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Intel gets floor buzzing with Light Peak Fiber-Optic Link

The wired standard for data transfer may have leapt light years forward at CES, where Intel revealed additional development of its Light Peak technology during a Thursday keynote.  The new high-speed optical cable technology was initially revealed in San Francisco at September’s Intel Developer Forum.

light_peak_EDITEDAccording to Intel, “Light Peak is the code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect your electronic devices to each other. Light Peak delivers high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade. At 10Gb/s, you could transfer a full-length Blu-Ray movie in less than 30 seconds. Optical technology also allows for smaller connectors and longer, thinner, and more flexible cables than currently possible. Light Peak also has the ability to run multiple protocols simultaneously over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect devices such as peripherals, displays, disk drives, docking stations, and more.”

The demo we saw at CES featured two HD movies streaming simultaneously through the same wire.  “Right now there are many wires connecting each device,” explained Robert Siegle, a member of Intel’s Optical IO team.  “The idea is that this one wire will replace the many.”

Standardization is taking place now, with industry protocols and products expected to roll out from 2012 to 2013.  There are two issues – copper reaching its practical limits and an increase in the number of devices people want to attach to their computers, Siegel told us.

Though the prototype device on display at the Intel booth involved running Light Peak through a PCI connection, it will more likely be integrated directly onto motherboards (though that will all play out as part of the standardization process).

As you saw from our post about HDBaseT and this one, the game is definitely on for the next generation of high-bandwidth, easy-connect wiring.

LG hits 3D, Connected Displays, and More

LG is showing a number of 3D content types in its booth’s ‘3D aisle.’

Like Panasonic and Samsung, LG was showing a live DirecTV 3D broadcast.  They were also showing one of the first Blu-ray discs — Disney trailers encoded to the new BD 3D spec. Conference-goers can have their photos taken with the Fuji 3D still camera and see them immediately displayed on a 55-inch 3D LCD display.

A small theater in the back of the booth is demonstrating the CF3D, a single lens 3D projector good for home theater and business applications (MSRP ~$10,000).  Behind the single lens are 6 LCOS chips, two lamps, and two engines.  A camera sensor on the front of the unit monitors the projected image and automatically adjusts the brightness and alignment of the left and right eye images.

LG_1_EditedAll LG displays 32-inches or greater will be IP-enabled.  LG is demonstrating a Skype videoconferencing system that will be built into some displays and be an add-on option in others.

Displays with the Magic Motion user interface allow the user to navigate menus and play games using a simple motion-tracking wand remote.  Some of LG’s Web-connected displays will access AccuWeather and adjust their menu background to reflect outside weather and daylight conditions.

LG has agreements with DivxTV, Pandora, YouTube, CinemaNow, GraceNote, Vudu and others.  All of their Blu-ray players will access those services.

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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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