"MEDIA: 3D Movies Come to Sony PS3 and Apple Mac"

Next3D is delivering stereoscopic 3D high-definition programming to Sony PS3 game consoles and Apple computers. Using the free downloadable player software with shutter glasses enables full 1080p 3D high-definition movies to be played on PS3's, XBOX 360's and Macs. Next3D delivers the 3D content over the Internet using a broadband connection to your computer or game console. Premium movis are pay-per-view and includes both mainstream 3D movies from the major studios, as well as movies originally produced for Imax 3D theaters.

Next3D will also offer user-created content channels for independent producers as well as bullitenboards where stereo photographers can post and share 3D videos and photographs. The Next3D Movie Player is free to consumers on every supported platform, including the XBOX 360, PS3 and Mac, as well as 3D-ready TVs from Sony, LG, Mitsubishi and JVC.

Former President of Coca-Cola and Turner Broadcasting, Steven J. Heyer, recently joined Next3D as Chairman. Heyer's international reputation as an operations/marketing executive and brand builder spans the entertainment, advertising, communications, and hospitality industries.

"I've looked at all the companies in the 3D space, and Next3D is best positioned to become the market leader with a combination of technology, strategic partnerships, first-mover advantage, and a great team to assure solid execution," said Heyer in a prepared statement.

"HARDWARE: IMAX 3D Cameras Return to Space"

The recent Hubble Space Telescope repair mission lugged along a 3D camera
The astronauts operated the 3D IMAX cameras to record the five intricate and difficult spacewalks required to service Hubble. That IMAX footage will be combined with a slideshow of the Hubbles best photographs of distant galaxies, nebula and other celestial objects. The mission is supported by IMAX Corporation, NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration) and Warner Bros.

The resulting film will add to IMAX's 3D compendium of space films and will debut in the Spring of 2010. The Hubble's gripping story, in 3D, will give audiences a front row seat in one of the world's most immersive cinematic experiences.

The IMAX team visited the Johnson Space Center and instructed the Atlantis crew on how to film a 3D movie. The Commander and Pilot will double as 3D cameramen for the two repair teams of spacewalking astronauts. Another 3D camera will be permanently mounted outside the cabin in the shuttle's cargo bay to capture images of the historic final servicing mission.

"This represents a very special moment in IMAX history in which IMAX 3D technology has been selected to document one of our nation's most anticipated technological events. The Hubble Space Telescope has benefited all of humanity with a close examination of our universe. Now we can transport audiences right there, all through the power of IMAX 3D. With this upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope will continue to provide us with many years of service and this film will continue to tell its story for years to come," said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation in a prepared statement.

"Hubble 3D will allow moviegoers to get a front row seat to see these amazing other galaxies thanks to the power of this incredible telescope. Through our partnership with IMAX, we've taken audiences to the depths of the ocean and put them in the driver's seat in NASCAR. Hubble 3D will continue this great legacy of taking audiences to places they would otherwise never get to go and will continue to inspire both young and old alike," said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures in a prepared statement.

"Hubble 3D will transport audiences to distant stars and beyond. It is one thing to look up at the heavens, but through this amazing project, audiences will be able to witness some of the most astonishing astronomical objects known to humankind, all from the comfort of an IMAX 3D theatre," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. and NASA on this project and look forward to taking moviegoers to the outer edges of our universe through these extraordinary images in IMAX 3D."

"HARDWARE: InvenSense spins first pitch-and-yaw MEMS gyro"

Creating a new category of 3-D motion sensor is a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip invented at InvenSense--the brainchild of MEMS pioneer and company founder Steve Nasiri. By detecting the natural motions made by remote control users, including both those for TVs and other consumer devices like game consoles, the new MEMS chip from InvenSense is bound to be a winner. Nintendo has already designed in an InvenSense MEMS gyro for its forthcoming MotionPlayer controller for the Wii, but the newer motion sensor from the company will enable even more intuitive and agile controller. Look for widespread use of the new chip within a year, and watch for copy-cat annoucements even sooner as other MEMS chip makers rush to play catch-up ball.-R.C.J.
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What is claimed as the world's first pitch-and-yaw MEMS gyroscope is said to be able to sense the two axes used by remote controls and baton-shaped game controllers like the Wii. The MEMS gyro chip developed by InvenSense Inc. will be used in the upcoming Wii MotionPlayer accessory. At least two chips, one mounted in-plane and one mounted vertically, are required to create a pitch-and-yaw sensor, but developer InvenSense said its ring-shaped mechanical beam enables a completely planar MEMS chip to sense both motions used in Wii-like controllers.

