3D Geek Alert: Collect Your DESPICABLE ME 2 Special Edition 3D Glasses!

It's interesting to see what sort of custom glasses come out any given year as part of the marketing budget for various movies - all of which are invariably family movies. The next one coming down the pipe is DESPICABLE ME 2 which feature the glasses pictured. They remind me of the Pod Racer glasses that came out with STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D.

The DESPICABLE ME 2 glasses are coming to Best Buy (US) or look3D.com soon and they are exclusively for use in RealD 3D theaters. In addition to them being useable at the cinema, you can also use these passive 3D glasses with passive 3D electronics. This includes LG and Vizio home theater systems. Not for use in IMAX 3D or Dolby Digital 3D Cinemas. Not for use with Active 3D television systems.

FRAME MATERIAL: ABS Plastic with Elastic Strap
FRAME SIZE: Fits Kids / Youth / Adult
LENS SPECS: REALD Certified
RETAIL PRICE: AUD $12.95
COMES WITH: DM2 Branded Soft Cloth Bag and Retail Blister Packed

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster, DESPICABLE ME, delighted audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In Summer 2013, get ready for more minion madness in DESPICABLE ME 2. Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions… and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

DESPICABLE ME 2 opens on July 3, 2013.

3D Geek Alert: Check Out The New HOBBIT Themed RealD 3D Glasses!

Check out these HOBBIT themed RealD glasses that may or may not make it to North American shores. Definitely a striking piece of work! An Italian movie website came up with the image and it looks authentic enough.

To me it looks like an ancient dwarven design - kinda cool to collect I would imagine. I'll be adding it to my burgeoning 3D glasses collection if I can get my hands on a pair!

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens on December 14.

Source: HobbitFilm.it via Collider

Optional Branded 3D Glasses Set For THE AVENGERS Launch!

Very cool! The IRON MAN glasses actually remind me of the Gas-can type of 3D glasses that Oakley sent me for TINTIN - although obviously the optics and quality in the Oakley are far superior.

Check out the branded options for Thor, Hulk and Captain America as well! These glasses should make their way to theaters worldwide, seeing as though the source of this image is from a great Italian film site, BadTaste.it. Note that the cinema tech branded on the side is RealD which is the leader in US installations, but not worldwide. Wondering if MasterImage3D and/or others will be involved too?

Note that these glasses will incur an additional cost - but to me it would be worth it as you can reuse them over and over, just like the Ingra:Dahl glasses that are on the left side of this site.

Which style do you prefer? I think I would go for the Iron Man version first followed by Thor. Kinda cool that Hulk's glasses has what seems to be a furrowed eyebrows on the top!

3D Geek Alert: AMC To Supply Podracer 3D Glasses, Darth Maul Face Painting And More!

Clearly some deep thought has gone into the marketing of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D by not only Lucasfilm but the AMC Theater chain.

What's a pure STAR WARS fan truly want to remember a special event? Collectibles! During opening weekend, all 3D ticket holders for MENACE will receive a new Hasbro STAR WARS Fighter Pod. While supplies last.

Further, a select 10 AMC Theaters will host activities, giveaways and interactive experiences:
- Exclusive Anakin Skywalker Podracer 3D glasses (these look awesome!)
- A LEGO feature area
- Darth Maul face painting! What does YOUR Sith look like?
- Special character appearances for photos
- Demos of the upcoming STAR WARS game using Kinect technology

Here are those 10 special AMC locations - have a look:
Atlanta: AMC Southlake 24
Boston: AMC Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20
Chicago: AMC South Barrington 30
Denver: AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Los Angeles: AMC Tustin 14 at The District, AMC Ontario Mills 30
New York: AMC Empire 25, AMC Garden State 16
Phoenix: AMC Mesa Grand 24
San Francisco: AMC Emeryville Bay Street 16

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D hyperdrives into theaters on February 10.

