X Games 16 and Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction are on deck.

< PREVIOUS ARTICLES NEXT ARTICLES >

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.

Oops, something went wrong.