News Stories

RealD to outfit 100 Chinese theaters with 3D technology

[Reuters and TheWrap.com]

…  RealD will partner with Beijing SAGA Luxury Cinema Management Co. to outfit the Chinese theater chain with 3D technology, the companies announced on Monday.

In all, the pact will add 100 3D-capable auditoriums to China’s rolls. Installations have already begun, the partners said.  …

Like RealD, IMAX has also been busy exporting its theater technology to China.

Read the full story here: http://news.yahoo.com/reald-outfit-100-chinese-theaters-3d-technology-171245087.html

Cool gadgets that use 3-D

[CNET via sfgate]

Sprint HTC Evo 3D

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5 (excellent)

The bottom line: The 3-D features are a fun addition, but it’s the HTC Evo 3D’s zippy performance and improved battery life that make this Android smart phone one of Sprint’s best. …

T-Mobile G-Slate

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good)

The bottom line: Thanks to its high-quality screen, streaming TV features, and 4G support (if you’re willing to sign a contract), the T-Mobile G-Slate is one of the better Honeycomb tablets on the market today; however, its high no-contract price insures that it’s not the best.

Nintendo 3DS

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good)

The bottom line: The Nintendo 3DS successfully offers a glasses-free 3-D experience that needs to be seen to be believed. A weaker-than-usual game lineup and some online features dampened its release, but a recent price drop and a promising list of holiday games shine a light at the end of tunnel.

Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 3D Laptop

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5 (excellent)

The bottom line: Those in the market to spend more than $1,000 and get a 3-D-enabled, Blu-ray-equipped laptop with plenty of horsepower for games should strongly consider Toshiba’s latest high-end Qosmio. It’s not cheap or portable by any means, but it’s certainly powerful.

Read the full story here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/28/BUTE1KQVEJ.DTL

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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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