"HARDWARE: Philips shuts down 3D TV division"

Philips glasses-free 3D display technology had been praised by industry analysts who had seen prototypes. Unfortunately, the display could only be used for showing 3-D images due to the permanently attached lenticular lens and its 2D-plus-Depth format had little content available. Furthermore the $13,000 price tag for the new displays was too high for consumers. Philips autostereoscopic display eliminated the need for special 3-D glasses by attaching a lenticular lens to the front of a 42-inch high-definition (1,920- by 1,080-pixel) LCD panel. Philips said its Consumer Lifestyle TV business will not be affected. That unit will continue to evaluate 3-D TV technology should Philips decide to reenter the market.

"MEDIA: Monsters vs. Aliens enabled by Intel's InTru3D"

Monsters versus Aliens, the 3D animation movie, showcases Intel's InTru3D technology for the first time, and is just the first of a continuing series of 3D movies from DreamWorks Animation LLC enabled by Intel.

"InTrue3D is a major effort and alliance we have with DreamWorks--Monsters versus Aliens is just the first InTru3D movie," said Hitendra Naik, Visual Computing Marketing Manager at Intel. "InTrue3D is our trademark that consumers can see for themselves in movies that were created from the ground up using state-of-the-art technology from Intel, with DreamWorks providing the creative talent to bring 3D to theaters."

Intel's extensive involvement with 3D technologies included printing 150 million pairs of ColorCoded glasses for the recent Superbowl halftime 3D show. Intel also already had a lasting relationship with Pixar Animation Studios, to which it supplies the server farms that render Pixar animations in 3D. So when DreamWorks got started with 3D animations, they naturally came to Intel for its already proven track record in 3D.

"The key thing is that 3D adds another level of complexity to the whole process of animation, which was already demanding more and more hardware support to do accurate rendering. With 3D the work is more than doubled, since you have to process the images for the left and right eye separately," said Naik. "DreamWorks approached us at Intel in terms of their needs for hardware and technology, telling us that they knew that otherwise they were going to hit a roadblock soon."

As a result, Intel now supports DreamWorks with its server farms that performed the 3D rendering, with Monsters versus Aliens being the debut of that collaborative effort with Intel. However, Intel's InTrue3D effort is not confined to supplying the rendering engine hardware, but the company also supplied the software expertise to optimize 3D rendering on Intel's servers in the most efficient manner possible.

"The other thing that we are adding, besides the rendering hardware comes from our software services group," said Naik. "We have a team of software architects, which are working with Dreamworks on their animation and rendering pipeline to take maximum advantage of our multi-core architecture. InTrue3D is a combination of the processing power of our servers, plus the software engineering that we provide, ultimately giving the creative forces at DreamWorks the freedom to create these 3D movies."

Monters versus Aliens opens worldwide today, but is just the first of DreamWorks' 3D movies to showcase Intel's InTru3D technology. Both Pixar and DreamWorks have pledged to not only release all their future movies in both 2D and 3D formats, but to go back and re-render their animation catalog in 3D, with most existing titles to be available in 3D by 2010.

"MEDIA: Pixar/Dreamworks Releasing all Future Films in 3D"

Both DreamWorks Animation and Pixar have reported that all of their future movies will be released in 3D. Beginning in May, Pixar productions will be released in 3D at the same time astraditional 2D versions with Rapunzel, King of the Elves and Toy Story 3 all coming up soon. Pixar also said it will be re-releasing its first two Toy Story pictures in 3D versions.

"HARDWARE: World's First 3D Rig to Use Red HD Cameras"

The direct-to-video Red digital cinema camera is now available in a stereo 3D version from Liquid Pictures Inc. (Atlanta, Georgia). The world's first 3D rig to utilize Red's 4520-by-2540 pixel movie format is available in models that shoot on land, underwater, and even for macroscopic subjects. 
A team of engineers at Liquid Pictures is currently ramping up a manufacturing line as well as upgrading its 3D rig to using Red's new Epic and Scarlet models offering image widths up to 6000 pixels. Liquid Pictures is also readying models that use Sony F35, Phantom HD, and Phantom 65 cameras.

