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3D TV in your home

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slaneman:
Panasonic's 3-D HDTV Among CEATEC Highlights
Steve Smith -- TWICE, 10/6/2009

Chiba City, Japan - Panasonic's 50-inch FullHD 3-D plasma display was one of several themes - including eco-technology and networking in the home and beyond - being highlighted at its booth at CEATEC Japan 2009, held through Oct. 10 at the Makuhari Messe.

Panasonic
One of several Panasonic HD 3D TV displays at its CEATEC booth
Panasonic emphasized its ecological products throughout the home, as well as its Viera Link networking that connects the TV to a wide variety of electronics and appliances in the home, car and all areas of life.

Those themes were also detailed in the opening day keynote on Tuesday by Fumio Ohtsubo, president of Panasonic.

Panasonic's prototype 50-inch 1080p 3-D plasma display, which uses active shutter glasses that enable the viewing of theater-quality images, is set to reach the market next year. No pricing information was offered, but during a press seminar on the technology, Panasonic executives said it would be tagged for a consumer audience. Possible screen sizes have not been decided upon as yet.

The company noted that its new high-speed 3-D drive technology, which Panasonic claims enables rapid illumination of pixels while maintaining brightness, uses crosstalk reduction technology to minimize double-images that occur when left- and right-eye images are alternately displayed.

Panasonic highlighted its work with Hollywood studious to develop its FullHD 3-D technology, which it said works best with plasma displays.

The company noted that unlike analog TV or HDTV, broadcasters will not play a key role in introducing the new format. A 3-D-capable Blu-ray Disc drive, also set for next year and also without a suggested retail as yet, will play the premier role in introducing 3-D.

To reproduce 3-D images, Panasonic uses the FullHD x 2 frame sequential method that displays 1,920 by 1,080-pixel images for the left and right eyes on the display frame by frame.

Ohtsubo's CEATEC keynote Tuesday emphasized the company's "Eco Ideas" plan to introduce products and systems that will cut energy consumption for every A/V, IT or appliance used; create technology with fuel cells and solar power; and store energy - namely electricity - via lithium-ion batteries.

Comparing this time to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century and the Information Revolution of the 20th, Ohtsubo said, "The 21st century needs a great revolution to realize sustainable growth and break our dependence on oil."

He noted that Panasonic must produce "products and services, and manufacturing must suit the values of the new era - to enrich lives in a sustainable way."

Ohtsubo said, "‘Eco' will be the center of all our activities" from now on. That will be part of "all of our products and services offered ... and the implementation of business practices that minimize environmental impact."

Among the prototypes discussed by Ohtsubo at the Panasonic booth is an AC/DC hybrid wiring system using electricity from fuel cells or solar power that will lose less power. An "intelligent" home energy system management system was shown using mounted sensors to reduce energy waste and make the home more comfortable. And EVERLEDS LED bulbs are being displayed that use less energy and are just as effective as today's traditional lightbulbs.

Also on display was Viera Link, which, via a Viera TV, can share programming and information in the kitchen, the den, bedroom, study room and outdoors via car navigation systems, mobile phones, Blu-ray decks, home security products, HD camcorders and digital cameras. Content from Blu-ray, the Web, cable, satellite or terrestrial broadcasts can be moved and shared that way.

slaneman:
3D Consortium Releases Displays Documents
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 11/30/2009
San Jose, Calif. - The 3D@Home Consortium, dedicated to speeding the advancement of 3D technology into the home, recently released two documents, ST4-01 3D Glossary and ST4-02 3D Technology Family Tree Poster, aimed at defining and documenting emerging technologies that enable 3D to the home.

The two documents are geared toward industry professionals and were developed by the consortium's Steering Team 4 (ST4), which was tasked with identifying issues around 3D displays and associated hardware.

The 3D@Home Consortium said it is making the documents available to 3D industry professionals to provide a common framework for communication and facilitate industry advancement

The terms included in the 3D Glossary represent a comprehensive listing of the terminology used in the technology and business of 3D.

"The document provides more up-to-date and accurate definitions than any other source since it was developed from inputs provided by 3D@Home members who represent all aspects of the 3D supply chain from content creation to display," said Chris Chinnock, the ST4 leader. "Industry professionals will find the 3D Glossary an authoritative and useful reference tool in communicating regarding technical issues and products."

The glossary is available via the consortium's Web site. (see link below)

The 3D Technology Family Tree poster is a graphical representation of the relationships between 3D display technologies and required eyewear, if necessary.

The poster was originally released as an insert to the Motion Imaging Journal of the Society for Motion Pictures and Television Engineers and is also now available for purchase via the internet. 



3D geeks can keep up to date here:

http://www.3dathome.org/

slaneman:
BDA Completes 3D Blu-ray Spec
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 12/17/2009
Los Angeles - The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3D" specification.

The specification, which was assembled by Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, will enable the development products to play and display 3D movies and videos from Blu-ray Discs on HD TV sets in the home.

"Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D," stated Victor Matsuda, BDA global promotions committee chairman. "We believe this demand for 3D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3D experience to the living room."

The "Blu-ray 3D" specification ensures uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software.

Most specifically, it will allow every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, for the highest image quality available.

The specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes, the BDA said.

"From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home," said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. "The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution."

The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D, according to a statement from the association.

Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world.

"In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced," said Matsuda.  "We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment."

The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players.

MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50 percent overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players.

The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.

The association said the specification will be available shortly to enable individual manufacturers and content providers to have "the technical information and guidelines to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables."

slaneman:
ESPN to launch first 3D channel for home TV

By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York

Published: January 5 2010 19:07 | Last updated: January 5 2010 23:58

ESPN, the sports network owned by Walt Disney, will launch the first 3D television channel this summer in the US, in a further sign that a technology which has revolutionised Hollywood is heading for homes.

The channel – which will start with live coverage of the World Cup in South Africa, followed by US college sports – is the first of several forays into 3D by broadcasters banking on the format to spur growth in an industry battered by declining advertising revenues.

ESPN’s move came as Sony, Imax and Discovery Communications unveiled plans to launch a 3D channel broadcasting films, rock concerts and children’s shows in the US in 2011.

“The momentum for 3D has been shockingly quick,” Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s chief executive, told the FT. “Suddenly everybody’s wearing [3D] glasses.”

Avatar, James Cameron’s science fiction epic, is the latest and most successful example of 3D’s success in cinemas, having earned more than $1bn (£625m) at the global box office in a few weeks. Consumers have been willing to pay a premium for 3D films and broadcasters hope they will also pay up for the experience at home.

Companies such as ESPN have run trials for two years, but have had to wait for manufacturers to produce 3D-ready sets. That has now happened, with Sony, Samsung and LG Electronics models available.

Sean Bratches, executive vice president of sales and marketing at ESPN, said the launch was a “meaningful step to drive adoption of 3D television sets”.

Sir Howard said Sony saw the 3D drive as a further vindication of its backing of the Blu-Ray high definition DVD format, which has the capacity to support 3D.

Sony, Imax and Discovery will be equal partners in a venture with its own management. The channel will carry the companies’ own content, including older 2D programming converted to 3D, and programming from third parties.

Much as with high-definition television, analysts say the market for 3D-ready TV sets made by Sony and its competitors will take off only once there is a sufficient range of content available to view on the sets.

Sony, Imax and Discovery have held preliminary discussions with cable and satellite distributors, but plans for 3D advertising are at a very early stage.

Sony, which owns Sony Music and the Playstation video games franchise, said it would also supply music and game-related 3D content to the venture.

Brad:
Now if they would only put something on TV worth watching. The last thing we need is The Biggest Loser in 3D.  :o

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