NEW! MarketSaw Is Now Offering Ingri:Dahl 3D Glasses! Exclusive Discount 10% Code!!

Hey guys - check out the new links on the left side of MarketSaw for our new partnership with Ingri:Dahl 3D Glasses!

The timing is perfect now that studios are considering backing out of paying for the free cheap 3D glasses you use at the theaters today. In fact Sony has already stated that they are backing off - so there will be upcoming fees for 3D glasses anyway. You might as well buy something that you actually can shop for and enjoy. And if you didn't already realize, Europeans ALREADY pay for their 3D glasses.

Ingri:Dahl have a wonderful selection of affordable and fashionable glasses that really do catch your eye. I have resisted partnering with previous companies as they didn't quite "get it", but these guys do.

Further, we are offering their outstanding fashion 3D glasses at an exclusive 10% off the normal retail rate of $29.50!

When you click on the links you are redirected to your email client pre-populated with my email address *jim(at)marketsaw(dot)com* so that you can contact me for that 10% off code.

Have a look at their products right here. Enjoy!!

Launch Of INGRIDAHL.COM - Fashionable 3D Glasses

Ingri:Dahl is pleased to announce the launch of www.ingridahl.com. Ingri:Dahl designs and sells exclusive, top quality 3D glasses. “Either on a date or just hanging out with friends, we want our designs to make people feel fashionable while watching 3D,” say founders Kine and Einy Paulsen.

A couple of years ago, the twins Kine and Einy Paulsen set their eyes on the 3D screen through awkward 3D glasses. In that very moment, they decided that something had to change. Born and raised in Norway, where Scandinavian design is prominent, they turned to each other and wondered why they had to watch a $500 million movie through a pair of someone else's oddly shaped glasses. With that thought, Ingri:Dahl was created – a new brand combining elements of entertainment, fashion, and technology. Ironically, the 3D effect is created by merging two identical pictures, just as the twins have merged their talents to create fashionable 3D glasses.

The twins have been inspired by classic Hollywood, both in terms of design and company name. The first style released was named “James” after James Dean, and the company name “Ingri:Dahl” is a homage to the twins’ childhood heroes from Scandinavia: Ingrid Bergman and Roald Dahl.

Ingri:Dahl glasses are currently only available online on www.ingridahl.com, but will soon be sold in select stores. The glasses sell for $29.50. All glasses are compatible with all screens using passive 3D technology, meaning RealD and MasterImage theaters and the newest 3D TVs by LG, Vizio, Toshiba and JVC.

Kine and Einy Paulsen (pictured) recently graduated from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business with degrees in finance and accounting respectively, but have always had an interest in the fashion and entertainment industry. Therefore, this recent business venture is the perfect merge of their interests.

Good luck to you Kine and Einy!

Sony Raises Eyebrow At NATO: Intends To Stop Paying For 3D Glasses For Movie Goers - Here's The Simple Solution...

Honestly I don't know what the big deal is here. Seriously. The National Association Of Theater Owners (NATO) seems to be on their high haunches as much as Sony is here in that they each want the other to pay when the answer is perfectly clear.

The cost of a pair of RealD 3D glasses is about 50 cents. Read that again, 50 CENTS. Sure amplified over millions of seats and the cost is significant so both sides are going ballistic, but this cost of 50 cents is insignificant to you and me as theater goers as we can RE-USE our glasses anytime we want without fear of someone else's fingers being all over them previously.

The model I speak offer here is purely borrowed from airlines. When we board a plane in economy you can expect to pay for headsets to view the entertainment - unless you bring your own. Makes perfect sense. Sure you have the choice to NOT view the entertainment if you don't want to which defeats the purpose in going to a theater, but you are not paying $3 to $5 for it either! We are taking 50 cents here folks. Big deal.

