News Stories

Nvidia Now Shipping 3D Vision Pro

1.28.2011

Nvidia released its 3D Vision stereoscopic 3D package two years ago, aiming it at gamers who wanted to play games that jumped out at them in more ways than one. This week, however, Nvidia expanded its focus to include professional environments by introducing 3D Vision Pro.

The system is designed to let architects, artists, computational chemists, engineers, and physicians see complex 3D designs in greater detail. It works with Nvidia Quadro workstation video cards, and like the original 3D Vision combines the wireless, 120-Hz active shutter glasses, an RF communications hub, and advanced software that translates graphics applications into full stereoscopic 3D. Also like the gamer-oriented 3D Vision, a 120-Hz monitor is required to correctly view the 3D effects.

According to Nvidia, the big difference between the two versions of 3D Vision is that 3D Vision Pro has been designed for video walls, collaborative virtual environments, studios, theaters, and other venues that will require large-scale visualization. 3D Vision Pro has an extended range of up 100 feet, does not have a line-of-sight requirement between the glasses and the emitter (which Nvidia claims will aid in multi-user or large-scale locales), bidirectional communication that lets systems verify the glasses are working and check their battery levels, and explicit connection between the glasses and the hub without crosstalk.

The 3D Vision Pro system may be run on both the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7; Nvidia claims it will also support 32- and 64-bit Linux distributions in the future. 3D Vision Pro is available now from authorized channel partners, such as PNY Technologies in the United States. Each pair of 3D shutter glasses is priced at $349, with each RF hub priced at $399.

Original post here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376692,00.asp

Build a 3D Home Theater PC With Sandy Bridge

1.28.2011

Today’s personal computers come in a variety of designs and sizes–the era of the one-size-fits-all beige box has long passed. But as our living rooms become more theaterlike, with multichannel speaker systems and big-screen high-definition TVs, the thought of plugging a boxy PC into an entertainment center seems unappealing.

Enter the home theater PC. An HTPC is a specially built system that lives alongside your other audiovisual components and is designed to look like it belongs in the same rack as a multichannel receiver, satellite or cable set-top box, and other devices. The HTPC can be the repository for your entire digital media library; you can view your home video and photographs on the big screen and hear digital music on high-quality speakers, or share everything with other PCs over your home network. The HTPC also gives you the ability to play 3D Blu-ray movies (as well as standard Blu-ray and DVD movies).

Let’s take a quick look at the component matrix for this system, including the cost.

Read the full, lengthy story here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/217828/build_a_3d_home_theater_pc_with_sandy_bridge.html

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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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