Archive for the ‘3D Content’ Category

No other recent technological advancement can be claimed to be as exciting and inclusive as 3D media. 3D blockbusters in the cinema, 3D sports events in pub`s and now the ability to watch 3D content from the comfort of your own home are revolutionising the way in which almost all forms on on-screen entertainment are enjoyed by people throughout the world.

With the underlying technology continuing to grow and adapt the potential for a full 3D home viewing experience can now be realised with little more than a 3D compatible television, 3D glasses and any form of 3D content. 3D content in itself is growing rapidly, with live broadcasts of sporting events now possible, accompanied by traditional television programming in 3D.

In this boom of 3D related products, it is important for the consumer to bear in mind the plethora of products available and make informed decisions as to the best decision available to them in regards to price and performance.

Designer 3D sunglasses are undoubtedly a promising innovation but may not be suitable for every consumer. Equally, projectors may be more suited to certain situations than traditional television monitors and some more suited to gaming over films. As such, it is imperative that the average consumer is aware of all the options open to them when making a purchase.

Owing to the fast paced nature of change in the industry, it also hugely important that the average consumer has the ability to weigh up any purchase`s ability to change and adapt along with the requirements of the industry. This fast paced change need not deter potential buyers, as a well made purchase could allow the user to enjoy both existing technology and future developments such as 3D gaming.

The dvd player is a hugely relevant example of a way in which a consumer can know before they buy any piece of 3D technology the capabilities of the product as well as its durability with regards to changes within the industry and advancements in usage of existing technology. Use of a service such as this would leave the 3D market place a far more open and transparent area of business and benefit not only the individual consumer but those interested in purchasing 3D technology as a whole. In terms of progress in home entertainment 3D technology is undoubtedly the shining light. It has the potential to completely revolutionise the viewing experience from a mundane everyday experiance to one that is entertaining in its own right.

Ryder Cup golfing action will be broadcasted on Sky TV in 3D. It will mark the launch of Europe’s first 3D TV channel.

While it is already golf’s most high-profile global tournament, the launch of 3D watching experience is expected to attract a wealth of new viewers to the sport. It is estimated that the global television audience will reach a billion. Precisely how many people will be able to watch 3D TV is not known. However, the UK’s largest electronics retailer, DSG International (DSGi) said 25% of the TVs in its 670 Currys and PC World stores are now 3D-enabled and, earlier this month, John Lewis announced 15% of its TV sales over 40 inches are now 3D.

To get the full 3D experience, viewers will need a new 3D-enabled TV and Sky’s high-definition package.

Also Turner Sports and The PGA of America announced that they will offer coverage of the 92nd PGA Championship in 3D on Thursday, Aug. 12 and Friday, Aug. 13, on PGA.com and through TNT’s television distributors Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, and Time Warner Cable. The 3D coverage will focus on the par-3 12th and 17th holes at Whistling Straits from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET each day. Host Vince Cellini who will be joined by 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem will provide commentary and analysis on the holes. Beem also will provide analysis throughout the weekend during PGA.com’s extensive 2D online offerings.

The 3D production will use eight cameras produced specifically for 3D that will provide a unique look at course action and give fans a one-of-a-kind visual experience to watch the world’s best golfers play the course’s challenging par-3s.

“At Turner Sports we continually look to provide the fan with an innovative viewing experience through our ability to test and explore new opportunities,” said Lenny Daniels, Turner Sports EVP and COO. “The PGA Championship has always been a platform for forward thinking and interactive technology. During previous PGA Championship coverage on TNT and PGA.com, we have introduced our marquee follow coverage, live streaming action through mobile apps and included social networking within our linear broadcast. Introducing 3D coverage to this crown jewel event allows us another opportunity to better serve our audience and add to our multitude of platforms.”

“The PGA Championship has perennially been the source of many of the game’s most special moments,” said PGA of America Director of Broadcast & New Media Casey Morton. “The addition of 3D television and online technology unfolding at Whistling Straits, a spectacular venue for viewers, is yet another new level of excitement for fans to follow the world’s premier players. We anticipate that the addition of this bonus for viewers opens another chapter in PGA Championship tradition.”

Reuters reports that The Walt Disney Co will release three 3D movies to IMAX Corp theaters in 2011. These movies include the next "Pirates of the Caribbean" film.

Chuck Viane, president of distribution for Disney, said in a statement the recent performance of the studio's movies in IMAX theaters has "demonstrated that the combination of IMAX and Disney resonates with moviegoers worldwide."

