News Stories

NVidia: 2010 is the Year of the Tablet

1.7.2010

“2010 is going to be the beginning of the tablet revolution,” NVidia president/CEO Jen Hsun Huang asserted, adding that this requires an enabling technology that delivers the power of a mobile chip and performance of a PC.

Nvidia-tegra-HTCTo address that need, NVidia unveiled its next-generation Tegra, a new chip with 8 independent processors and Dual Core Cortex-A9 CPU.

“NVidia is engaged in development with PC companies, mobile companies, CE and automotive companies in building Tegra computers,” he reported.

Tablets powered by Tegra, as well as stereoscopic 3D, were the focus of NVidia’s Thursday press conference at the Hilton’s Shimmer Cabaret.

Huang discussed how NVidia technology can be used to bring 3D to PC entertainment, including desktop PCs using new 3D Vision-Ready, 1080p, 120Hz LCD panels from display companies, including Acer and Alienware.

On the gaming front, he announced a partnership with Ubisoft and James Cameron for a special edition kit of Nvidia’s 3D Vision and the Ubisoft Avatar game.

NVidia is previewing its new “3D Vision Surround” technology at its CES booth in the South Hall.

Broadcom Targets the Networked Home

1.6.2010

Broadcom is rolling out two new set-top boxes designed to enable networked TV across a home that has either digital or cathode ray tube TVs.  The Irvine-based semiconductor manufacturer will provide real world demos here at CES of the Broadcom BCM7208 with 1080p60 HD output and the BCM7468, which works with standard def and coaxial cable to enable features such as picture-in-picture, multi-room DVR and resolution of up to 480p.

Broadcom_logo

The “system-on-a-chip” (SoC) solutions utilize single 16-bit DDR2 or DDR3 memory circuits to decode SD or HD, respectively.  Broadcom emphasized the integration of the RVU Alliance remote user interface (RUI) specs, designed to provide “pixel accurate” consistency across a consumer’s networked audio/video devices.

Broadcom’s SoC platform includes a DLNA client, enabling consumers to locate and access digital content anywhere on their home network and move or stream it between DLNA-connected devices.  It also supports IP over TV, Adobe Flash, Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) and the CEA-2014 standard (which, as per the CEA website: “defines the necessary mechanisms to allow a user interface to be remotely displayed on and controlled by devices or control points other than the one hosting the logic”).

Broadcom’s media advisory cited a DisplaySearch study indicating more than 120 million CRT sets still in service in the US and over 150 million in Western Europe.  Of those existing CRT TVs in North America, the data indicates 80% are analog only.

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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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