Menu

CES 2013: 3D Design Made Easy with Leonar3Do Solutions

By
January 8, 2013

Graphic artists and design engineers will be interested in the Leonar3Do for ART immersive 3D interactive toolkit. The program is easy to learn and facilitates intuitive, real-time design, and saves to standard, 3ds or stl files that are exportable to other programs (including Autodesk 3DS Max). The company is also introducing its 3D app builder software, Vimensio, and its latest hardware innovation, HelloVR, which replaces the 2D mouse with your smartphone. Continue reading CES 2013: 3D Design Made Easy with Leonar3Do Solutions

CES 2013: UltraViolet Supporters Choose Dolby Digital Plus

By
January 7, 2013

Dolby revealed that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will encode movies and TV programs in the UltraViolet Common File Format using Dolby Digital Plus. According to Dolby, in addition to new UltraViolet releases, there are also plans to go back to offer Dolby Digital Plus with certain UltraViolet titles that have already been made available. Continue reading CES 2013: UltraViolet Supporters Choose Dolby Digital Plus

CEA Study Indicates U.S. Adoption of 3D TV on the Rise

By
January 7, 2013

Approximately 21 percent of U.S. homes now have a 3D-capable television set, after 5.6 million sets were sold in 2012, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. While 3D TV sales have fallen short of industry’s hopes, video viewing in 3D is on the rise, with 42 percent of 3D-capable HDTV owners watching at least five hours per week. “Consumer interest in 3D TVs and 3D content continues to grow as ownership rates increase,” says Kevin Tillmann, a senior research analyst at CEA. Continue reading CEA Study Indicates U.S. Adoption of 3D TV on the Rise

CES 2013: DECE Counts 9 Million UltraViolet Account Holders

By
January 6, 2013

Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem’s UltraViolet launched in October 2011 and at the 2013 International CES, attendees can expect to hear news and updates from consortium members about the rollout, support and its Common File Format. A booth located in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center will offer live demonstrations and an opportunity for CES attendees to register for UltraViolet accounts. Continue reading CES 2013: DECE Counts 9 Million UltraViolet Account Holders

CES 2013: A Look at Some of the More Interesting Predictions

By
January 6, 2013

A favorite pastime of analysts in recent years has been attempting to forecast what will prove to be the top trends emerging from the annual International CES confab in Las Vegas. Of course, this year is no different, as consumer electronics continue to branch out from purely an interest of the technorati, become more intrinsically tied to our lifestyles and subsequently draw more mainstream media attention. As we get ready to hit the show floor when the exhibition opens its doors tomorrow, we take a look at some of the more interesting forecasts recently published. (One of our favorite pastimes is discovering who will be right and who will end up missing the mark.) Continue reading CES 2013: A Look at Some of the More Interesting Predictions

CES 2013: Head-Mounted Displays and Wearable Tech

By
January 4, 2013

The interest in 3D entertainment and augmented reality has inspired numerous new head-mounted displays and wearable technology. Using Bluetooth technology and wireless connections to offload processing, these displays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have similar aims: to create an immersive entertainment experience or overlay relevant information onto our surroundings. We expect to see some compelling new products at CES. Continue reading CES 2013: Head-Mounted Displays and Wearable Tech

First 3D Photo Booth Turns People Into Action Figures for $250

By
December 30, 2012

Creative lab Party is reinventing the photo booth. From now until January 14, 2013, consumers in Harajuku, Tokyo who have an extra 15 minutes and $250 can get striking miniature models of themselves. “It’s a reservations-only combination 3D scanner and printer that won’t just capture a flat face shot, but a head-to-toe, 360-degree, topographically accurate rendition of you,” reports Fast Company. Continue reading First 3D Photo Booth Turns People Into Action Figures for $250

Editor Tim Squyres Talks Challenges of CG Tigers and 3D for Life of Pi

By
December 21, 2012

Tim Squyres has worked as director Ang Lee’s editor for two decades, helping Lee to create films such as “Hulk,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Caution,” “Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and most recently, the 3D spectacle “Life of Pi.” The Academy Award nominated editor spoke to The Verge about the new film as well as technological advances in editing. Squyres says he’s seen the finished “Life of Pi” 30 to 50 times because movies are produced in so many different forms: “3D, 2D, IMAX, film, 2D digital, 2D film, and for audio there are 7.1, 5.1, Dolby Atmos, near-field for TV speakers, and more,” he said. Continue reading Editor Tim Squyres Talks Challenges of CG Tigers and 3D for Life of Pi

Virtual Holographic 3D: zSpace Display Technology from Infinite Z

By
December 21, 2012

A new display technology called zSpace by California-based Infinite Z allows users to “feel” 3D images by tracking user’s eyes and hand movement. The technology can also create effects where users can move their heads around 3D video objects to see what is behind them. “The zSpace display could be revolutionary for designers and animators, but could also inspire innovation in computer gaming and augmented reality,” writes Technology Review. Continue reading Virtual Holographic 3D: zSpace Display Technology from Infinite Z

CES 2013: Display Tech Expected to Highlight UHD and Connectivity

By
December 20, 2012

Engadget provides an overview of what it expects we’ll see at CES in early January in regards to display technologies. “The list of tech we’re expecting to see (Ultra HD — aka 4K/8K, OLED, connected TV and second screen interaction) is almost an exact mirror of the high-profile launches from last year’s show,” suggests the post. “The good news, however, is that there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that this is the year we’ll actually see the technology become available and/or more useful in our daily lives.” Continue reading CES 2013: Display Tech Expected to Highlight UHD and Connectivity