The movies covered under the new agreement are "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" with Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz; the animated "Mars Needs Moms" with voice work from Seth Green and John Cusack; and the Disney/Pixar cartoon "Cars 2."

IMAX has emerged as a major player in 3D exhibition, taking advantage of an audience appetite for a more in-depth visual experience that has helped drive box office growth.

"Toy Story 3," Disney's latest 3D release from its Pixar animation division, played in more than 4,000 theaters in the United States and Canada when it opened this past weekend. Of those, 180 were IMAX theaters, which contributed $8.4 million to the film's overall gross of $110 million.

2009 was a break out for 3D movies with its peak being Avatar success. A lot more new films are expected to come out in 2010. Some older movies that were not shot in 3D are now being recut in 3D (like Lucas' Star Wars series). All big studios are eager to produce in 3D.

However there are costs involved to upgrade cinema's projectors. One 3D projector costs $20,000-30,000. Just shooting a movie in 3D format adds $10-15 million extra to its budget. Studios' bosses say that consumers are willing to trade up for a premium experience, they want to receive valuable experience for a $5 premium. However, it is questionable if the 3D movie is indeed giving a viewer a better experience.

Thus it is all about studios wanting to make more money out of the new technology.

Just imagine how old, famous paintings of great artists could look in 3D.

3D TV along with Apple's new iPad, is forming a hot trend in consumer electronics. However in these early days consumers might want to wait for the technology to mature before making a purchase decision.

Every major TV maker from Samsung to LG to Sony to Panasonic promised to launch their new 3D capable TV sets in the first half of 2010, it was featured at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in Las Vegas. The 3D feature is hoped to help achieve new sales of TVs.

New 3D ready content is being created and presented almost every week, like the Masters golf tournament, produced by the Augusta National Golf Club. Everyone knows about James Cameron's 3D blockbuster "Avatar," which has opened the growing era for 3D TV.

Problem 1
Despite the available limited 3D content, experts agree that 3D TV is still in its infant phase. Some technical improvements on the TVs will need to be implemented in this respect. Those consumers who recently bought a new HD TV set do not need to rush to get a new 3D enabled one before everything (technology and content wise) falls into place.

Problem 2
Prices have come down dramatically on TVs. And it makes manufacturers now look for something new to offer to keep consumers paying a premium for new products. Some manufacturers started offering Internet features in their TV sets. 3D could become the next feature to boost premium sales. Watching a movie or sporting event broadcast in 3D requires viewers to have a new 3D-capable TV. Current offering on the market have hefty price tags.

The success of "Avatar" has also grabbed Hollywood's attention. Now movie studios are staring to produce new 3D movies and retrofitting older ones with 3D. Even recently released movies are getting the 3D treatment post-production, such as the new "Clash of the Titans" remake in theaters now.

New Blu-Ray players that can play 3D movies for the new 3D TVs have been offered on the market, and movie studios are promising at least 70 titles of Blu-Ray 3D movies by the end of the year. "Avatar" will be one of them.

Problem 3
Similar to what happened with HD television, sports programs in 3D should be popular with viewers. ESPN will be broadcasting some content in 3D this summer with a World Cup soccer match, not to mention the Summer X Games, NBA games, and college basketball and football in 3D. However we sould remember that HDTV, though developed in the 1970s, didn't get widely popular due to cost of parts and processes until the late 1990s. People are still not buying HDTV at the rate of regular color TVs in the past.

The emerging 3D technology is ideal for showing events, while news broadcasting will be hardly something that people would want to see in 3D.

Problem 4
The most obvious hurdle is the fact that viewers still need to wear glasses when they watch 3D TV. TV manufacturers are working on technology for no-glass 3D viewing. However, it's still years away from showing up in consumer TVs.

Simply getting people to even wear special glasses isn't the biggest problem. The real issue is that the glasses that work with the current version of "active" 3D TVs require crystal shutter glasses, which work by very quickly blocking each eye in sequence. The glasses, in addition to the liquid-crystal lenses, contain electronics and batteries, typically good for 80 or more hours, that sync to the TV via an infrared or Bluetooth signal. These glasses cost about $150 a pop. And to make matters worse, glasses made for one manufacturer's TV won't work with a competitor's TV, even though it uses the same "active" 3D technology.

