News Stories

Sky 3D and ESPN link up to screen NBA Finals

6.3.2011

[by Nigel Adie, Cable.co.uk]
Sky 3D is allying with ESPN to air stereoscopic footage of this year’s NBA Finals.

Sky is expanding its offering of 3D sports programming after agreeing a deal with ESPN to air the 2011 NBA Finals.

Subscribers to Sky 3D services will be able to view the best-of-seven series between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks in 3D, with the stereoscopic footage to be available in more than 1,500 UK pubs.

The 3D coverage of the high-profile basketball games will originate from the US, where ESPN has already shown 17 NBA matches using the three-dimensional technology this season.

Sky has previously partnered with ESPN in recent months to air events such as the 2011 FA Cup Final and the Winter X Games in 3D.

John Cassy, channel director at Sky 3D, said: “We’re delighted to once again partner with ESPN to deliver an ever greater variety of 3D sport to our customers. Sky customers enjoy the broadest range of live sports in 3D anywhere.”

Last month, Sky achieved an industry first after its documentary Flying Monsters 3D, presented by Sir David Attenborough, became the first 3D programme to win a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award.

See the original post here: http://www.cable.co.uk/news/sky-3d-and-espn-link-up-to-screen-nba-finals-800565170/

Nintendo Details 3DS eShop Launch Lineup

6.3.2011

[by Mike Rose, GamaSutra]

Nintendo has detailed the 3DS features that will become available as part of the eShop update next week, including game titles and the web browser.
From the evening of June 6, U.S. Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to download a free update that will add both the eShop and the web browser to the main menu on the 3DS console.
The eShop will offer a selection of original, remastered and classic titles for download. Pokedex 3D, a new title that will be free to download, allows players to collect Pokemon via StreetPass, QR code and SpotPass features.
The classic NES title Excitebike will also be completely free to download until July 7, and come as a remastered version utilizing the stereoscopic 3D effects.
A number of Virtual Console titles will be available from the eShop, including Game Boy titles Super Mario Land, Alleyway and Radar Mission. New content is set to be added to the eShop each Thursday.
Nintendo DSi owners can move their DSiWare titles to their new 3DS handheld once the update has gone live. There will also be 3D trailers to download, including a trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
The Japanese eShop will receive different Virtual Console games, along with a couple of new 3DSWare titles. Games included are Mega Man in Dr. Wily’s Revenge, Kirby’s Dream Land, Baseball, Phantasm, Downtown Special Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki Dayo Zenin Shuugou! and Super Mario Land, as well as original titles Mystery P.I Kieta Film and 3D Block Kuzushi.
Japanese gamers will also receive a stereoscopic 3D remake of Xevious alongside Excitebike, with the store launching on June 7.
European 3DS owners will see a similar lineup to the U.S. launch, except with Mario Tennis in place of Radar Mission, and a launch date of June 7.

See the original post here: www.gamasutra.com

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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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