So lets drop with the Hollywood dramatics and let customers buy their own for a couple of quarters. Heck, theater owners can up-sell them with branded pairs if they want to do so. Further, we'll see increased reuse of glasses which is better for the environment. But lets stop making a problem where there is none. Let's focus on maintaining the quality of our 3D releases (STUDIOS!!!) and making sure the illumination of the projectors are on standard or above (THEATER OWNERS!!!) and not being distracted with foolishness.

Now THIS Is Cool 3D Marketing To Kids! They Will Be Watching TRANSFORMERS This Summer With 3D Helmets On!!

So cool. Hasbro has outdone themselves this time - not only have they embraced the new trend for 3rd party 3D glasses, they went ahead and integrated the lenses into TRANSFORMERS helmets that kids can wear to see the movie this summer! For those unacquanted, the yellow helmet would be Bumblebee and the blue Optimus Prime.

The helmet/glasses will be RealD theater compatible and work with most passive S3DHD television sets too.

They're called Transformers Cine-Power 3D Masks and they will sell for $9.99 - affordable for most! Look for them on shelves starting May 16 leaving about a month and a half before TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON opens nationwide.

Thanks for the PCMag link Tim!

My question is not how many kids will be wearing these things, but how many ADULTS?

MasterImage 3D Launches Kid-Sized Glasses And New Hollywood Headquarters

Some cool news from fast growing MasterImage 3D who supply theatrical 3D systems worldwide: New kid's glasses AND new digs.

Here are their press releases (emphasis is mine): MasterImage 3D, the fastest-growing supplier of digital 3D cinema systems, now offers smaller kid-sized 3D glasses designed to give children the best possible 3D experience in MasterImage 3D-equipped theaters.

The company’s new kid-sized 3D glasses began shipping worldwide this month, just in time for the wide slate of family-friendly 3D movies opening during the holiday season — from Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole to Tangled, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Nutcracker in 3D, Megamind, and Gulliver’s Travels.

Designed to sit securely on children’s smaller faces, the kid-sized MasterImage 3D glasses are fitted with the same advanced, circular polarized lenses as the company’s full-sized glasses. With this new offering, MasterImage 3D now provides theaters with three 3D glasses options: Single-use and reusable adult-sized glasses, and single-use kid-sized glasses.

“With so many 3D features aimed at families, the overall 3D theater experience has to be enjoyable for everyone,” said MasterImage 3D CEO and Chairman, Younghoon Lee. “MasterImage’s kid-sized glasses are light and right-sized, so they don’t slip off and pull kids — and parents — out of the story. Our goal is to help everyone enjoy the experience of 3D.”
MasterImage 3D has also expanded its headquarters with a move today into new offices at Raleigh Studios. Located in the heart of Hollywood, MasterImage 3D’s new residence in the long-standing independent studio doubles its footprint and gives the company in-house access to its premiere demonstration and customer training venue, the Charlie Chaplin theatre, which is equipped with the MasterImage digital 3D cinema system.

**AND**

MasterImage 3D’s new headquarters at 5300 Melrose Ave. is located in the Studio’s West Office Building. It houses executive, sales and marketing offices, an on-site depot and customer support space and dedicated R&D for the company’s auto-stereoscopic (glasses-free) 3D displays. Primary R&D and manufacturing continue to be based in Seoul, Korea and the company maintains regional sales offices in Pinewood Studios, UK; Tokyo, Japan; and Beijing, China.

MasterImage 3D CEO and Chairman Younghoon Lee said, “We needed a facility with the resources that could serve both our growing number of theaters in North America and our expanding employee base. Raleigh Studios offered us a flexible setup, and with our 3D digital cinema system installed on the premises we’re able to bring interested theater owners right in to see the technology. It’s important that we’re in a studio setting with a full theater experience so we can better work with our customers and content producers alike as we continue to evolve our technology.”