A more advanced version of the 3D TV technology called "passive" 3D doesn't require battery powered glasses. Viewers can wear cheap glasses that many people are already wearing in theaters for 3D movies. Instead of spending $150, these glasses cost only about $1 to $1.50 a piece. That said, the passive 3D TVs are likely to be more expensive. Exactly, how much more expensive is unclear. Some experts estimate that these TVs will be $500 to $1,000 more expensive than the active 3D TVs.

Another issue is that the "3D effect" of a 3D picture is different for different people. For example, animated films actually have less of a 3D effect because they are designed for children, whose eyes are set closer together than adults. Some TVs, such as the Samsung 3D TV available now, allows consumers to adjust the 3D-ness of the picture. Ideally, the adjustment should be made in the glasses.

Among other uses for 3D technology there are 3D games.

Those who have old TVs (either HD or not) should not fear that they would not be able to watch 3D films or programs on their equipment. Older TV sets without 3D feature will still show the picture in 2D as before, even if all TV channels convert to 3D format.

Problem 5
Another concern that medical experts are researching, is that watching 3D significantly increases the workload on your eyes and brain, which are not designed for 3D at all. Eyes' accommodation mechanism experiences a huge stress and some people already do get headache while watching 3D movies. It is said to depend on the distance to the screen. If you can choose a back row seat in a cinema, it is more difficult to do at home in front of your 3d TV.

So there are more questions than answers at this moment.

The world-known Mariinsky Theatre has a concert hall located in half a mile from the main building. There is going to be the world's first live television broadcast of the ballet in three-dimensional image staged in the concert hall. The director of the Mariinsky Theatre Valery Gergiev is going to lead the orchestra. European and Russian viewers for the first time in history will be able to watch live 3D image of ballet performances. The program of the gala concert, broadcast in a format 3D, are fragments of the most famous ballets of the Mariinsky Theatre performed by international star dancers - Uliana Lopatkina, Irma Nioradze , Victoria Tereshkina, Alina Luba, Igor Zelensky, Leonid Sarafanov, Vladimir Shklyarov, Anastasia and Denis Matvienko. Former Bolshoi theatre prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya was invited to view the concert and open it.

St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre plans organizing the world's first 3D televised transmission of a ballet performance on April 15.

It is still unclear how many people will be able to watch the 3D ballet performance organized by the Mariinsky Theatre, as first sales of 3D TV sets in Russia are estimated to begin only in April.

According to research made by the CEA, a large proportion of consumers will be considering purchasing a 3D TV set in the near future. However the availability of 3D content seems to be still the major obstacle for adoption.

According to the CEA and Entertainment and Technology Center at the University of Southern California, 67%t of those planning to buy a 3D TV within the next three years said they will be more likely to buy if they can receive and watch 3D television programs through an antenna, cable, satellite or fibre-to-home. The majority stressed that the main reason for buying a 3D TV is to watch 3D movies.

Virgin Media, the cable television company, aims at offering 3D TV content to its subscribers. This will be enabled through an on demand service. The provider gave up its prior decision to launch an exclusive 3D TV channel. Customers will need special 3D glasses to view the 3D content.

Virgin Media plans to exhibit its 3D TV content, made up of films, TV and games, at the Ideal Home Show, at Earls Court in London.

One can buy glasses at different rates. There are both budget and hi-end versions of the glasses.

Virgin Media differentiates from its competitor BSkyB by offering on demand 3D pruducts.

SkyLife, a Korean satellite television company, plans to start 3D broadcasts of some live sports events in May 2010. SkyLife will ensure that its cameras, switchers and other production equipment are updated by then. From May, they will have some live sports coverage and then they will expand the time span of 3D content to seven hours a day.

3D content will be available in 2010 from ESPN, DirecTV, BSkyB, SkyLife and other broadcasters and providers. ESPN, for example, is expected to broadcast 85 games in 3D this year. Some market experts estimate 40-50 video game titles in 3D to be released in 2010. SkyLife plans to build content partnerships with major Hollywood companies including Disney and DreamWorks.

SkyLife also initiated discussions with Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Fuji Film for joint investment in increased 3D programming. The company CEO commented that it will offer 3D movies to subscribers based on video-on-demand (VOD) with content from upcoming partnerships.

SkyLife officials promise to provide 10 recent movies per week to set-top boxes. The service will be available in the second half of 2010. The multi-channel digital satellite broadcaster is developing new technology, enabling subscribers who have over 60Hz regular LCD or LED-backlit LCD TVs to watch 3D programs without buying 3D-only TV sets.

The provider is expected to charge more for 3D programs.