An Overview for Developing End-to-End

http://www.informationdisplay.org/issues/2009/07/art6/art6.pdf

 

Enthusiastic consumer response to recent 3-D theatrical releases is demonstrating users’ appetite for 3-D content, and 3-D seems destined to become the next killer application for thehome-entertainment industry. Until then, the standardization of 3-D formats for mastering and distribution is critically important for a successful introduction to the consumer market.

 

by William Zou

 

TODAY, the most noticeable development in the display industry has been the focus on 3-D. Of course, the use of 3-D for printing, the movies, and even TV is not new. It has been envisioned, promoted, and implemented for more than 100 years. There is no question why 3-D is a natural extension to the 2-D presentations we already enjoy today, and it provides a more interesting and attentiongetting medium for viewers. But interest has faded every time 3-D has been promoted, and 3-D movies or TV have never quite moved beyond the gimmick stage – that is until recently. In 2005, particularly after Disney’s release of 3-D versions of Chicken Little in movie theaters, the industry rediscovered the huge business potential of 3-D.

 

3-D theatrical releases are now generating more revenue in movie theaters than 2-D releases. For the recent theatrical release of DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens, nearly 60% of the revenue in the first week was generated from 3-D cinemas – which comprised only 28% of the total theaters screening the film. Because tickets to 3-D versions of films cost more than their 2-D counterparts, people are clearly willing to pay more for 3-D. The latest generation of digitalcinema projectors and 3-D glasses has enabled the success of 3-D at the box office. With the adoption of the Blu-ray HDTV format for next-generation home entertainment and large-display TV sets in the home, movie studios and other content providers see the potential for huge revenues from 3-D content consumption in the home as well as in theaters.

 

Meanwhile, consumer-electronics manufacturers see 3-D as a significant differentiator that could encourage consumers to continue investing beyond 1080p (full high definition). The advancement of 3-D display technology, including the availability of large screen sizes, high resolutions, and high frame rates (120 Hz and higher) will help enable high-quality 3-D content presentation in the home. 3-D is now being seen as the killer application that will not only bring people back to movie theaters, but also enable a whole range of new services and business to be offered to the home consumer.

 

3-D End-to-End Systems

This article provides an overview of 3-D endto end systems, as well as the issues and challenges involved in developing solutions. It will focus on industry efforts toward 3-D standards development and offer a glimpse into the substantial work remaining in those standardization efforts. Figure 1 shows the process flow for delivering 3-D to end users, be it to movie theaters (top of diagram from left to right) or to mobile phones and home TVs (lower part of diagram from left to right). The issues involved in getting 3-D into the home, including content creation, mastering, distribution, and the displays themselves, will be discussed in the following.

 

 

Content Creation. There are three main approaches to creating 3-D content:

1.     Live camera capture: capturing stereo paired images simultaneously. Live events require the use of stereo cameras. In addition to the conventional stereo camera rigs, a new class of 3-D cameras has been developed for capturing 2-D and depth mapping in real time using rangefinders. Rangefinders are usually An Overview for Developing End-to-End Standards for 3-D TV in the Home laser or infrared camera devices that are used to provide depth maps for a given scene. Depth maps can also be calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis in real time or offline.

 

2.     Computer-generated images (CGIs): creating a stereo pair of views by rendering two views in parallel with a small angular separation in the two views. Computer-generated content is typically considered the easiest method of stereo generation. The rendering system can render one or more related views depending on the application.

 

3.     2-D–to–3-D conversion: processing of existing 2-D imagery and extraction of depth information from non-stereo depth cues to create a polygon-based image. This process deconstructs the 2-D image into a series of objects (also known as segmentation), assigning relative depth to each object, then filling in occluded areas. The conversion can be either real time or non-real time. 2-D converted material may prove to be essential for a successful transition from 2-D to 3-D.

 

Mastering.

Mastering involves formatting and packaging original 3-D content in a standardized format for post-production and down-stream distribution. It is ideal that a single master is used for all distribution channels. Generally, the master package will undergo additional processing (compression, storage, and physical transport) before being delivered into the distribution system. The master format is ideally in an uncompressed domain so that the highest quality can be maintained for downstream process and distribution.

 

 

Fig 1: A conceptual model for delivery of 3-D content illustrates the role of the 3-D Home Master (lower left in red-outlined box) with regard to

standardizing content and delivery for end-user devices (at right). Source: “Report of SMPTE Task Force on 3-D to the Home,”

 

 

Distribution/broadcast/emission:

For 3-D distribution/broadcast/emission, the master (either from live camera or play-out systems)  is taken into the distribution systems for delivery to the home. Because of bandwidth constraints, the signal is typically compressed to reduce the data rate to meet specific channel requirements. A stereoscopic image pair consists of a left-eye image and the corresponding right-eye image. Therefore, the support of stereoscopic 3-D content for distribution to homes requires two times more bandwidth than 2-D content. In order to reduce the bandwidth requirement while preserving visual quality as much as possible, and also supporting 2-D device compatibility, various 3-D formats have been developed:

 

1.     Spatial compression. In order for stereoscopic content to fit into existing transmission/ storage infrastructures, one simple approach is to use spatial compression. This can be done by sub-sampling left- and right-eye images and then compressing them into a single 2-D image frame. The sub-sampled left and right images can be packed in a top/bottom, side-by-side, line/column interleaved or checkerboard fashion. All these formats achieve the goal of using no more than 2-D bandwidth. However, the downside is loss of spatial resolution and incompatibility with conventional 2-D displays. Embedding and transmitting additional side information with the formats and using a post-process such as pixel interpolation/ smoothing could mitigate the problem of loss of spatial resolution.

2.     Time multiplexing. By multiplexing  left- and right-eye images in the time domain, 3-D content becomes 2-D, but the frame rate is increased 100%. This approach could be implemented using some existing standards and interfaces, and possibly be supported by some consumer devices already in the home. The advantage of time multiplexing is that full spatial resolution for each eye can be provided. For some distribution platforms such as packaged media, the high bandwidth/bit rate of using time multiplexing might not be an issue, while for others the 100% increase of bandwidth/ bit rate is prohibitive.