High Frame Rate 3D Version of The Hobbit is Insanely Gorgeous

By
December 12, 2012
  • Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” shot in 48-frames-per-second HD, “looks nothing like you’ve ever seen before,” writes Wired. “In the 48-frames-per-second version… Middle-earth in 3D looks so crisp it’s like stepping into the foreground of an insanely gorgeous diorama.”
  • The movie will also be released December 14 in standard 24-frames-per-second, but the HFR 3D version allows for more precise images and smoother 3D action because it doubles the “visual data” and decreases blur during quick camera motions.
  • While the 48-frames-per-second approach is great for action sequences, Wired questions its effectiveness during naturalistic scenes. “The flicker, depth of field and imperfect ‘grain’ that lends character to 35-millimeter film historically fostered a collective dreamlike state for audiences who gathered in the dark to lose themselves in images that were never intended to exactly replicate the ‘real’ world.”
  • “In delivering the kind of high-def detail by which every wrinkle gets full attention, fast frame takes getting used to,” suggests the article. “At times, scenes unfold as if part of an extravagantly well-lit, art-directed reality-based series or soap opera.”
  • The 48-frames-per-second method combined with 3D almost makes the film seem something beyond real, suggests Wired, and definitely takes some adjustment for people used to watching standard film.

Leap Motion Develops Gesture Control to Challenge Touchscreens

By
December 11, 2012
  • While computer makers are focused on adding touchscreen capabilities to desktops, Leap Motion has created a $70 matchbox-sized device that adds gesture control to computers, essentially negating the need for touchscreens.
  • The technology uses two small cameras and multiple infrarad LEDs to track the motion of a person’s fingers with an accuracy of a hundredth of a millimeter, Technology Review reports. The second camera is used to prevent errors from a hand obscuring itself. All the processing is done by a drive software installed on the computer.
  • According to Leap Motion co-founder and CEO Michael Buckwald, “Leap provides the solution to ‘gorilla arm,’ a term used to describe the dubious ergonomics of a person repeatedly lifting his or her hands from the keyboard or mouse and reaching out to operate a computer’s touch screen,” the article states. “Users of Leap’s device can lift their hands just slightly off the keyboard and make more economic gestures with their fingers.”
  • “If you’re controlling a cursor [with Leap], you don’t have to move one-to-one with the screen, like you do with touch,” says Buckwald, so small motions translate to larger movements on screen, making interaction faster than using a mouse and keyboard.
  • “We’re working with lots of consumer OEMs and for laptops but also automotive and medical companies,” he adds. In the future, the technology will be applied to mobile devices as well as new technology such as head-mounted displays. Leap Motion anticipates the technology will one day enable complex 3D interactions.
  • Pre-production versions of the device have been sent to developers who have created various applications for the interface, including a aircraft game and photo-browsing program. The post includes an impressive video featuring these uses and others.

New Acer Monitor and Projector Auto-Converts 2D to 3D on the Fly

By
December 5, 2011
  • Acer has introduced a home theater projector and 27-inch monitor that can show 3D content from Blu-ray players, camcorders and smartphones.
  • Both devices can also add 3D features to 2D content, according to the company.
  • “Not only can you enjoy 3D movies and other multimedia content at 1080p full HD on both devices, you can also see get your 2D content automatically enhanced with 3D effects without any additional software,” reports ZDNet.
  • The new monitor requires that users wear polarized (passive, no batteries necessary) 3D glasses, while the Acer projector requires Active Shutter 3D glasses (that require charging).
  • The 3D projector is priced at $1,999 and the monitor is available for $599. One pair of glasses is included in each purchase.

Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment Opens History of 3D Exhibit

By
December 2, 2011
  • Downtown Oakland’s new Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) will open its first exhibit “The History of 3D” tomorrow, December 3.
  • According to the museum’s site: “The MADE is a center and museum dedicated to activities that engage participants with all forms of digital art and entertainment. The museum’s primary purpose will be to educate the public about the artistry, craftsmanship and inspiration that go into the creation of videogames and digital works of art, such as programatic visual/audio demonstrations.”
  • ABC affiliate News10 reports: “Using the crowd funding site Kickstarter.com, the museum raised $20,000 to secure the new location.”
  • The new exhibit will focus on “the history of 3D in games and will feature playable demonstrations of games displayed.”
  • “3D is such a broad topic in video games. Our exhibit creators, Jason Cutler and Nealon Leadbetter evaluated hundreds of games and types of 3D, from voxels to vectors, from pre-rendered sprites to normal mapped polygons,” explains director of the MADE Alex Handy. “They’ve chosen a wonderfully varied set of examples from the rich history of video gaming on consoles and computers. We hope this exhibition inspires the next generation of game developers, both young and old.”
  • ETCentric staffer Phil Lelyveld adds: “This is the seed of a great resource. ETC member companies may want to make product donations!”

If Consumers Do Not Care about 3D, Why are 3D TV Sales on the Rise?

By
November 29, 2011
  • According to the DisplaySearch unit of The NPD Group, 6.6 million 3D TV sets were shipped in the third quarter of 2011, up 27 percent from the previous quarter.
  • The research firm expects shipments to increase 30 percent this quarter, for a total of 21.5 million units in 2011.
  • However, DisplaySearch suggests a “lack of 3D content and services” means buyers are mostly watching 2D video.
  • Additionally, Nielsen released a study last year suggesting consumers were reluctant to wear 3D glasses and nearly 90 percent said that viewing 3D TV would get in the way of checking e-mail or Web surfing while watching television.
  • The article suggests that marketing and aggressive pricing has made the difference. “Television vendors have been pushing 3D sets on customers all year,” reports CNET. “In fact, companies such as Samsung, Vizio, and Panasonic, among others, have made 3D a key component in a large number of their televisions, making it harder and harder to find sets that don’t come with 3D support.”

Top Stories
More News