News Stories

3-D digital video cameras on the horizon?

11.23.2010

With most flat panel TV vendors expecting to see new growth opportunities blossom from 3-D TV, the likelihood grows that 3-D image/video capturing capabilities will become a nice-to-have feature for digital video camera suppliers in the next several years.

Anticipating the trend, Ambarella, Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip vendor that specializes in low-power, high-definition video compression and image processing solutions, unveiled Monday (Nov. 22nd) a 3-D video pre-processor, called S3D. Designed to work with Ambarella’s camera SoCs such as A5 (enables 1080P30 resolution) or A7 (enables 1080P60 resolution) – announced last month, the combination will enable full HD 1080p 3-D video recording and high-resolution 3-D photography, according to the company.

The goal of the combined S3D with Ambarella’s A5 or A7 camera SoCs is to enable a consumer-friendly 3-D digital video camera – priced at less than $200 – capable of shooting 3-D video “that looks really good on 3-D TV,” said  Chris Day, vice president, marketing and business development at Ambarella.

Ambarella’s 3-D camera solution also supports the display of 3D video and still images on the camera’s 3D LCD display.

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Chris Chute, research manager at IDC, estimated that 250,000 digital cameras featuring 3-D (with two lens assemblies for capturing stereoscopic images and video) will have shipped in 2010. That number “will grow to around 6 million units in 2014, or five percent of the digital camera market,” he projected. IDC’s numbers only cover cameras — not camcorders, according to Chute.

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Asked about the most important elements for 3D cameras, IDC’s Chute pointed out “the ability to view content instantly on the device via auto stereoscopic LCD. This feature is an absolute requirement.”

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In-Stat’s Abraham, on the other hand, noted that “price will be important as it always is in consumer products.” She added, “Video quality will be as well [important] especially with some consumers saying 3D gives them headaches or nausea. The better the quality the less likely that is to happen.”

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Read the full story here: http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210925/3-D-digital-video-cameras-on-the-horizon-

A new approach to multiview autostereo display from MIT Media Lab

11.23.2010

Ramesh Raskar is giving the second keynote at the Stereoscopic Displays and Applications Conference, Jan. 24-27, 2011, in San Francisco.  His paper is entitled “Content-Adaptive Parallax Barriers and Six-Dimensional Displays: new ideas from MIT Media Lab.”

Both parallax barrier systems and the practical holographic displays are limited in that they only provide horizontal parallax.  By taking advantage of this fact, his team has developed a 6D optical system that responds to changes in viewpoint as well as changes in surrounding light.  His lenticular array alignment allows him to achieve such a system as a passive setup, omitting the need for electrical components.

Read the full, highly technical abstract, here

Read the full, highly technical abstract, here

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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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