3.     2-D + depth map/delta/metadata. The key benefit of this approach is the support of 2-D device compatibility – display, set-top box (STB), etc. The format consists of 2-D images plus associated depth maps for each 2-D image. A conceptually similar approach using a single 2-D video stream with added metadata can be used for stereo image pairs. Instead of encoding two separate 2-D image streams, conventional video data can be used to represent, for example, the left half of the stereo pair, while metadata in the form of a difference map or delta map is used to encode the right half as a function of the left. The 2-D + depth map/delta/metadata can be encoded with standards-based compression techniques (e.g., MPEG-2, AVC) for distribution. At the receiver, the 2-D portion can be decoded by conventional 2-D STB/TV while the data of depth map/delta or 3-D metadata is ignored. New 3-D devices (e.g., STB, 3-D TV set) can decode the complete 3-D stream and render it on a 3-D display. • Color coding. Using color-coded images for left-/right-eye presentation (such as with the anaglyph method) for 3-D TV has been with us for decades. It is the only format that can be used for 3-D presentation with a pair of color-coded glasses on any 2-D display. Certainly, color coding produces poor quality and does not provide a compelling 3-D viewing experience.

 

3-D Displays in the Home

There are many different types of 3-D display technology and each has a different set of advantages and disadvantages. Currently, there are three types of 3-D displays commercially available on the market.

 

• DLP-based rear-projection TV using the checkerboard format.

• Plasma TV using checkerboard or line/column interleaving.

• LCD TV using page-flip (120-Hz frame rate with time multiplexing) or a linealternative micro-polarized screen. The companion article to this piece, “3-D Displays in the Home” by Andrew Woods, describes these devices in more detail, but they all require wearing glasses (either passive or active) for 3-D viewing. Autostereoscopic 3-D displays do not require viewers to wear glasses and can also provide multiple viewing spots with good spatial resolution. Although glassless 3-D viewing is considered the future, large screen multi-view autostereoscopic displays will not be commercially available in the short term. All of the 3-D display technologies mentioned above will be co-existent and consumers will have to deal with the choices of quality, price point, and the question of whether they will accept the wearing of glasses for long-term 3-D viewing. The adoption of well-researched standards can help minimize consumer confusion and the need to educate the end-user by facilitating the most viable options.

 

Issues and Challenges for Delivering 3-D Content to the Home

The key issues and challenges for delivering  3-D content to the home include a lack of industry standards for content mastering and distribution, high cost of 3-D content production and distribution infrastructure, and multiple incompatible display technologies. Selection of the right 3-D formats for specific distribution channels heavily depends on:

1.     3-D quality and extensibility (future quality improvement).

2.     Efficiency of implementation (storage, transport, computation, rendering).

3.     2-D compatibility (distribution requirement and 2-D display).

4.     Compatibility with the existing consumer devices.

5.     Production and implementation cost.

6.     Technology maturity and time to market. The following is a list of possible distribution channels, including their pluses and minuses:

 

Terrestrial broadcast. This is the most bandwidth-constrained distribution platform. Each TV station has only a 6 MHz (U.S. and Japan) or 8 MHz (European countries) channel bandwidth. It is also the most regulated and standards-based distribution. With limited RF bandwidth per station, constraint by legacy-transmission standards, and the current state of consumer TV receivers in the home, it is highly desirable to transmit 2-D backwardcompatible formats that could be received by both 3-D receivers and legacy 2-D receivers. This approach would require compressed 3-D bit streams for emission in the format of 2-D + metadata (e.g., depth-map, delta, etc.) so that a 2-D legacy receiver could decode the 2-D portion and ignore the 3-D side information, while a 3-D receiver could display the 3-D content. An alternative would be to simulcast 2-D and 3-D streams (not necessarily with identical content), so that each uses a

 

3-D TV standards fraction of the channel. It will be important to assess the likely transmission bit-rate requirements for terrestrial broadcast and to understand what factors affect the quality of the 3-D experience as perceived by viewers. The relevant international standards bodies addressing terrestrial broadcast standards are ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting), and ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunications Sector).

 

Cable. Cable is relatively less constrained with regard to bandwidth than terrestrial broadcast. 3-D services could be treated just like today’s Video on Demand (VoD) model or with dedicated 3-D channels for those with a special STB that supports 3-D decoding and presentation. This business model provides a flexible requirement for cable to go to either a 3-D-only or 2-D-compatible format solution. Cable could be one of the distribution platforms that starts offering 3-D early when sufficient 3-D-ready sets are available in the home. Like the broadcast industry, the cable industry follows standards-based implementation. Two standards development organizations playing key roles in defining standards are the SCTE (Society of Telecommunications Engineers) and DVB.

 

DTH/Satellite to the home. Unlike cable or terrestrial broadcast, DTH (direct to home) is basically a closed system – individual operators such as DirecTV, Dish Network, and BSkyB can do whatever they want. As is the case with cable, bandwidth constraint is less of a problem, although the rollout of HD content, especially the addition of large numbers of local HD channels in the US, consumes large chunks of transponder bandwidth. DTH could offer 3-D as a dedicated channel, either using 3-D-only or 2-D-compatible formats.

 

Packaged media. It is expected that packaged media such as Blu-ray discs will be the main platform for 3-D home entertainment, as driven by Hollywood studios and their desire to capture the home-entertainment segment by leveraging their growing 3-D theatrical content library and success in the 3-D box office. The Blu-ray disc format has large disc storage space (25/50 GB) and supports advanced video and audio CODECs. The format also supports dual-stream decoding (picture-inpicture and secondary audio features). The video decoding can support up to a 40-Mbps data rate and the 1080p format.

 

IPTV/Internet/Mobile/Cellphone. IPTV (Internet protocol TV) is much like cable service, although some varieties are based on point-to-point switching networks, while others are RF-overlay on fiber or FTTH (fiber to the home). These networks can adopt VoD-like 3-D services or transmit dedicated streams for 3-D content to the home. Mobile TV and cell phones can also provide 3-D content using single-view autostereoscopic screens. There have been announced market trials for 3-D-capable cell phones and services. Internet content download and streaming to PC and TV are now popular and will play a key role in future content distribution and consumption. SMPTE and some industry forums have already started developing standards for broadband distribution, and their 3-D support is expected.