BOTTOM LINE: Direct-to-video using Red's camera don't sacrifice depth of field the way traditional video cameras do. Directors can work with the same control over how much is in focus in scenes the same way that they do with traditional film cameras. Red's cameras are also less expensive--as cheap as renting the most expensive film cameras. All these factors should encourage more 3D cinema productions

"HARDWARE: 3D-TV scheme seeks to replace regular TVs"

As TV makers ready 3-D models, a company called Dynamic Digital Depth claims its automatic 2-D-to-3-D conversion algorithms could help replace conventional TVs. Parent company DDD Group plc (Santa Monica, Calif.) argues that several dozen 3-D movie titles are not enough to persuade wary consumers to buy a dedicated 3-D display. By including automatic 2-D-to-3-D conversion for regular TV, PC games and even the user's own images, the company says 3-D TVs may be poised to eventually displace regular TVs altogether.

BOTTOM LINE: 3D technologies have come into vogue, then gone out-of-style repeatedly--even before the invention of photography. DDD is seeking to turn 3D into an enduring reality by allowing the viewer to switch it on or off at will. DDD's 2D-to-3D conversion algorithms should bridge the gap between relatively rare native 3D content today and the voracious appetite of 3D early adopters. If it can be incorporated cheaply enough, then every future TV could become 3D enabled. I believe that 3D is here to stay, but the public is fickle and in the end it will be up to viewers to support 3D by actually using the button that DDD is seeking to put on every remote control. Look for 3D TV models from every major maker by 2010, many of which will be available by Christmas 2008.

"MEDIA: Fist Full of Pixels 3D debut"

Check out this 3D music video by Fist Full of Pixels (make sure you have your red&cyan glasses).

"MEDIA:Avatar debuts in iMAX 3D"

More details are leaking out about the 3D science fiction animation called Avatar. The animated film portrays exotic life and scenery that is literally out-of-this world especially in iMAX 3D. Director of the Titanic, James Cameron, claims to have spent 10 years crating this, his latest stereoscopic movie. Weta Digital, known for its work in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "King Kong" has incorporated new computer generated image method that transforms real environments and characters into photorealistic 3D scenes rich with imaginative vistas. Avatar tells the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. An Avatar is a human mind in an alien body, and stars Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Michelle Rodriguez.

"HARDWARE: Gesture control enabled by 3-D sensor"

Emerging consumer electronics applications have prompted smart 3-D sensor chip maker Canesta Inc. to adapt its 3-D CMOS image technology from automotive applications to a new consumer version of its 3-D image processing chip. The new chip is designed to inject new features into consumer products, ranging from gesture control for TVs to chroma-key image mixing that eliminates the need for a green background screen.

"MEDIA: New 3-D TV format to be demo'd during Super Bowl"

The 3DTV format is set to make a splash in primetime during the Super Bowl and a broadcast movie. During the NFL Championship game on Sunday (Feb. 1), a new 3DTV format that renders colors more accurately will be broadcast during two 3-D commercials. On Monday, NBC will broadcast DreamWorks' "Monsters versus Aliens" in the new 3DTV format. Patented technology developed by ColorCode 3-D Center (Lyngby, Denmark) uses a new anaglyph format that enables any TV to render accurate 3-D colors when viewers use amber-blue lenses instead of the traditional red-cyan 3-D glasses. Intel Corp. (Santa Clara,. Calif.) is providing 3-D glasses that will be distributed nation-wide for use during the Super Bowl.

"HARDWARE: Alioscopy shows glasses free 3D TV"

Alioscopy Singapore Pte Ltd. also demonstated an LCD television fitted with an integral lenticular lens for glasses-free 3D. Called stereovision by the company, the Aliscopy displayed specially mixed videos combining eight different points of view. Displayed on customized LCD screens fitting an array of lenticular lenses, each eye addresses these lenses from a different angle and thus receives a different point of view in the mixed video. This results in a 3D stereo image including object coming through the stereo window protrude in front of the display, according to the company. Viewers can view the 3D images over a wide viewing angle on the 40" full HD (1920-by-1080 pixel) flat LCD panel, which provides 30 line-per-inch resolution for each of the eight stereo images.

