News Stories

Boxer joins Canal+ 3D broadcast

3.17.2011

[by Julian Clover, BroadbandTVNews.com]

Swedish pay platform Boxer will next month become the first terrestrial network in the Nordic region to broadcast in 3D. It will broadcast two derby matches AIK and Djurgården in the Elitserien ice hockey league and Real Madrid v Barcelona from the Spanish Premier League. Both matches will be covered by Canal+ and will also bedistributed over the Canal Digital satellite platform.

Customers will need a DVB-T2 tuner, a Boxer HD subscription and a 3D television receiver.

“It’s amazing that we are less than six months after the launch of HDTV can display 3D television in the terrestrial network,” said Crister Fritzson, Boxer’s managing director. “We follow very closely the development of the 3D channels, because it is their broadcasts we work with. So far, no one can promise a follow-up, but we’re working hard to enable terrestrial viewers in the future to see 3DTV in a simple manner”.

The 3D transmissions will be carried in Multiplex 7, available to around 80% of the country, on UHF and VHF frequencies.

See the original post here: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/03/16/boxer-joins-canal-3d-broadcast/

 

Samsung Shows Off Bluetooth 3D Glasses

3.17.2011

[By Will Greenwald, PCMag.com]

Samsung has unveiled a new type of active shutter 3D glasses that improve on almost all issues found in conventional pairs.

The company’s new 3D glasses use Bluetooth instead of infrared signals to sync with the 3D TV, meaning the glasses don’t need to have line-of-sight with the TV. With conventional, infrared glasses, the signal can be disrupted by obstructions between the glasses and the TV or emitter, disabling the shutters. Bluetooth solves this problem by using radio instead of infrared transmissions. Because of the new technology, the glasses will only work with 2011 and later Samsung 3D HDTVs; older models that use infrared technology can’t use the new glasses.

Instead of conventional glasses, the new models use a thin headband to which the lenses are attached. The entire product weighs less than 1 ounce, and can be tossed on a cylinder-shaped induction charger to recharge its batteries without physically plugging it into anything. The optional charger can charge up to 4 pairs of glasses at once, just by having them stacked around the cylinder.

Samsung has not yet announced pricing or availability for the new 3D glasses, but they’re expected to be included with Samsung’s newest 3D HDTVs.

See the original post here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382124,00.asp

 

< 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.