 

What Standards Are Needed? Standards are playing important roles in developing an end-to-end value chain for 3-D to the home. The key questions to be answered are what standards are needed and when to standardize 3-D TV. The benefits of standardization include interoperability, low-cost consumer devices, and consumer confidence. Ideally, standards should be implemented before any proprietary system becomes the de facto standard on the market. The right timing to standardize a technology depends on factors such as technology maturity as well as future-proofing for extensibility. Another issue is single/worldwide standard vs. multiple/regional standards to meet specific requirements. A single worldwide standard is best, and this is certainly possible, especially for 3-D content mastering. The requirements and business models for the distribution platforms are very different, and therefore a onesize- fits-all distribution format might not be feasible. The fragmentation of distribution standards/formats might split and confuse the market and the consumer, and a worldwide standard would go far toward alleviating this problem. The entire value chain can be segmented into four categories as shown in Fig. 2. With the exception of content creation, standards are needed in each of the following value chain areas:

 

Content creation. There is no need to standardize content creation. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) uses the term 3-D source master to refer to the image format or file package where content originates.

 

3-D home mastering. It is important to standardize a single worldwide 3-D home master format for all distribution channels. (The SMPTE defines “3-D Home Master” as an uncompressed, unencrypted image format or file package derived from a 3-D source master.) The 3-D Home Master is intended to be used in the creation of 3-D distribution data. However, any future standards creation should adequately study whether it is feasible to create a single 3-D home master vs. multiple masters (each for a different distribution channel or set of channels).

 

Distribution. In this case, distribution is considered the last mile to the home. Distribution includes physical transmission channels/ platforms such as terrestrial broadcast using RF frequency, cable HFC networks, satellite to home (DTH), packaged media, and the Internet. Consumer devices. There are many incompatible 3-D display technologies on the market and there is no clear trend indicating that a single display format is emerging in the near future. Furthermore, it is assumed that there might be multiple distribution formats to meet specific uses for distribution. Therefore, it is critical to make sure that any consumer playback device (e.g., Blu-ray player, STB, game console, etc.) can communicate with any 3-D display device in the home and that 3-D content from any playback device is displayed properly. This requires developing industry-wide interface standards and signaling specifications.

 

 

 Fig. 2: The value chain is a simplified version of the flow diagram appearing in Fig. 1.

 

 Content Creation 3D Home Mastering Distribution Consumer Package Media Broadcast Device Worldwide 3-D Standards Development

 

A number of entities are actively engaged in the development of standards for different portions of the 3-D pipeline. These organizations include the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association), ATSC, DVB, ITU, SCTE, BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association), DVD Forum, ISO/IEC/MPEG, and SMPTE. As the chair of the SMPTE Task Force on 3-D to the Home, the author will focus on SMPTE’s effort, while providing a brief survey of some of the activities of other organizations.

 

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). In August 2008, the SMPTE established a task force to define the parameters of a stereoscopic 3-D mastering standard for content viewed in the home. The project, called 3-D to the Home, was the first step in propelling the 3-D home-entertainment industry forward by setting the stage for a standard that will enable 3-D feature films and other programming to be played on fixed devices in the home, regardless of the delivery channel. With cross-industry participation and contribution, the task force defined the concept of a 3-D home master, identified use cases from the perspective of various entities in the supply chain for 3-D content to the home, and developed requirements for the 3-D home master. In March 2009, the task force completed its assignments and published its report, which will form the basis for developing actual format standards within SMPTE. This report has been distributed to other SDOs (standards development organizations) in support of their development of related distribution and presentation standards. The task force defined a 3-D home master as follows: “Uncompressed and unencrypted image format or file package derived from a 3-D Source Master. The 3-D Home Master is intended to be used in the creation of 3-D Distribution Data.” Based on the use cases developed by the task force, the minimum requirements for the specification for a single 3-D home master were defined. The key parameters include the following nine categories: image content, audio synchronization, graphical overlays, subtitles, closed captions, backward compatibility with 2-D and 3-D metadata, ancillary metadata, and evaluation criteria. In addition to the use cases and requirements described in the report, the task force recognized that there are various unknowns, which may (in the future) impact the format of the master package. These include evolving display technologies, future distribution channels, production and authoring techniques and needs, and unexplored psychophysical characteristics of the human visual system. A group within the SMPTE standards committees started working on defining specifications based on the requirements developed by the task force in June 2009, with core standards expected to conclude within a year. As in the development of the 3-D home master requirements, the SMPTE committee will work closely with other SDOs that will develop companion standards for complete end-to-end interoperability. A brief listing of other standards groups follows. For more information, please see the SMPTE Web site at www.smpte.org.

 

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). CEA’s Video Systems Committee has launched a new standards activity aimed at establishing standards for 3-D video. It observed that many broadcasters, DVD distributors, and CE manufacturers are moving forward with 3-D, and concluded that establishing a standard for transporting 3-D video over an uncompressed high-speed digital interface was very important.

 

Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). ATSC is an international organization that is developing standards for digital television and is responsible for developing DTV standards for digital terrestrial broadcast.

 

Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project. DVB is at this stage looking for information on what technologies and capabilities are available. For example, the project committee is examining backward compatibility and looking for commercial requirements for work items that sit within the scope of the DVB expertise.

 

International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The subject of 3-D TV is currently being considered by Working Party 6C (program production and quality control), as part of the work of ITU-R Study Group 6 (Broadcasting Service). In October 2008, the ITU-R approved a new study question on digital 3-D television broadcasting. This is essentially a call for proposals for 3-D TV. The question calls for contributions on systems that include, but also go beyond, stereoscopy.

 

Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE). In early 2009, SCTE established a standards project called 3-D Over Cable. This effort will investigate the distribution of 3-D video content over cable networks. One result will be the identification of any changes that are necessary or desirable in existing SCTE standards to facilitate the provision of 3-D content by cable operators.

