News Stories

Panasonic Viera 3D TVs to be released in April

3.2.2011

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the world of 3D.

The Nintendo 3DS has launched, Penthouse has launched Europe’s first 3D adult entertainment channel, and the LG Optimus become available for pre-order.

The latest thing to excite 3DTVWatcher is that stalwart of 3D hardware, a good old fashioned 3D TV.

Panasonic has announced that its two latest 3D TVs will be available in April, with the TC-L37T30 and the TC-L32T30 offering 37 and 32 inch 3D goodness respectively.

Both models feature numerous features which will get AV enthusiasts tails wagging, with internet connectivity, four HDMI inputs, an SD card reader, three USB ports, input for PC connectivity and DLNA compatibility.

On screen things are just as tasty, with a 240Hz refresh rate and a wide viewing angle allowing viewers to enjoy the full 3D effect en masse, addressing an issue that has bothered many consumers who fail to see the value in 3D if it can’t be enjoyed in large groups, and rightly so.

The TVs, both full HD, are set to be released in April and whilst no UK pricing plans have been announced yet, the price is expected to be around the £1,400 and £1,000 mark for the TC-L37T30 and the TC-L32T30 respectively.

See the original post here: http://www.3dtvwatcher.co.uk/panasonic-viera-3d-tvs-to-be-released-in-april-1654/

World’s first interactive 3D movie also the creepiest

3.2.2011

Researchers at the University of New South Wales have created the world’s first interactive 3D film — and it is sure to creep you out.

With 3D technology advancing faster than a pick-up artist, it was only a matter of time before 3D films became interactive. What we didn’t expect, however, was just how completely and totally creepy the first interactive 3D movie would be.

Researchers at Australia’s University of New South Wales have created a 3D movie, projected on a 360-degree screen,reports New Scientist. The film, entitled Scenario, is based on the story of Austrian woman Elisabeth Fritzl, who had been imprisoned by her father in a basement for 24 years, and was forced to have seven children with him. Uplifting, we know.

Using sensors in the theater, “viewers” of the film are given a humanoid avatar, which mimics the viewer’s movements. The goal of each person is to escape. And to do that, participants must collect the body parts of babies and return them to one “oversized baby.” (Seriously, who thought of this?)

To keep viewers from escaping, sentinels controlled by the film’s artificial intelligence engine either push avatars away from the baby bits, or kick the body parts out of reach. The sentinels decide wether to kick or push based on an avatar’s proximity to, let’s say, a baby head, or which body parts an avatar holds.

Sixteen near infrared cameras track the movements of each viewer in the cinema, providing the sentinels with the information needed to thwart the baby body part collections.

Interactive 3D films sound good, and all. But if you ask us, this just sounds like an overly complex (and, most likely, expensive) interactive 3D video game — something Microsoft has been working on for quite some time now.

No matter what Scenario is, it’s clear that interactive 3D films are going to have to be a lot less creepy for them to gain mainstream appeal.

Watch a video of Scenario in action:

See the original story here: http://www.digitaltrends.com/entertainment/worlds-first-interactive-3d-movie-also-the-creepiest/

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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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