News Stories

Active-Shutter 3DTV Popularity Drives US Flat-Screen TV Prices Higher

7.18.2011

[By Jonathan Sutton]

A recent report has revealed that in June the prices of flat-screen TVs in the United States increased for a third consecutive month, driven primarily by the popularity of active-shutter 3D TV displays. The information came from respected global market research firm IHS.

The figures showed that the average cost of flat-panel televisions in the United States reached $1133, which reflected an increase of $10 compared to May, equating to a 0.9 percent increase. According to a breakdown of the numbers, the overall prices for LCD TVs came in at an average of $1050 in June, representing a $5 increase, whilst the overall prices for plasma TVs stabilised at $1590.

The average pricing on these HDTV sets has been rising for the past three months, although the increases have only been small. However, prior to this prices had actually been decreasing, having declined for four months in a row. Riddhi Patel, director for television systems and retail services at IHS, said that the most popular type of three-dimensional sets on the market today are 3D TVs that used active-shutter 3D glasses, and he stated that these had seen the biggest jumps in price. He added that these price hikes had driven up prices for the whole of the flat-panel TV market in the USA.

The data also showed that the price gap between active and passive 3D LCD TV sets has become more obvious now, with the difference between active and passive sets now coming in at 9 percent for sets of between 40 and 49 inches, and 14 percent for 50 inches and larger. In May, the difference between active and passive 3D sets was just 7 percent. This gap is also said to have been due to a drop in pricing on passive 3DTV sets, which fell by 3 percent for models of 40 to 49 inches, and by 8 percent for models sized 50 inches or larger.

See the original story here: http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/flat-screen-tv-prices-higher-201107161293.htm

JPMorgan Analyst On The Use Of 3D In Harry Potter 7

7.18.2011
[by Gus Lubin]
Industry analysts see Harry Potter 7 Part 2 as a big affirmation for 3D movies.

An impressive 43% of U.S. revenue came from 3D tickets, during the movie’s record breaking opening weekend.

Moreover 3D looked good — with a few exceptions — according to JPMorgan’s Paul Coster:

Seemed like a good implementation of 3D. Arguably the movie was a bit dark, but we detected few errant artifacts from the 3D conversion (Snape’s nose looked stranger than Voldemort in one scene, we observed a wayward goblet in another, and a couple of crowd scenes looked a bit like cardboard cut-outs), and overall we felt that the 3D version of the movie added to the immersive experience, neither distracting nor feeling like an end in itself. This was a good implementation of 3D, and some scenes were spectacular in part because of 3D.

And looking forward:

Interesting 3D previews. John Carter and Hugo, like HP7B, have naturalistic scenes rendered in (or filmed in) 3D. They seem to be good implementations of 3D too. This is all very subjective, of course, but our impression is that 3D is getting better. The Happy Feet preview was also impressive, but being a CGI/cartoon we think 3D is easier to implement and easier to consume for this genre. The 3D slate looks good.

 

See the original post here: http://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-on-the-use-of-3d-in-harry-potter-7-2011-7

< 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.