 

Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). BDA is a voluntary membership group creating, upholding, and promoting the BD formats and developing Blu-ray Disc specifications. Due to the large disc storage capacity, 1080p picture quality, and 7.1 audio, Blu-ray Disc is the ideal platform for bringing 3-D technology to mainstream home entertainment. The BD format is backed by the Hollywood studios and major CE manufacturers and will be a distribution platform delivering the highestquality 3-D content to the home in a relatively short time frame. In May 2009, the BDA formed a 3-D task force to add advanced 3-D technology into the Blu-ray format.

 

DVD Forum. The DVD Forum is an international association of hardware manufacturers, software firms, content providers, and other users of Digital Versatile Discs. It issued an RFI (request for information) on 3-D technology in 2008 and received several proposals with various encoding formats. The DVD Forum then conducted backwards compatibility tests on the legacy DVD players using these proposed formats. In early 2009, SENSIO’s 3-D spatial compression format was accepted as an optional DVD standard.

 

ISO/IEC/MPEG. In the past, MPEG developed standards related to 3-D video. ISO/IEC 23002-3 (also referred to as MPEGC Part 3) specifies the representation of auxiliary video and supplemental information. This specification supports the well-known 2-D + depth format, including metadata to adjust the rendering of a 3-D scene based on viewing characteristics such as display size and viewing distance. The 5th Edition of the ITU-T Rec. H.264 | ISO/IEC 14996-10 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) standard, which will be published soon, includes extensions for multiview video coding (MVC). The Multiview High Profile is specified in this edition of the standard, which utilizes existing high-profile tools (excluding interlaced) for inter-view prediction to achieve improved compression of stereo and multiview video. Signaling of scene acquisition information (i.e., camera parameters) and multiview scene information (i.e., maximum disparity) is also specified. Such metadata may be used for 3-D display

 

3-D TV standards processing. MPEG is also in the process of developing an amendment of AVC that standardizes additional capabilities in the context of 3-D. Conclusion Recent 3-D theatrical releases have demonstrated significant consumer desire for and acceptance of 3-D content. 3-D is poised to become the next killer application for the home-entertainment industry. Standardization of 3-D formats for mastering and distribution is critically important for a successful 3-D introduction to the consumer. The SMPTE 3-D Home Master is being developed as the cornerstone of the entire content chain. It will provide high-level image-formatting requirements for the source materials authored and delivered by content developers. It will additionally provide requirements for the delivery of those materials to all distribution channels; from physical media to terrestrial, satellite, cable, and other streaming service providers. Beginning in 2009 and continuing down the road, the industry needs to work hard to build a complete value chain for delivering 3-D content to the home. With the completion of the above specifications, 3-D home entertainment will become a reality

 

William Zou is the chairman of the SMPTETask Force on 3-D to the Home. He isemployed by DTS, Inc. in Agoura Hills, CA.The full report on 3-D to the Home fromThe Society of Motion Picture and Television

Engineers (SMPTE) comprises 76 pages,including a 3-D glossary, use cases, minimumrequirements, recommendations, appendices,and references. It is recommended for anyone seeking a comprehensive introduction to manyaspects of 3-D systems and the issues that need to be considered in planning for 3-D to the home and is available for download from the online SMPTE Store (https://store.smpte.

org) for $20.

 

Old-Fashioned Film Storage Still Trumps Digital

http://www.thewrap.com/article/even-digital-age-studios-find-old-fashioned-film-best_4353

 

July 16, 2009, 1:31PM CDT  

 

Significant material has already been lost on digital, from outtakes to on-set interviews.

 

By Carolyn Giardina

 

It’s a digital age. We download music digitally and watch TV shows and movies on our iPods. Almost 20 percent of all theaters now feature digital projection.

 

So when it comes to saving a movie like “Benjamin Button” or “Up” for the future, it only makes sense that the cheapest, safest and most space-efficient method of storage would be digital as well.

 

Wrong.

 

Surprisingly, entertainment technology industry leaders agree that film remains the only format on which one can guarantee safe long-term archive and access to motion-picture materials. In fact, film remains the standard in archiving -- and that’s not expected to change anytime in the foreseeable future.

 

Not even for films projected digitally in theaters -- these are actually converted from digital to film for old-fashioned storage. In a dark room in a cold temperature in secure spots scattered around the country.

 

The major studios currently store all movies on film. While they may store some ancillary material like on-set interviews and outtakes digitally, they have come to the conclusion that digital storage is not only less safe but, incredibly, far more expensive.

 

It has, though, been a learning process of trial and error. “We have already lost a great amount of digital material,” said Milt Shefter, who led the Science and Technology Council of AMPAS’ influential 2007 report on archiving issues. “The Digital Dilemma.”

 

This lost digital material, Shefter told TheWrap, include a range of supplemental material. (Shefter would not name any titles or parts of titles that had developed problems, claiming the academy had to sign nondisclosure agreements in doing its research.)

 

And there have been some close calls that nearly resulted in the loss of complete Hollywood features, AMPAS’ SciTech Council director Andy Maltz. “Ultimately the data was recovered, but it was a real scramble to make that happen.” (NASA wasn't so lucky with the original moon-landing tapes; see TheWrap's story.)

 

It was losses like these that led to AMPAS’ “Digital Dilemma” investigation and report.

 

“The changes have tended to arise piecemeal and so rapidly that the industry has not had a chance to step back and consider long-term implications,” the report read. “Even some of the artists who have been the most evangelical about the new world of digital motion picture sometimes seem not to have thoroughly explored the question of what happens to a digital production once it leaves the theaters and begins its life as a long-term studio asset.”

 

The report warned that the industry was in danger of making decisions that “produce financial and cultural consequences.”

 

The studios paid attention. The majors all have agreed with the report’s conclusion, and their titles ARE archived on film -- though it is not always as clear with independent films. In those cases, decisions are made by the individual content owners.

Fujifilm Launches Pioneering Digital Real 3D System

http://www.2-pop.com/DigitalCinematography/article/85118

 

July 28, 2009

 

Lets you enjoy incredible 3D images with the naked eye. 

