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Broadcast Engineering on 3-D
Archive for May, 2010
by Michael Grotticelli May 25th, 2010
 James Cameron, who stimulated the current 3-D craze with the box office success of “Avatar,” says there will be “3-D TVs all around us.” So, what do the creative minds in Hollywood really think of 3-D technology? It depends upon whom you ask.
Director James Cameron, whose blockbuster “Avatar” set off the current 3-D frenzy, told TV producers last week to put aside their worries about higher production costs and embrace 3-D technology. He even extols the technology for home viewing.
They’d do well to listen, because “Avatar” and three other 3-D movies since then have accounted for more than a third (33 percent) of the total box office earnings, according to the International 3D Society. These movies will make it to the home at some point, but it’s clear that more content is needed to get those few early adopters of 3-D TV sets to boast to their friends, is how these things are sold.
“We’re going to have 3-D TVs all around us … and we’re going to need thousands of hours of sports, comedy and music and all kinds of entertainment,” Cameron said at a technology forum in Seoul, South Korea. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, Broadcast, Directors, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron
Related Topics: Application, Film, News, Post Production |
by Michael Grotticelli May 24th, 2010
 Today, side-by-side stereoscopy is the most widely accepted method for delivering 3-D video. When one considers 3-D imaging, there is a lot of history and a striking array of methods and technologies to consider. The first 3-D imaging dates back to 1844, when the Scottish inventor and writer David Brewster introduced the stereoscope, a device that could take photographic pictures in 3-D. Through fits and starts, 3-D has had a long and convoluted history that is still far from unresolved.
In the 1950s, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3-D movies were produced. The first was “Bwana Devil” from United Artists, which could be seen all across the United States in 1952. Subsequently, TV stations began airing 3-D serials based on the same technology as 3-D movies. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, content, history, stereoscopy, viewing
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, Film, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 19th, 2010
 Nine Network Australia and SBS are both participating in a two-month trial of the terrestrial 3-D TV service, which will be available in seven major Australian cities. Australia is ready to broadcast the 2010 World Cup Tournament live in 3-D from South Africa after conducting a successful trial this morning across the country. The over-the-air broadcasts originated from the Gore Hill transmission site on the north shore of Sydney, in New South Wales. It’s not clear how many 3-D TV sets have been sold in Australia, but there are plans for public viewings at specially equipped theaters and sports bars.
The first live 3-D TV broadcast will take place May 26, when a State of Origin rugby match will be played in Sydney. This will be followed by two more State of Origin rugby matches and up to 15 World Cup soccer matches until the trial ends in mid-July. In the meantime, demonstration 3-D content will be broadcast from the Gore Hill site. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, Australia, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Broadcast, Broadcast Australia, Nine network, SBS, terrestrial, World Cup
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 17th, 2010
 Comcast brought the 2010 Masters golf tournament to TV screens in 3-D in April. Despite the naysayers, the momentum behind 3-D TV to the home continues to build as TV service providers appear to see it as a competitive edge. Last week Comcast — one of the nation’s largest cable TV service operator with roughly 23.5 million subscribers in 39 states — said it would carry ESPN’s new stereoscopic 3-D channel as part of its digital service. This followed news (in March) by DirecTV that it would also carry the 3-D content from the World Cup (beginning June 11) and beyond.
Like the early days of HDTV, service providers appear desperate to attract or retain subscribers with any gimmick they can conjure up. Maybe 3-D will reduce the dreaded “churn?” Beyond the World Cup event, ESPN has promised to make a total of 100 events available in 3-D on demand via both Comcast and DirecTV. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, Comcast Corp., DIRECTV, ESPN, Sony, World Cup
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 10th, 2010
 The 3-D version of “Avatar” won’t be released until 2011. Panasonic and Samsung have delivered the first models of 3-D TV sets to retail stories, and Sony will release several models soon. As an early adopter who wants to experiment with 3-D, let’s say you buy one.
Now comes the problem: What do you watch?
For most of this year, and much like the early days of HDTV, the answer is: not much. The reviews regarding 3-D TVs are based largely upon a single demo reel of 3-D content — just clips, not even a entire movie. This was the case throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center during the recent NAB Show. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, content, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, Film, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 7th, 2010
 Jannick Rolland, a professor at the University of Central Florida’s School of Optics said watching 3-D content could put a strain on your eyes if the system is not well-implemented. Three-dimensional TV is being introduced into the marketplace with very few short-term studies and no long-term studies about the technology’s effect on the health of viewers.
Last month, Samsung issued a warning about possible health effects associated with 3-D TV, including altered vision, lightheadedness and even stroke or epileptic seizure. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington have published papers that found that visual disparities in 3-D TV images can put physical strain on viewers.
Many questions remain regarding the one-size-fits all approach that has to be taken for mass audiences to enjoy the 3-D experience, Jannick Rolland, a professor at the University of Central Florida’s School of Optics, told EETimes. Rolland is known as a pioneer in virtual reality studies.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, experience, health issues, University of California, viewing
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, Film, Infrastructure, Products |
by Angela Snell May 6th, 2010
 In January, Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX announced they would collaborate to create the first 24/7 3-D TV network in the United States. In January, Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX announced they would collaborate to create the first 24/7 3-D TV network in the United States. I recently talked with John Honeycutt, executive vice president and head of international business operations for Discovery, to learn more about the technology behind the 3-D network.
Building out a 3-D TV network
From a distribution point of view, Discovery Communications will provide network origination services from its Sterling, VA, facility that services Discovery, TLC, all of the owned Discovery Networks and BBC America. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D TV, DIRECTV, Discovery Communications, ESPN, IMAX, Panasonic, Sony
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, Infrastructure, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 5th, 2010
 To film critic Roger Ebert, 3-D is a “waste of a perfectly good dimension.” It was 1986 when a young fan approached Roger Ebert in a video store in Hollywood, CA, to ask why he didn’t review laser videodiscs on TV. Ebert, ever curious, said he’d never heard of laser video but was interested in learning about it. A few hours later, with an address provided by the fan, Ebert was in the offices of the Voyager Company getting a demo.
The rest, they say, was history. “Siskel and Ebert,” the biggest movie review show on TV at the time, began reviewing laser discs, and the pre-DVD technology took off. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3DTV, critic, perspective, Roger Ebert
Related Topics: Application, Film, News |
by Michael Grotticelli May 4th, 2010
 Panasonic said the U.S. unit allocation for the VT25 sold out in just over one week, which is a good sign for early sales of 3-D TV set models. While many might not agree with the Consumer Electronics Association’s sales predictions of 1 million to 2 million 3-D TV sets to be sold this year, there’s at least one true believer.
Citing higher than expected demand, Panasonic has announced plans to increase production of its 3-D HDTV sets after only a month of sales. The Panasonic VT25, the company’s first 3-D model, got “a very strong reaction,” said Hirotoshi Uehara, the head of Panasonic’s consumer TV business.
Although it would not provide specific numbers, Panasonic said the U.S. unit allocation for the VT25 sold out in just over one week, which a good sign for early sales of 3-D TV set models and an indication that at least some early adopters are willing to buy a new set so soon after they’ve purchased a new HDTV set. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3D TV sets, Panasonic, sales, VT25
Related Topics: Application, Broadcast, News, Products |
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Michael Grotticelli is writer and editor of Broadcast Engineering’s “Beyond the Headlines” and “Sports Technology Update” e-newsletters. Each week, he provides a fresh perspective on the latest in 3-D technologies and innovations as well as report on real-world applications of 3-D in the broadcast, professional video and film industries.
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