News Stories

Sony Warming to the Idea of Portable 3D

6.1.2011

[by Logan Westbrook, The Escapist]

Portable 3D isn’t ready for primetime just yet, says Sony, but that may soon change.

Sony hasn’t put 3D in the NGP, or PS Vita, or whatever it ends up being called, but that doesn’t mean that it will never make a 3D handheld. Sony’s Mick Hocking says that when it comes to 3D, the company’s focus is still on home entertainment, but that portable technology is “rapidly improving.”

Hocking, who heads up the 3D team for Sony Worldwide Studios, said that the range of portable 3D devices being exhibited at this year’s CES show was proof that the technology was moving at a rather quick pace. He said that as these devices become more and more advanced, he could see that kinds of high-quality 3D effects that Sony wanted to create being feasible on a mobile device. However, he reiterated Sony’s position on 3D gaming, saying that at the moment, the best place – in Sony’s eyes at least – to play games in 3D was at home with a PS3.

It’s interesting to see the subtly different messages coming from Sony. SCE Europe Boss Andrew House hasdownplayed mobile 3D in the past, whereas Hocking has championed 3D as a “new creative medium,” and has praisedthe 3DS for “democratizing” the technology. Both men are toeing the company line about the best 3D being PS3 3D, but even through the neatly groomed PR spin, Hocking seems genuinely enthusiastic about the technology.

See the original post here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110534-Sony-Warming-to-the-Idea-of-Portable-3D

3D Net to offer a 3D look at Indianapolis 500

6.1.2011

[by IndianTelevision.com Team]

US 3D television channel 3net, the joint venture 3D network from Sony, Discovery and Imax, will give viewers a look at the events and personalities involved in the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The announcement was made by 3net president and CEO Tom Cosgrove. The one hour special, ‘On The Inside Line: The Indy 500’, will include the world’s first 3D coverage of the event, including an in-depth look at the event preparations and the action of race day as seen through the eyes of drivers — TonyKanaan, Helio Castroneves, Simona de Silvestro, Will Power and more.

Cosgrove said,”We plan to fully leverage our unprecedented access to this historic event – capturing the pageantry of the 100th Anniversary and the emotion and intensity of race day – to bring audiences the most compelling 3D programming event possible. 3net is dedicated to breaking new ground in creating programming genres that are most compelling in 3D, and this first-ever ‘sportumentary’ about America’s greatest race further emphasizes that commitment.”

 

The show will give viewers a look at the spectacle of the Indianapolis 500, starting with a look back at the history of the greatest spectacle in racing, including 3D coverage of pre-race fanfare such as the Festival Parade, Pole Day, Bump Day and Carb Day. The day of the race, 3net will be in the garage for last minute preparations, team meetings and the pre-race ceremony.

During the race, 3net will follow the action from the unique point of view of the featured drivers, with 3D cameras in the pits and around the crews supporting the Castroneves, Kanaan and Hinchcliffe teams as they monitor the race, strategise pit stops and advise their drivers. Additional 3D cameras featured on-car, on-track and around the race will compliment the comprehensive 3D experience.

See the original post here: http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k11/june/june4.php

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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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