Fujifilm has launched a new imaging technology: the "FinePix Real 3D System." A three dimensional (3D) digital imaging system that lets you enjoy three dimensional images without the need to wear special 3D glasses. The FinePix Real 3D system incorporates a 3D digital camera "FinePix Real 3D W1", a 3D picture viewer "FinePix Real 3D V1", and 3D prints.

As a pioneer in the digital imaging sector, in 2009, Fujifilm will be able to offer the complete 3D package: from digital photography, to digital prints. Fujifilm is once again breaking new ground and continuing to raise expectations in the development of new imaging products.

Aiming to "capture precious moments just as the eyes see them", over the last decade Fujifilm has developed unique lenses, CCDs and Processors, amongst other key digital camera technologies. Today heralds the launch of the world's first digital camera that can capture 3D stills and movies, the "FinePix Real 3D W1", and the "Fine Pix Real 3D V1", an 8-inch viewer on which spectacular 3D images can be displayed. Additionally, with advances in high precision production technology, Fujifilm has successfully developed a3D Print service enabling you to enjoy and share your 3D images.

World's first digital camera to capture realistic 3D stills and movies.

3D Photography
The Real 3D W1 camera features the newly developed "Real 3D Lens System." To achieve a natural, 3D image, it was necessary to flawlessly layer together two images, so two Fujinon lenses, renowned for their high resolution and exquisite rendering, were installed. A robust aluminum die-cast frame has been used to protect the lenses from vibration and impact. A 3x optical zoom, deemed difficult to achieve in 3D photography because of the precision required to align two lenses, is also possible. Moreover, the "RP (Real Photo) Processor 3D" which is based on photo technology that Fujifilm has developed over the years, synchronizes data passed to it by the two lenses and two CCD sensors, to determine shooting conditions such as focus, brightness and tonality to instantaneously blend this information into a single symmetrical image, for both stills and movies. The 3D/2D LCD monitor features Fujifilm's own LCD panel, exclusively for the display of 3D/2D images on digital cameras, allowing you to see beautiful, natural 3D images with the naked eye. As the camera performs a series of image processing steps automatically, anyone can take 3D stills and videos with superb picture quality by just pointing the camera and pressing the shutter button.

The Real 3D camera allows you to adjust the settings to suit the scene being photographed. When using the 3D two-shot function, the camera shifts to take the second shot after taking the first shot, and saves a single 3D image in the camera manually. This allows you to edit the 3D images, particularly useful for long zoom telephoto shots where a 3D image is difficult to achieve, or conversely, macro shots, where the 3D effect can be too strong.

3D "Interval Shooting" allows further flexibility; it is possible to take two shots from different viewpoints continuously while the photographer is moving, for example by train, airplane, or car, etc., to achieve 3D images of long-distance views. Users can enjoy more dynamic 3D shots, whether they are capturing a sea of clouds from an airplane, or taking 3D shots of distant views from a car window. By using the "Parallax Control" function, the 3D images can be manually adjusted, either during filming or while viewing the images on the LCD monitor; this simplicity-of-use lets users really get creative when shooting in 3D!

2D photography
Don't overlook the fact that this camera also brings fun new possibilities in 2D photography! You can really take advantage of the fact that this is actually two digital cameras in one. The "Advanced 2D Mode" uses Dual Capture simultaneous shooting which lets users take two different shots simultaneously by pressing the shutter once. With "Tele+Wide Shooting", it is possible to take a close-up photo of the subject and, at the same time, a photo with a wider span - just by changing the settings of the two lenses. With "Colour Mode" Dual Shooting users can take photos of the same scene with different color tonalities, for example, "Standard" and "Fujichrome", which works by changing the processing signals on the two sensors.

"Sensitivity Mode Dual Shooting" mode enables you to change the sensitivity setting of the two shooting systems, which expands the range of photographic expression. In scenes where it is difficult to determine the optimal camera settings, users can take shots with image stabilization priority and then with picture quality priority and choose the best image later, or in panned shots, change the image stabilization levels to take two different shots simultaneously.

 

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A beautiful, cutting-edge exterior design that is durable yet easy to use. You can't deny this is a good-looking camera, with cutting-edge style. The sleek metal sliding cover which protects the two lenses is specially formed so that it can be firmly gripped with both hands. The exterior finish is a luxurious Piano Black with a superb, high-gloss, elegant shine. To add to the glamour, the neon blue "3D" logo illuminates when the camera is switched on. On the back of the camera, operating buttons such as the one-touch 3D/2D switch button, are placed on both sides of the camera for simple operation using both hands. The newly developed 2.8-inch Real 3D LCD monitor displays natural and beautiful 2D and 3D images, enabling you to compose and playback your pictures easily.

Main Features
-- Capture and enjoy realistic 3D stills and movies
-- Take 3D telephoto and macro shots with 3D Advanced 3D Mode
-- Standard 2D photographs can also be taken, just like on conventional digital cameras
-- Dual Capture Shooting Mode lets you simultaneously take two shots at different settings
-- Featuring the 3D LCD system, allowing 3D images to be viewed live whilst shooting
-- Cutting edge design and the very latest, pioneering technology

FinePix Real 3D V1
8.0 inch 3D Picture viewer that allows you to enjoy 3D images on a high resolution screen.
The 8.0-inch 3D Picture Viewer "FinePix Real 3D V1" features Fujifilm's newly developed 3D/2D display 8.0-inch LCD panel, which allows users to enjoy and playback 3D images without needing to wear special 3D glasses.
Insert a SD memory card on to which 3D images have been saved, and enjoy a 3D slideshow just by switching on the power. If the "Disparity Adjustment Function" is used, you can adjust the 3D effect on the viewer manually.

The 3D Picture Viewer will suit any living room with its slim & minimalistic design. With various playback functions, you can enjoy more than 20 kinds of 3D and 2D slideshows, plus a MicroThumbnailView, and an easy-to-use "Picture Search" feature.

