News Stories

Sarnoff Shows New Test Patterns for 2D (and 3D?)

1.8.2010

We had a chance to catch up with Norm Hurst from Sarnoff.  The company was showing some HD test patterns that were designed to replace the NTSC color bars of old.  Norm describes the new pattern as the “Swiss Army Knife”, designed to clearly delineate flaws and artifacts in originiation, compression, and display, including audio-video sync.  It was pretty cool…for those of us who can get excited about such things.

Sarnoff Digital Video Test Pattern

Perhaps even more interesting was continuing the discussions that Phil Lelyveld and Norm had started about the potential to create 3DTV test patterns that could be used to identify and isolate problems in 3D transmission and display.  Please let us know if you’d be interested in seeing (and potentially) funding such a thing!

Valens/HDBaseT up the ante on A/V wiring

1.8.2010

Off a tip from Mitch Singer, we got a really interesting demo of a new technology from the Israeli company, Valens, that has the potential to transform multi-room video consumption in the home.  If you thought HDMI made connections simpler, wait until you see HDBaseT… The demo we saw was of a single Cat-5 ethernet cable carrying power, uncompressed 1080p video, ethernet, and control data (e.g. the ability to get access to remote control devices or even see USB devices across the network).  One connection – for POWER, the WEB, and HD Video and sound… with cable runs of up to 100M.

Picture 4

Two weeks ago, Valens, Samsung, LG and Sony Pictures announced the formation the HDBaseT Alliance to standardize and roll-out HDBaseT, which they expect to hit shelves in late 2010.

The concept is not only one of simplifying cabling and allowing for longer cable runs without amplification (e.g. vs. HDMI), but also to allow networked access to content from device-to-device in quality we have not seen before.  Of course, implementation is everything, so we’ll be interested to see how LG, Samsung & others bake it in.

HDBaseT White Paper

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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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