MasterImage 3D provides pioneering 3D solutions for theaters, mobile devices and gaming. With 2,500 cinema systems installed in 40 countries, MasterImage 3D is the fastest-growing digital 3D cinema system supplier, offering audiences the best, brightest 3D experience while providing exhibitors with a compelling ownership-based pricing model. The company’s auto-stereoscopic display technology enabled one of the world’s first glasses-free 3D mobile phones and its 3D camera ASIC empowers users to create and share 3D content. MasterImage 3D is gearing up to deploy its 3D display units with multiple mobile device manufacturers worldwide with product expected to hit the market in 2011. The company was founded in 2004, is privately held.

I love working with these guys! The child sized glasses were absolutely needed and I am so glad to hear that their offices are moving and growing to suit their needs, especially the Charlie Chaplin Theater. Onward and upward!

MasterImage 3D is a sponsor of MarketSaw.

Oakley Opens Eyes With Designer 3D Eyewear Launch! Coming Before The Holidays...

Great news! Sunglasses manufacturer Oakley announced they are launching a line of optically correct 3D glasses! Oakley is utilizing a curved lens system that allows you to view the entire screen without moving your head; they call it "Panoramic Perception". Supposedly the glasses enhance the alignment and clarity of 3D images and will be available before the holidays this year.

The photo shows Jeffrey Katzenberg of Dreamworks Animation holding a pair of Oakley 3D glasses. I will have more images of the glasses when they are made available.

Here is the full press release:
Oakley, Inc. has announced that it has engineered innovative new 3D eyewear that both complements and optimizes the technology used in the majority of 3D movie theaters around the world. The company’s proprietary frame innovations have been combined with lens technologies that will maximize the 3D experience with an unrivaled level of performance. Taking advantage of Oakley’s new HDO-3D™ technology, premium editions in the new line will be the first 3D eyewear on Earth with optically correct lenses.

“Oakley once again confirms that it’s a truly extraordinary brand,” commented Andrea Guerra, CEO of Luxottica, Oakley’s parent company. “We are very proud of this technological breakthrough, which is the result of our outstanding R&D activities and which we believe will drive the evolution of the whole category.”

“Oakley 3D eyewear will be a milestone in 3D entertainment,” said Oakley CEO Colin Baden. “Through our products and partnerships, Oakley will set the standard for optical performance in 3D.”

Baden continued, “We have been collaborating with key industry partners for some time, including making use of DreamWorks Animation’s facility for testing purposes. Oakley is developing a premium product segment with a range of 3D eyewear offerings, and our R&D has achieved unparalleled visual clarity while extending the wearer’s peripheral viewing angle and providing truer alignment of 3D images. This is in addition to the quality, comfort, durability and precise fit of Oakley frame technology, along with styling that sets the high mark for today’s eyewear designs.”

Baden added, “With shutter-based 3D systems, you’re wearing glasses with added weight because they hold a battery, and it requires recharging. Oakley 3D eyewear utilizes the popular system known as ‘passive polarized’ to let the lenses do the job with no need for a battery.”

“It is inspiring that a company with such a rich heritage of innovation has entered into the 3D entertainment market,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO and Director of DreamWorks Animation. “With all of our work in creating 3D cinematic experiences, we are thrilled that Oakley has advanced the performance of 3D lenses to help audiences get the most out of these films with superior clarity and color,” Katzenberg concluded.

Oakley 3D eyewear will be available prior to the 2010 holiday season. It will initially be sold through premium optical distribution channels in the U.S., followed by a global launch in 2011.

Oakley is pursuing partnerships with manufacturers of home 3D systems that utilize passive polarization. This will allow consumers to use the same eyewear for home and cinema 3D entertainment.

Oakley will provide a range of 3D eyewear designs to address the scope of needs and desires of movie enthusiasts, aficionados and those who will utilize Oakley 3D eyewear for home systems. For its premium editions of this eyewear, the company invented HDO-3D. Oakley High Definition Optics® (HDO®) was developed to give athletes the highest possible levels of clarity and visual performance, and now HDO-3D will do the same for audiences all over the globe as they experience 3D entertainment with a never-before-seen degree of fidelity.