With an adjustable stand you can change the angle for clearer 3D viewing, and enjoy simple operation with the intuitive remote control included. The displayed data can be transferred not only to a memory card, but also by high-speed infrared transmission, and batch transmission by connecting to the 3D camera via a USB connection. What's more you can display & playback all the images on your computer by transferring them to the camera using a USB connection.

Key Features
-- Supports playback of natural 3D stills and movies
-- 3D/2D LCD panel with 480,000 dots (800 x 600 dots)
-- Easy-to-use touch operation
-- Transfer images to other devices; SD/SDHC cards, Real 3D camera, and also your computer via USB or via high speed infrared communication.
-- PLUS, print your 3D images with high precision Fujifilm technology!
With spectacular results, Fujifilm has integrated high precision prints into its 3D offering. Through the use of lenticular sheets Fuji have the ability to produce stunning high resolution 3D images. The process involves the 3D image data being integrated using advanced technology and projected through a lenticular sheet lens to produce an image with binocular disparity.
"Fujifilm will be launching a print service to the purchasers of the 3-D camera as a direct service from Fujifilm because of the newness and complexity of the print system" explained Adrian Clarke, Director of Digital Imaging. He continued, "Whilst volume from the uptake of 3D camera users is so small, it doesn't make sense to commercialise the print system yet. Once Fujifilm can provide a sustainable market demand for 3D prints and other services, the company will be able to consider print production devices for the wider processing industry".

Availability & pricing
The FinePix Real 3D W1 and FinePix Real 3D V1 will be available from September 2009 Pricing will be announced nearer to the date of the launch.

Click to download brochure for FinePix Real 3D
<http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/media/dContent/mediaCentre/Brochures/0_FinePix-Real-3D-catalogue.pdf>

About Fujifilm
Fujifilm is a global leader in imaging technology, products and services including digital cameras, photofinishing, digital storage and recording media, consumer and professional film, motion picture film, professional video, printing systems, medical imaging, office technology, flat panel displays and graphic arts. The company employs more than 73,000 people
worldwide, with 178 subsidiaries stretching across four continents.

Uniquely placed to be a market leader in digital imaging, Fujifilm develops and manufactures its own sensors, lenses and processing technology. In addition to its production plants and R&D operations in Japan, the company has key manufacturing facilities in Europe and the USA for core products such as colour film, colour paper, single use cameras and CTP printing plates, and has further factories in Brazil and China. It has a global turnover in excess of £13 billion.

In the UK, Fujifilm has been supplying the imaging, printing and graphics industries, as well as consumers, professional and enthusiast photographers, with high quality, innovative products and services for over 25 years. Fujifilm UK currently employs more than 450 people and has become one of the country's most popular photographic and imaging brands. www.fujifilm.co.uk

Hollywood Places Biggest 3-D Bet Yet on 'Avatar'

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/24/business/AP-US-TEC-Avatar-3-D.html?_r=2

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 24, 2009

Filed at 12:44 p.m. ET

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- When James Cameron directed his first 3-D film, ''Terminator 2: 3-D,'' for Universal Studios theme parks more than a decade ago, the bulky camera equipment made some shots awkward or impossible.

The 450-pound contraption -- which had two film cameras mounted on a metal frame -- was so heavy that producers had to jury-rig construction equipment to lift it off the ground for shots from above. The cameras, slightly set apart, had to be mechanically pointed together at the subject, then locked into place like an unwieldy set of eyes to help create the 3-D effect.

At $60 million, the 12-minute film was the most expensive frame-for-frame production ever.

Now, five months from its release, Cameron's ''Avatar,'' the first feature film he has directed since ''Titanic'' (1997), promises to take 3-D cinematography to an unrivaled level, using a more nimble 3-D camera system that he helped invent.

Cameron's heavily hyped return also marks Hollywood's biggest bet yet that 3-D can bolster box office returns. News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox has budgeted $237 million for the production alone of ''Avatar.''

The movie uses digital 3-D technology, which requires audience members to wear polarized glasses. It is a vast improvement on the sometimes headache-inducing techniques that relied on cardboard cutout glasses with red and green lenses and rose and fell in popularity in the 1950s.

''Avatar'' also raises the bar on ''performance capture'' technology, which creates computerized images from real human action. The movie depicts an ex-soldier's interactions with 10-foot-tall aliens on the luminous planet of Pandora.

''I'm speechless,'' said Nahum Villalobos, a 19-year-old Navy recruit from Vista, Calif., who watched 25 minutes of exclusive footage of ''Avatar'' along with 6,500 people at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego on Thursday. ''It's more extraordinary than any other movie that is out there, or has been.''

The $237 million production is not as expensive as some 2-D fare such as ''Spider-Man 3'' (2007), which was made for $258 million. But it blows away ''Monsters vs. Aliens'' (2009), a 3-D animation movie made for $175 million.

Then again, Cameron's last film grossed $1.84 billion worldwide. ''Titanic'' is the highest grossing film ever.

''If you know Jim Cameron, it's all about pushing the envelope,'' said Vince Pace, who helped him develop the 3-D camera system used in ''Avatar.''

Cameron tweaked his cameras through two 3-D documentaries he made for IMAX theaters, ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' (2003) and ''Aliens of the Deep'' (2005).

His camera rig is now lighter -- up to only 50 pounds -- and the two camera lenses can dynamically converge on a focal point with the help of a computer, which is crucial for sweeping camera moves and action sequences.

In some of the ''Avatar'' footage released at Comic-Con, humans filmed with his 3-D camera rig are mixed with the computer-generated images of the movie's avatars -- beings created with mixed human and alien DNA.

Cameron said he wanted to have the filmmaking techniques fade into the background as the story took over.

''The ideal movie technology is so advanced that it waves a magic wand and makes itself disappear,'' he said.

Cameron himself was behind the lens in many scenes that were framed using a ''virtual camera'' -- a handheld monitor that lets the director walk through the computer-enhanced 3-D scene and record it as if he were the cameraman. The effect on screen is a ''shaky cam'' effect that makes action sequences seem up close and sometimes focuses the audience's gaze at something in particular.

''It allows Jim to approach this process with the same sensibilities that he would have approached live-action filming,'' said producer Jon Landau.

