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Broadcast Engineering on 3-D
Archive for the ‘Acquisition’ Category
by Michael Grotticelli April 26th, 2011
 Bexel and 3ality helped set up and capture the half-court basketball showcase between the Central and South Halls, which was transmitted to the 3D Fusion booth on the show floor. New York City-based 3D Fusion used a live basketball game outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the NAB Show to demonstrate its new 3DFMax autosteroscopic transmission system, which allows viewers to watch live 3-D images without special glasses. The 3-D platform, which is designed to mimic the way the eye sees, addresses the entire production chain, from live camera capture and control room engineering to viewer display. The company also makes a 3DFMax system that requires 3-D glasses. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, 3Ality Digital, 3D Fusion, 3DFMax, autostereoscopic, Bexel, glasses-free, live demos, transmission
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, News |
by Michael Grotticelli April 26th, 2011
 The PMW-TD300 3-D camcorder features a twin optical lens equipped with three half-inch CMOS Exmor sensors for each eye view. It was another year for new 3-D cameras at the NAB Show as major video manufacturers tackle the production issues and high costs that have been plaguing producers of 3-D content for TV and motion pictures. Counting those introduced last year, there are now literally dozens of options to choose from.
The industry as a whole is clamoring for operator-friendly, light and single-body production equipment that can replicate the 2-D HD production experience, and there was clear evidence this year that vendors understand the requirements and are working to make cost-effective production a reality. Here are a few notable cameras that were presented at this year’s show. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3D, cameras, FOR-A, JVC, Medusa, Panasonic, production, Sony
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, Film, Products, Professional video |
by Michael Grotticelli April 10th, 2011
 Element Technica’s Pulsar is engineered to stereoscopically mount midsized and box-style digital cameras. Gregg Katano and Ajay Relan, the creative team behind Hi-Ground Media, and producer/director Wayne Miller, of Action 3D Productions, used the Pulsar 3-D camera rig from Element Technica to capture “Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution.” Shot in Virgin, UT, the project captures the story of five top riders from around the world, competing at the world’s most extreme freestyle mountain biking event.
“The location was in the rugged, dusty mountains of Virgin, UT, in close proximity to Zion Park,” said Katano, executive producer and Hi-Ground founder. “The ride began at about 6000ft, and the rugged, rocky terrain required us to move cameras/rigs into position each day via SUVs and manpower.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, camera rig, Element Technica, Hi-Ground Media, Pulsar, Red Bull Rampage
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Film, News, Post Production |
by Michael Grotticelli April 9th, 2011
 The Panasonic AG-3DA1 provides a light and easy alternative to larger, more expensive 3-D rigs. Production company Break Media is using Panasonic’s HD 3-D camcorder for a new 3-D video channel on http://www.Break.com/, which launched in July 2010. The company’s in-house production team, the Break Media Creative Lab, shot more than 150 videos with the professional 3-D camcorder last year and plans to shoot more than 1000 original videos by the end of this year, all in 3-D with the AG-3DA1.
The Break Media Creative Lab is producing a lineup of original 3-D web series that include X3D, an extreme sports series with skateboarding, Motocross, BMX and MMA videos; Scare3D!, a horror series that presents the viewer with a new frightening scenario each week; and Life in 3D, which takes a unique look at everyday objects and surroundings and exposes them in all their 3-D glory. Break also uses the Panasonic 3DA1 to create branded video content. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, AG-3DA1, Break Media, cameras, Internet, Panasonic, Web
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, News |
by Michael Grotticelli March 21st, 2011
 The P+S Technik Freestyle Rig enabled the crew to be discreet and get the best possible shots when on stage. While the Montreaux Jazz Festival occurred last summer, a new firsthand report on shooting 3-D with a Steadicam at the event has been published in the P+S Technik newsletter.
Jason Lord-Castle, Freestyle Rig technician at On Sight, a UK-based production company, described his experiences using the P+S Technik Freestyle Rig Evo, equipped with two Sony P1 cameras, C-Motion lens control and a matched pair of DigiPrimes recording to an SRW-1 deck via fiber-optic cable.
Lord-Castle said the main reason for choosing this setup was to keep the weight down because it was essentially the on-stage Steadicam rig, and it also helped reduce setup time during a lens change.