In addition to the first optically correct 3D eyewear in the world, Oakley has achieved the first 3D lenses ever made with high-wrap curvature, essential for maximizing the wearer’s field of vision. A full panoramic view can be experienced without the need to turn one’s head in order to see what is happening at the corners of the theater screen.

The proprietary optical technologies of Oakley 3D lenses are combined with the company’s industry-leading frame innovations. Oakley 3D eyewear is composed of durable yet lightweight materials. The company’s renowned Three-Point Fit retains the lenses in precise optical align ment and keeps the frame comfortably in place without the unbalanced pressure points common with ordinary frames.

Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company’s optical innovations.

I have been waiting for this announcement! Time to start bringing my own 3D glasses to movies...

Germs On 3D Glasses! The Sky Is Falling!! Or Not...

Perhaps you have read the sensationalistic headlines lately: "Scary Bacteria Found On 3D Glasses!" (Original story found at Good Housekeeping). Don't be fooled. In most instances, this is a non-story and I am surprised so many media outlets picked it up. I was not going to publish it at all but I have had a few people come to me with the story so I want to set the record straight, at least from MarketSaw's point of view.

The headline and story are blown way out of proportion. Yes there are germs on 3D glasses. These are the same germs that are found EVERYWHERE. That is why we have an immune system that can deal with day to day germs. ABC News at least got it right:

"If you swab the popcorn box, arm rests on the seats, door handles leading into the theater and the coinage you get in change at the concession stand, you'll find the same distribution of germs."

"We could culture many features of our inanimate environment and find entirely similar results."

"Overall, doctors said they felt the study overstated the risk involved in wearing these glasses."

In the end, if you want to wipe out about 95% of the germs that are found on 3D glasses - or anything else for that matter (theater chair arms, popcorn boxes, door handles, etc) - use an alcohol wipe. The same germs are EVERYWHERE. We live with them everyday and there is no need for alarm.

Honestly, what a waste of time and effort for sites to publish this story. Now you know the truth. It would not be a bad idea to carry some wipes with you - I may do that too. But there is no cause for concern for the average moviegoer.

Short Survey: 3D Glasses

Jim here. I just got an email from a USC student doing a research project on 3D glasses and wanted to have MarketSaw readers have a look at a survey he has created on that subject.

How about it guys? Let's help this guy out! Survey can be found here and is a quick 10 questions.

Any questions - just leave them here in comments. I will publish results if I can.

Quick Post: Reuse or Recycle Those 3D Glasses!

RealD GOES GREEN WITH WALT DISNEY PICTURES’ “BOLT”

Los Angeles (October 14, 2008) – When Walt Disney Pictures’ newest animated comedy adventure BOLT opens Nov. 21, 2008, audiences in more than 1,000 theatres will not only enjoy a family film about an action-star dog who believes he has superpowers, they will be able to able to see it in RealD 3D, then – with no superpowers required – help save the earth by recycling their 3D glasses in the theater.

With the opening of BOLT, RealD is expanding a comprehensive eyewear recycling program, available for moviegoers to deposit their glasses after seeing a film. However, moviegoers will continue to have the option of keeping their glasses as a souvenir to remember their RealD movie experience. Since RealD launched as a company, recycling its glasses has been a goal. When JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH opened in July, it began a successful pilot program with several exhibitor partners, leading to the new comprehensive program. There are over 30 3D films already announced to be released within the next three years.

“Like any successful recycling program, it’s about making it easy for people to recycle,” stated Michael V. Lewis, RealD chairman and CEO. “We appreciate the participation of our exhibitor partners and know that audiences will appreciate the convenience as well.”


About the Movie

For super-dog BOLT (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of MILEY CYRUS). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of SUSIE ESSMAN) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of MARK WALTON) -- Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. Directed by Disney veterans Chris Williams and Byron Howard, BOLT is a hilarious, fun-filled, action-packed animated comedy adventure in Disney Digital 3-D.