The ability to capture human emotions in computerized 3-D has also advanced.

Unlike past methods that captured dots placed on human faces to trace movements that are reconstructed digitally, now each frame is analyzed for facial details such as pores and wrinkles that help re-create a moving computerized image.

''It's all going to advance the whole concept of 3-D one leap higher,'' said Marty Shindler, a filmmaking consultant with The Shindler Perspective Inc.

Yet even with four years of preparation and the attention surrounding ''Avatar,'' there will not be enough U.S. screens adapted to the technology for a full wide release only in 3-D.

Of the 38,800 movie screens in the U.S., about 2,500 are capable of showing digital 3-D movies. Theater chains have been adding about 90 to 100 per month this year, but they're still short of the 4,000-plus screens that have been used for major event movies.

With the conversion costing $100,000 a pop, theater owners are wary of moving too quickly, said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theatre Owners.

''The successes of `Monsters vs. Aliens' and `Ice Age (Dawn of the Dinosaurs) in 3-D' aside, this is still really early days for this format,'' he said.

Studios are pushing theater owners to convert more screens, partly because people pay about $2 more per ticket and cram theaters for 3-D releases. Revenue per screen is up to three times higher than for the same movie's 2-D version.

Walt Disney Co.'s chief executive, Bob Iger, said this week that his studio has 17 3-D films in development, including ''A Christmas Carol.'' That movie, directed by Robert Zemeckis, adopted many of the same performance-capture techniques used in ''Avatar'' but comes out a month earlier, in November.

Jovan Cohn, a 43-year-old systems engineer from Newport Beach, Calif., watched the ''Avatar'' preview at Comic-Con and expects to line up with his son for another free look on Aug. 21, when some IMAX theaters will show 15 minutes of the film. Cohn also plans to catch the full movie's release Dec. 18.

''It takes you into a new world of moviegoing and we really think that it's going to be a hit,'' he said. ''No question on that. James Cameron just hit another home run.''

 

Cinema Expo - 3D cinema in depth

http://www.screendaily.com/cinema-expo-3d-cinema-in-depth/4039709.article

4 July, 2008 | By Diana Lodderhose

The big topic at this year's Cinema Expo was 3D cinema. As studios have started to throw their weight behind three-dimensional films, European exhibitors were encouraged to pick up the pace of 3D installation in cinemas in order to "save" the cinematic world.

Around a dozen 3D films are scheduled for release in the US in 2009 and exhibitors were given a sneak peak at a few of the titles, led by DreamWorks Animation's Monsters Vs Aliens. At the Paramount Pictures International product presentation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks, hailed 3D as the "greatest tool for movie-goers in the past 70 years" before showing audiences a few scenes from the sci-fi spoof, shown in Real D 3D (one of the leading 3D specialists in the US and the digital projection technology behind the $16.3m worldwide grossing U2 3D).

Katzenberg insisted the new 3D tools available were not gimmicks or tricks. "Digital 3D can create a sense of depth that pulls audiences into the story, making the whole experience more visceral and heightening the feeling of the movie."

Reaping the benefits of 3D

At the conference, Twentieth Century Fox co-presidents Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus encouraged the move toward 3D installation, arguing exhibitors would be able to reap the benefits of the third instalment of Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (out in the US on July 1, 2009), which is fully produced in 3D, before showing a teaser for the film.

And Walt Disney International president Anthony Marcoly touted the company's line-up including its 2009 release Bolt, a 3D animated feature about a dog who believes he has superpowers. Disney now has five 3D movies in different stages of production.

Meanwhile, digital cinema company Arts Alliance Media announced it will offer 3D showings of the Royal Opera House's Hansel And Gretel in its 2009 line-up of digital cinema programming for Europe and Australia.

But while most hailed the newest 3D technology and emphasised it was no longer a "passing fad", delegates in Amsterdam were also reminded that film quality was paramount and consumers would only return to 3D screens if the material on offer was of a high standard.

Anne-Marie Dumas, senior vice-president at Nielsen PreView, said 3D cinema was a "three-legged-stool operation", requiring co-operation not only from exhibitors and distributors, but consumers as well.

She added that the faster exhibitors and distributors took on board 3D cinema, the sooner consumers would adopt it. "The lines are blurring between home theatre and real theatres," she said.

"Homes are starting to catch up with the theatre experience - screen sizes are increasing and simultaneously there are more choices available, including digital, cable and DVD. Even surround-sound is starting to rival what is offered in the cinema."

A survey conducted by Nielsen found that one in every four cinema-goers have stopped going to the movies due to a drop in quality and an increase in prices.

Dumas suggested that while moving to 3D is expensive and takes time as it means moving to digital, it could be the "saving voice" for cinema, offering audiences something new and different. She even compared it to the transition from black and white to colour.

Based on analysis in the US - which accounts for 80% of 3D installation in the world - Nielsen found 5% of people in the US did not even realise 3D existed, despite having been around for nearly a century. A further 35% were aware of 3D but chose not to go, while 60% had been to a 3D film.

She urged increased awareness and education in the medium, saying there are 4,000 current or planned 3D installations to date.

Dumas added that JP Morgan forecasts there will be 7,000 3D installations by 2010, marking a 10% increase in attendance along with a $3.50 increase in ticket prices, which would translate to a 60% increase in revenue.

But while there was an apparent consensus that 3D and digital are both major factors in future growth in the cinematic world, only time can tell whether the numbers will match the forecasts.

 

MasterImage to supply 40+ 3D systems to UK exhibitor Empire

http://www.screendaily.com/5004128.article

30 July, 2009 | By Wendy Mitchell

Burbank, Calif.-based MasterImage USA has struck a 3D systems deal with the UK’s Empire Cinemas.

MasterImage will supply a minimum of 40 3D systems to Empire in coming months, marking MasterImage’s largest deal in Europe.

Empire Cinemas operates 144 screens at 16 locations across the UK, including the flagship Empire Leicester Square.

MasterImage recently installed 12 3D systems for Palace Cinemas in the Czech Republic and Hungary, and the company also has a 30-system commitment in Ireland. In total, MasterImage has 400+ systems installed or committeed in 22 countries.