“Throughout the festival, we had to film many high-profile bands and artists, from Herbie Hancock to Quincy Jones,” Lord-Castle said. “The Freestyle Rig enabled us to be discreet and get the best possible shots when on stage with these iconic artists while giving us the freedom to use the Steadicam as it is intended.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, beamsplitter rig, C-Motion, cameras, deck, DP, Evo, Freestyle Rig, HD, Montreaux Jazz Festival, on-set, P+S Technik, production, Sony, SRW-1
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, News, Products |
by Michael Grotticelli March 17th, 2011
 Two RED EPIC cameras on a 3Ality Digital TS-5 rig are providing “all the benefits of a (stereographic) 3-D picture on a 2-D schedule,” according to director of photography John Schwartzman. Productions pros are staring to figure out how to shoot 3-D the way they like to: not limited by the equipment. John Schwartzman, an award-winning cinematographer and the director of photography on the latest “The Amazing Spiderman” production, which hits 3-D screens July 3, 2012, wanted up-close and personal shots, and he wouldn’t use a heavy handheld 3-D rig until it was small enough to allow his crew to work like they do shooting in 2-D.
For Schwartzman, smaller and lighter is better on set; it allows him to “maintain the actor’s eyeline.” That’s why chose to shoot with a pair of RED EPIC cameras on a small mirror rig from 3Ality Digital. The entire rig weighs about the same as a typical film camera with accessories, and it can be used wirelessly, so directors of photography don’t feel constrained. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, 3Ality Digital, beamsplitter rig, cameras, cinematographer, DP, Epic, John Schwartzman, on-set, production, Red Digital, The Amazing Spiderman, TS-5
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Film, Products |
by Michael Grotticelli March 8th, 2011
 ESPN 3D will expand its live coverage of the 2011 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. ESPN will expand its live coverage of the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club with 10 hours additional of programming on the ESPN 3D network. This includes two hours from all four rounds of tournament. ESPN has televised the Par 3 Contest and first and second rounds of the Masters Tournament since 2008.
ESPN 3D’s live Masters telecasts begin with the Par 3 Contest April 6. Last April, the Masters became one of the first major sporting events produced and broadcast in live 3-D internationally on TV and the Internet. Read the rest of this entry »
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, News |
by Michael Grotticelli March 8th, 2011
 MPEG-4 encoders like the Ericsson 8900 series have proved valuable in moving 3-D content between production facilities. While many frame-compatible formats are used to send two 3-D images to consumer TV sets, the data rates at which these images are transmitted has to be carefully managed to ensure that the images are in sync. This is usually done inside an on-site production truck or within a remote headend facility using MPEG-4 encoding, because of its higher efficiency when compared to the more established MPEG-2,and a complementary multiplexer. Add another 2-D HD feed to the backhaul, however, and things can really get interesting. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: compression, conversion, efficiency, encoders, Ericsson, file sizes, frame compatible, Harris, MPEG-2 file format, MPEG-4, multiplexers
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, Infrastructure |
by Michael Grotticelli February 22nd, 2011
 Fans in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Mexico got to see their favorite NBA stars in 3-D thanks to Sensio. Sensio Technologies worked with the NBA to present a live broadcast of the recent NBA All-Star Weekend festivities, including the 60th NBA All-Star Game, in 3-D to theaters around the world.
Using its 3D Live Network (a worldwide collection of cinema operators) and display technology, Sensio helped distribute the Saturday and Sunday broadcasts in more than 100 theaters. The game was presented in Sensio Hi-Fi 3D, the frame-compatible format that enhances the originally captured images, according to the company. Read the rest of this entry »
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, Infrastructure, News, Products |
by Michael Grotticelli February 22nd, 2011
 To conserve effort (and equipment), ESPN broadcast boxing live in both 2-D and 3-D using the left-eye feed from the 3-D production for the 2-D telecast. ESPN has led the way in 3-D production, producing (or helping to produce) a variety of football and X Games telecasts in an effort to provide content for its 24/7 3-D channel as well as pioneer a technology that it feels enhances sports broadcasting for viewers in ways HD can’t quite measure up to.
In the process, the network has tried to reduce the costs involved with 3-D production to make it practical. Last fall Jonathan Pannaman, ESPN’s senior director of technology, told a sports conference in Europe that the network was looking into new production techniques to develop a viable business model. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 3-D, boxing, ESPN, Friday Night Fights, Pace, simulcast, Sony, telecast
Related Topics: Acquisition, Application, Broadcast, News |
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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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