RealD is the global leader in 3D, bringing the most advanced and enjoyable digital 3D experience to cinemas worldwide. RealD’s next-generation technology, deployed across the world’s largest 3D platform in 27 countries with more than 1,400 installations worldwide, provides a stunningly realistic viewing experience. The impact of 3D upon today’s moviemaking has been compared to the advent of color film when once there was only black and white. Beyond cinema, RealD is the worldwide inventor and provider of key stereoscopic technologies used in science, manufacturing, marketing, and other industries, with thirty years of scientific development behind its systems. RealD’s mission-critical 3D visualization technologies are used by organizations such as NASA, Pfizer, BMW, Boeing and more. For more information, visit www.RealD.com.

Hey, it's a great idea to recycle those glasses if you do not intend on bringing them back for your next 3D movie like I do. If people can remember to bring them back for the next 3D trip, then reusing the glasses is the best option. I did not see a 3D glasses recycle box at my last 3D movie screening, but obviously that is not an indicator for the rest of the world. Let's get in the habit now, rather than later! Reuse or recycle please!

3DFF Will Have 3D Film & Interactive Lounge: iZ3D To Provide Gaming Stations

iZ3D is a Sponsor of the World’s First Digital 3-D Film and Interactive Festival

Company will provide 3D Gaming Stations in “The 3-D Film & Interactive Lounge”

San Diego, Calif. (October 8, 2008) – iZ3D, LLC, designer, developer, and pioneer of advanced 3D visualization systems, is pleased to announce that it is among the notable 3D industry sponsors of the world’s first digital “3-D Film & Interactive Festival” (3DFF). The festivities will begin on October 10 – 12, 2008 in Orlando, Florida and will continue October 17 – 19 in Cocoa Beach via “The 3-D Film & Interactive Lounge.”The event is slated to be the first competitive, entirely digital 3D stereoscopic  film festival in the world. For more information visit www.3DFF.org.

“3DFF is pleased to have iZ3D and its popular 3D monitors as a sponsor. The key to driving new technologies forward is great content. By educating and honoring 3D content pioneers as well as innovative technologists and groundbreaking hardware companies, we will further the entire entertainment industry. We are hoping these events will also generate funds for our 3-D Film Preservation Fund dedicated to finding, conserving, restoring and ultimately digitizing historical 3D films,” commented The Dream Factory Studio’s Chief Creative Officer and Founder of 3DFF Christopher Crescitelli.

iZ3D will be featured during the 3DFF festivities in the Cocoa Beach Hilton Oceanfront for its three- day Space Coast Edition  from October 17 through October 19. The venue will feature “The 3-D Film & Interactive Lounge” where attendees will learn about advanced 3D displays and 3D video game presentations by leading 3D technology companies. The “3-D Film & Interactive Lounge” will also tour the film festival circuit as part of a 3D outreach program.

 "As a pioneer in this industry, iZ3D is pleased to support events that educate content creators on the benefits of stereoscopic 3D imagery to help them tell a story. We feel 3DFF’s non-profit initiative to acknowledge up and coming independent 3D producers and directors, emerging gaming technologies and other new content creators will propel the entire 3D industry forward,” remarked Thomas Striegler, CEO of iZ3D, LLC.

 iZ3D monitors feature significant advantages over other 3D display systems. Gamers that want to experience spectacular game graphics will appreciate playing in stereoscopic 3D. Graphic artists have embraced the iZ3D monitor as an essential tool for 3D design. It is difficult to create images in 3D while viewing the design on a flat 2D screen.  Movie buffs can now bring the thrill of a 3D movie to their home theater system.

 The company developed this technology to create an adjustable 3D environment without eyestrain, spatial disorientation, or headaches. In 3D mode, viewers can see sharp 3D images and video by wearing iZ3D passive polarized glasses. Existing PCs equipped with a dual-output video card powers the display. Specifications include: 1680 x 1050 resolution; up to 170-degree 3D viewing angle; 5ms response time; 700:1 contrast ratio; and 16.7-million colors. The monitor is available at www.pcmall.com, http://www.amazon.com and www.iZ3D.com.