“We chose MasterImage for its superior presentation quality and system reliability,” said Justin Ribbons, CEO of Empire Cinemas. “In addition, their exhibitor friendly business model makes for an easy expansion of this technology. We are pleased that our patrons will benefit from this alliance.”

Peter Koplik, COO of MasterImage, added: “Empire is an industry leader, and collaboration with the Empire team is an important vote of confidence for our company. We are thrilled that our global reach has helped create a strong 3D market.”

 

3D projects new vision for the movie industry Story Highlights

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/07/23/3D.cinema.business/

 

July 23, 2009 -- Updated 0752 GMT (1552 HKT)

 

By Nicolai Hartvig

For CNN

 

(CNN) -- It's being presented as the future of cinema and a movie-going revolution.

 

Specs appeal: 3D is on its way to being free of 3D glasses as the format is rapidly advancing.

 

 While literally adding a new dimension to cinema-goers' experience, 3D is also being touted as a means to help filmmakers reach new creative heights, make millions of dollars for Hollywood studios and curb the scourge of the industry -- piracy.

 

Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has likened the new 3D to the first sound and color in movies. Director James Cameron's $200 million-plus sci-fi epic "Avatar" is an expected genre-killer. The prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year opened with a 3D screening of Pixar's "Up".

 

But even as Hollywood studios and producers embrace digital 3D, they admit they are still learning how to use it.

 

"We've really gone past the point of seeing the technology as a barrier," Phil 'Captain 3D' McNally told CNN. McNally heads Dreamworks' drive to produce all its animated features in 3D after this year's blockbuster "Monsters vs. Aliens."

 

"The challenge now is 100 years of experience in how to make movies in 2D," said McNally, speaking of a movie industry that has spent its existence flattening the 3D of real life for the silver screen.

 

"As filmmakers, we have very little experience in thinking spatially, unlike a sculptor," he said.

 

"There's going to be great filmmakers that are going to deliver experiences like you've never seen before," said Jason Clark, a motion picture producer who helped launch Dreamworks' 3D foray and worked on "Monster House" and "Stuart Little," the first time a photorealistic character was spliced into a live action movie.

 

But "the storytelling is always king," Clark told CNN. "You can use these techniques to create a unique experience that makes that story impact on a more personal level with the audience. But it should never take away from the experience or lead the storytelling."

 

Creative boom or creative killer?

 

Filmmakers are greeting 3D with cautious excitement.

 

"2D is completely a mistake," said Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the Academy Award-nominated director of Babel, at a recent press conference in Seoul, South Korea.

 

"It's like when they criticized me because I use handheld, they said 'you're very gimmicky'," the director said of his preferred camera style. "The way I experience life is handheld. 3D is the way we experience life."

 

But, Inarritu noted, there was a risk that the technology could distract from the story's emotional catharsis, something that other creatives have also voiced concerns about.

 

"[3D] doesn't guarantee a success or a good movie or a good movie experience," said Syd Field, widely appreciated as a screenwriting guru. He noted that the talking pictures had their growing pains in the 1920's; Hollywood imported playwrights to craft dialogue but filmmakers paid more attention to cameras and sound recorders.

 

"As we learned to use the technology, then it began to become an art form," Field told CNN. "3D right now is at its infant stages."

 

The rise of digital cinema has given 3D its legs. Gone are the days of struggling to synch two separate projectors to create a 3D effect that would sometimes come with nausea or headaches. The iconic kitsch of the red and blue-lense cardboard glasses has been replaced by sleeker polarized aviator models. The future is 3D without glasses, delivered through autostereoscopic displays.

 

Digital projection is "rock steady" and could define how different generations take on 3D, said Clark.

 

"The way you interpret 3D images is that your brain looks at each separate image, the left and right image, and it stitches them together," Clark said, likening it to adults using muscles they don't normally use.

 

"But kids, it's all new to them, and they haven't had the painful experience of watching misaligned 3D in the 1970's, the 1980's, and the 1990's. So I think the experience for them is a lot easier to interpret."

 

It's no coincidence that animation is leading 3D releases, along with horror, Clark said, as the children who watched 2004's "Polar Express" are growing up. "Now you're going to have to deliver them different kinds of content. So your audience is growing."

 

Eyes on the prize

 

For theatre owners, studios and distributors, 3D appears a healthy cash cow, with higher-priced tickets helping titles gross up to three times as much as their 2D counterparts.

 

The United States will have around 3,000 3D screens by the end of this year when "Avatar" is scheduled for release, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). About 90 to 100 screens are being added every month, though theatre operators are pausing in a tight credit market.

 

"Movie theatre owners are highly conscious of the expense involved in installing a 3D system," said Patrick Corcoran, Director of Media & Research at NATO, noting that out of approximately 600 theatrical releases this year, only 12 to 15 will be offered in 3D.

 

"No one knows right now how big the market will be," Corcoran told CNN.

 

The studios are looking for scale. About "5,000 screens in 2,000 to 3,000 locations" is the tipping point that would allow an exclusively 3-D release, said McNally. "That point should be reached within one or two years."

 

Filling those theatres will be people who don't want to watch bootleg versions, Hollywood hopes, as 3D comes with a promise that it's hard to pirate.

 

"If you are really determined, you can make a copy of anything," said McNally, suggesting that 3-D movies could be recorded through the same kind of lenses used in 3-D glasses, but pirates would have to be "pretty serious" to pull it off.

 

The real deterrent appears to be the widening gap between home and theatre. Leaked DVD quality movies are being downloaded on better broadband Internet and played on surround-sound home entertainment systems. 3D promises to deliver a unique experience in theatres that could allow Hollywood to take something back. Studios and theatre owners insist there's no real comparison.

 

"Comedies are funnier when everybody's laughing. Movies are scarier when everybody's frightened. And that's something that can't be replicated in the home," Corcoran said.

 

"It comes down to the kind of enjoyment you want from your movie experience," McNally said, likening the choice to visiting the Grand Canyon or seeing a photograph, that "doesn't capture the sense of the place, the space, how you felt when you were there."