"HARDWARE: 3D Webcam streams anaglyphs"

Dual video cameras and anaglyph processing software realize an inexpensive 3D stereoscopic webcam from Promotion & Display Technology Ltd. (PDT, Manchester, England). Called Minoru (the name of King Edward VII's horse) the 3D webcam was announced at this month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES, Jan. 8-11, 2009).

Conceived by PDT designer David Holder, Minoru won the "Fans Favorite" award at the i-stage competition--a preconference contest where companies can submit their new consumer electronic devices to a panel of judges before the actual CES. The slick molded plastic housing around Minoru makes it look like a cuddly pal akin in to a small robot with the visual appeal of ET. Holder claims the cute design is actually functional, since its appearance as akin to a person makes it more natural to look Minoru in-the-eye when using it as a webcam.

The Minoru cameras are space the same distance apart as the human eyes (about 2.5 inches) and uses a single USB cable to connect to any PC running Windows XT or Vista. Software provided with the camera converts the two images, for left and right eyes, into a single image encoded for the red and blue lenses of standard anaglyph glasses. Minoru can also be used as a normal 2D webcam or can provide a picture-in-picture image.

Minoru can be used to video chats using Windows Live Messenger, Skype, AOL instant messenger, OoVoo and other video conferencing systems. The twin CMOS image sensor-based cameras encode video data streams at 800-by-600, 640-by-480, 352-by-288 or 320-by-240 pixels per frame. A special chip inside Minoru handles the stereo video encoding at a rate of 30 frames per second. Power consumption is just 1.5 Watts or (2 milliWatts in standby mode).

Minoru 3D Webcam is available from Amazon.com for $90.

"MEDIA: 'Slasher' film projects state-of-the-art 3-D"

The first horror film to be encoded with advanced 3-D technology opens this weekend. A 3-D remake of the 1981 independent film, "My Bloody Valentine," uses RealD Cinema's stereoscopic encoding process, enabling viewers to experience state-of-the-art 3-D by wearing polarized glasses in a theater. The horror film is the first of 14 stereoscopic 3-D films to be release in 2009 using the RealD encoding process. Its developer claims a large patent portfolio of 3-D video technologies, with some of its over 150 patents dating back to the work of chief technology officer Lenny Lipton, who pioneered 3-D with his company, StereoGraphics, which was acquired by RealD in 2005.

"HARDWARE: JVC readies twin-projector 3D TV"

Japan's JVC Professional Products Company has joined forces with U.S.'s Sensio Technologies Inc. to build a high-end 3D display for the consumer market. Two JVC 1080p quality Pro projectors will handle the left- and right-eye images streaming from a media server using Sensio's proprietary decoding technology. The first demonstration of 3D projection using two JVC Pro projectors with Sensio technology was at the CEDIA Expo 2008. Partially because of the wide acceptance of the demonstration did the two companies sign a memorandum of understanding. The next joint demonstration of JVC Pro + Sensio comes during the 2009 Consumer Electronic Show next month in Las Vegas. The 3D theater solution will be sold and marketed in the United States to high end home cinemas owners by JVC Pro.

"MEDIA: Bolt debuts from Walt Disney Pictures"

Walt Disney Picture's "Bolt" opened nationwide in polarized 3D at more than 1000 theaters featuring an action-hero dog that believes he has superpowers. John Travolta is the voice of the super-dog Bolt--a dog actor whose stage life is filled with adventure, danger and suspense. Unfortunatley, he gets shipped to the wrong address--New York City instead of Los Angeles--where he finds himself having to call on those powers he has only pretended to have on stage. In his harrowing cross country journey to get back to L.A., Bolt takes on two traveling companions--a stray cat and an escaped hamster. During the journey, Bolt discovers his own canine cunning is as good as having superpowers to be a hero. Boly was produced in 3D by RealD, whose double-speed projectors alternately project the left and right eye images through orthogonal polarizers, permitting viewers to direct the correct image to the correct eye with polarized glasses. In the next three years, over 30 films in 3D are slated to be released by Disney and other popular studios.