 About 3-D Film & Interactive Festival (3DFF)

3DFF is noted as the first digital 3-D film & interactive festival program of its kind in the United States. 3DFF’s non-profit initiative, whose mission is to educate and inspire independent filmmakers to use 3-D as a new tool for telling their stories, will becomposed of 3-D animated and live action film screenings, red carpet events, technology displays, and educational panels. The festival operates as a non-profit 501(c)3 through a fiscal partnership with the Women In Film organization (Las Vegas Chapter).

 About iZ3D, LLC

iZ3D™ LLC is a leading innovator of 3D stereoscopic viewing display solutions. In addition to the design and marketing of 3D LCD displays, the company enables 3D content creation, and promotes the accelerated proliferation of 3D for entertainment and professional applications.

 

To present an uncompromised 3D experience, the company’s approach to 3D stereoscopic viewing includes optimizing solutions for gaming, home entertainment, and professional applications. Each solution is compatible with multiple graphics cards and includes iZ3D high-performance LCD displays, lightweight passive polarized glasses, and blazingly fast software.

 

The company is also developing next generation solutions and enabling content for home entertainment and professional applications needing 3D displays to view movies, photos, and 3-dimensional graphics with amazing depth, brightness, and resolution.

 

iZ3D was formed as joint venture of Taiwan-based Chi Mei Optoelectronics, a worldwide leader in TFT-LCD manufacturing and Neurok Optics LLC, a US-based 3D technology developer and marketing company. The company distributes its products at the iZ3D online store and through major online and retail outlets. Visit www.iz3d.com or call 858.646.3015 for more information.

If you are at the show - be sure to check out the 3D Lounge!

NVIDIA Pushes Stereo 3-D Gaming with New Glasses & Drivers

Hey folks, Michael here.  I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on what NVIDIA is up to regarding solutions for stereoscopic gaming.  If all goes according to plan, by the end of this year they will have their own brand of active shutter glasses on the market which, when combined with a PC computer system utilizing one of their 3-D Driver inclusive GPUs (NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT GPU or better), will enable high quality stereo gaming on 120hz televisions. The system should work with all Direct X 7, 8, 9, and 10 games by rendering left and right eye views for each game-frame.

The 120hz display is important to a flawless 3-D experience because it allows 60 fps per eye--a high frame rate necessary to avoid eye strain. By comparison, digital cinema projectors rigged for 3-D run at 72 fps per eye.

NIVIDIA is also participating in the ongoing discussions amongst various entertainment industry groups to help enable a new standard for 3-D movies and television at home.

Read much more about NVIDIA's stereoscopic plans in the following interviews with Andrew Fear, product manager of NVIDIA's Stereoscopic 3-D Solutions:

GameCyte interview

MaximumPC interview

How about Designer 3D Glasses? Ray-Ban Wayfarers Never Looked So Good!

According to Variety, the Luxottica Group have recently partnered with Kerner Optical with the intent to deliver designer 3D glasses to movie audiences late this year. Luxxottica owns the Ray-Ban brand, which in turn is responsible for the world famous - and timeless - Wayfarer frames.

Yuska Siuicki, a founder of Kerner Optical, enthuses:

"You will be using these high-end Ray-Ban glasses at home, on your computer and TV, and then you'll stick them in your pocket and take them to the theater. They are much more comfortable than what is out there now, and the lenses will soon be available in prescription. This space is exploding."

PLEASE NOTE: Current prescription glasses wearers who have trouble with fitting the theater glasses over there own now have another option: PRESCRIPTION 3D GLASSES!

Honestly I saw this coming a long time ago, but who can compete with companies that have the manufacturing facilities in place and the brands to exploit. Not me! I say good on you Luxottica; I will definitely be looking to acquire a pair. Wayfarers rock.

Source: IGN