News Stories

Microsoft “watching and wanting to understand” 3D

6.29.2011

[by Brenna Hillier, VG24/7]

Microsoft’s David Dennis has said the company is waiting to see how the 3D trend plays out before committing.

“Something we’re watching and wanting to understand from consumers is whether this is something they actually want,” the Xbox senior product manager told Eurogamer.

“Does it add to the gaming experience? Does it distract from the gaming experience? Is it something they want to play long-term? Or is it something they try a few times and then go back to regular 2D modes?”

Dennis doesn’t seem convinced that the 3D push is motivated by the benefits to gaming.

“3D is an interesting space. There was a big rush by some other folks in the industry to convince people they want to play in 3D,” he said

“You can question the motivations of why they want to make everyone go buy a new TV perhaps, but I think 3D has to fit in a natural way where it fits with the gameplay.”

You can probably guess who he means by that. Microsoft isn’t ruling it out, though.

“You watch the market penetration of 3D TVs, you look if it’s something people are buying and you adapt and innovate, just like we’ve done by deploying different system updates and features. If there’s other things we want to do with 3D because consumers are asking for we would explore it.”

See the original post here: http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/microsoft-watching-and-wanting-to-understand-3d/

Wimbledon in 3D: 5 Things You Need to Know

6.28.2011

[by Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter]

The BBC serves up first live 3D coverage of event — available in the U.S. on ESPN3D — beginning Friday.

The venerable, tradition-laden Wimbledon Championships is making a leap into the future this year by opening up its marquee matches to 3D. Sony is joining forces with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, along with Wimbledon host broadcaster and U.K. rights holder BBC, to serve up live 3D coverage Friday through Sunday of the Wimbledon men’s singles semifinals and finals and the ladies’ singles finals.

OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

“There will be strawberries and cream in 3D, and maybe the odd glass of Pimms,” chuckles Duncan Humphreys, creative director at U.K.-based Can Communicate, which has a three-year contract to produce the 3D transmission of Wimbledon on behalf of Sony.

Here are five things you should know:

1. Wimbledon has always embraced the telly: This year’s tournament marks the BBC’s first live 3D broadcast to viewer’s homes, but the famed tennis competition is no stranger to the latest technological innovations. Wimbledon was televised for the first time in 1937 — well before most households had sets.  And more than four decades ago in 1967, the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon included Britain’s first color broadcast.

2. Wimbledon in 3D is not just for the British: The 3D feed will be available to 3DTV channels and digital cinema theaters around the world. While some new participants might still sign on before the weekend, a Sony spokesperson reported that as of Monday at least six broadcasters in six countries would carry the 3D feed. In addition, it will be fed to roughly 200 digital cinema theaters in 23 countries, including the U.S. ESPN3D will carry the 3DTV coverage in the U.S., while SuperVision Media is handing theatrical distribution.

3. Still, only early adopters are likely to be watching: In order to view the television broadcast in 3D, fans will need a 3D-capable TV set and 3D glasses. That makes it difficult to gauge how many viewers will actually see the broadcast in 3D. According to a recent report from Informa Telecoms and Media, fewer than half of the 11 million 3DTV-ready homes in the U.K. in will be active and regular users of 3DTV content by 2016. And that estimate is five years off, which suggests that active users who are currently tuning in to 3D broadcasts is dramatically smaller.

4. Soccer got there first: Many of the members of the Wimbledon 3D broadcast team were also involved in last year’s 3D coverage of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which was shown in 3D digital cinemas and also by various broadcasters around the world. Sony and Can Communicate also contributed to that pioneering 3D broadcast event.

5. 3D viewers should be able to dispute the ref: At Wimbledon, there will be six 3D camera positions at Center Court. Additionally, the 3D broadcast technology technology for the tournament is very similar to that which was used for the FIFA World Cup, which also included Sony cameras, Element Technica 3D rigs, and Sony’s 3D image processor. And NEP Visions’ Gemini 1 & 2 3D broadcast trucks will be there on site to catch the action.

See the original post here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wimbledon-3d-5-things-you-206082

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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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