News Stories

Soyo Turns Live 2D to 3D

1.9.2009

Soyo takes a Hyundai LCD display and builds in a 2D-to-3D dimensionalization processing chip. Their pitch is that this eliminates the need for a PC/processor between the STB and the display. The dimensionalization, which works for live signals as well as prerecorded media, adds a 4-second delay to displaying the image.

soyo2They say that they synch and similarly delay the audio, but it wasn’t clear how that would work for home theater systems. They are showing a 46-inch 3D HDTV display for Blu-ray and live broadcast signals, and 22- and 24-inch monitors for gaming.

Where to see it:

  • Central 15238

Panasonic Booth Tour: Blu-ray, Displays, VieraCast

1.9.2009

Panasonic had a number of interesting products to show at this year’s CES…

The company won an Innovation Award for its “Blu-ray Home Theater in a Box” (HTiB) – a $699 Blu-ray player with BD Live, ABC HD, Amazon HD, and 5.1 sound (with wireless option).

panasonic-sc-bt100-2There was some buzz regarding Panasonic’s Wireless HD 1-inch thick plasma…

wireless_hd

As well as a 4.1 wireless surround (subwoofer built into satellites), virtual center speaker. Very cool, but I hope nobody mistakes the satellites for an ashtray!

ashtray4

VieraCast is Panasonic’s Connected TV play. (Panasonic-only, custom widgets… again.) But YouTube and more importantly, Amazon VOD, built-in is a cool thing, and keeps with the Connected Home theme at this show.

panasonic_viercast

Panasonic claimed “The world’s first portable Blu-ray player” (with a 15-inch screen)… Ummm…

Not to be left out of the 3D game, Panasonic was showing 3D on a 103-inch with active shutter glasses, but no concrete plans to bring that product to market.

Another highlight of the booth is the 1/3-inch thick plasma TV. My Blackberry is much thicker!

blackberry

And then, of course, was the “ours is bigger” – 150-inch LCD…

150inch

Where to see it:

  • Central 9405, 9458

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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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