Check Out Cool New 3D Television Shows From Beampath3D!

Check out some cool new 3D television shows that Beampath3D has produced. These guys are serious about 3D and have lined up some very interesting stuff! Namely, a 3D shark documentary entitled SHARK DEFENDERS, a paranormal 3D series called ANOMALY 3D and a children's 3D television show - DOLPHIN LIFE 3D.

Here's the synopsis for SHARK DEFENDERS: 
Monsters lurk in our oceans...
...and they are slaughtering an estimated 250,000 sharks PER DAY.
Shark Defenders 3D is the first made-for-3DTV documentary to chronicle research and conservation efforts to save rapidly diminishing shark populations. Coming soon to Next3D and other 3D TV outlets. Check back soon to view the Shark Defenders 3D trailer and for air dates. 

Here's the synopsis for ANOMALY 3D:
Anomaly is the worlds-first 3D television program to focus on the paranormal and unexplained. Anomaly uses never-before-seen 3D night vision cameras and new production techniques to immerse viewers in the world’s most unusual and frightening locations. The show’s 1-hour docu-reality format is fast paced, entertaining and often chilling. You can download a preview of the show here, including 2D options if you're not set up for S3D yet.

In order to accomplish what Beampath3D have done to date, they have had to put on their inventor's hat as well. They have come up with some very cool technology to assist them in their 3D content creation including a NightVision Beamsplitter (clearly needed for ANOMALY 3D), a 4K Red Scarlet Beamsplitter and 3DHD Underwater capabilities.

You can catch these shows in 3D through Next3D, a company who delivers stereoscopic content to the home at the highest quality, over broadband, cable and satellite connections. They are a pay-per-view service with absolutely no monthly subscriptions or contracts. You need a broadband Internet connection, a PC + graphics card + NVIDIA's 3DVision or 3DTV Play software, 3D glasses, and a 3D-ready TV, projector or monitor. Next3D delivers these shows, plus movies, documentaries, sports and concerts too.

If you've got the equipment - check them out! I'll have more updates from these guys as it happens - they have some very cool things percolating!

PassmoreLab’s Acclaimed 3D Films Coming to NVIDIA’s 3DVisionLive.com

Extreme Sports Films, Nature Docs and Cult Classic “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D” Available on 3DVisionLive.com in April!

San Diego, CA (Feb 29, 2011) (emphasis is mine) – The latest titles from PassmoreLab’s extensive library of 3D content will soon be available online to fans worldwide. Today, the San Diego-based 3D film studio announced that it has licensed a number of its latest 3D films to NVIDIA for 3DVisionLive.com, the company’s 3D online community and content destination.

3DVisionLive.com is an online community where NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ technology users can enjoy and share a broad range of 3D content on their PCs. It allows them to stream 3D films, trailers, music videos, sport clips, and video shorts, as well as upload, share and view full-resolution 3D photos.

“The mission of 3DVisionLive.com is to bring great 3D experiences to 3D Vision users and ultimately provide a marketplace for great 3D content,” said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision, NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is delighted to have PassmoreLab join the growing list of high-quality 3D content available for the world to enjoy easily inside their web browser.”

The licensing agreement consists of seven titles from PassmoreLab, with more to follow. Specifically, the titles include:
• The original 1968 George Romero zombie thriller “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!”
• Ed Wood’s 1959 cult classic “Plan 9 from Outer Space, Now in 3D!”
• Science documentaries “The Extreme Nature of Bats” and “Microworlds”
• Extreme downhill skateboard racing documentary “DROP 3D: My Life Downhill”
• Extreme snowmobile documentary “S:4 The Product”
• The PassmoreLab original animated short “Holy Moly”

“The adoption rate of 3D PCs is outpacing all other 3D delivery devices,” said Greg Passmore, president of PassmoreLab. “Working with NVIDIA is significant because it means our content will now be enjoyed on notebooks and desktops anywhere in the world.”

Analysts estimate about 75M 3D PCs will be sold per year within five years. (Source: Jon Peddie Research, 75 million PCs in 2014). The 3D Vision ecosystem now includes 1,000 products, including notebook and desktop PCs, displays, TVs, projectors, video applications, cameras/camcorders, GPUs, games, and the world’s first online 3D community – 3DVisionLive.com.

“It’s an exciting time for 3D, as art and technology continue to gain new ground,” said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab’s Head of Branding & Distribution. “As consumers, now we can all enjoy 3D anytime, wherever we happen to be – in offices, coffee shops, or sidewalk cafes.”

To experience PassmoreLab’s 3D films via 3DVisionLive.com, users will need a compatible NVIDIA® GeForce™ GPU-equipped PC, a 3D Vision Ready monitor and NVIDIA’s 3D Vision active shutter glasses and software, which are available for purchase at the NVIDIA store. A complete list of system requirements can be found at: http://www.3dvisionlive.com/requirements

About PassmoreLab
Passmorelab, the San Diego-based multi-media 3D production studio, has the world’s largest library of 3D content available for licensing. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions. Passmorelab’s proprietary technology for state-of-the-art 3D post-production is known in the industry for quick turnaround times and competitive costs. Additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. More at www.passmorelab.com, or contact Steve Glum (steve(at)passmorelab(dot)com, 858.200.5813.

Great to hear this news! PassmoreLab's award winning S3D content is a pleasure to watch. More when I get it!

PassmoreLab is a sponsor of MarketSaw

Got NVIDIA's 3D Vision? Check Out 3DVisionLive For 3D Streaming!!

Awesome! If you would like some more 3D content to enjoy at home on your NVIDIA 3D Vision powered computer, check out their new streaming site 3DVisionLive!

To ensure you have the latest drivers to play the content be sure to drop here. Once set up, it is glorious to behold! Watch anything from MUMMIES 3D: SECRETS OF THE PHARAOHS to the RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE trailer - all in S3D.

If you haven't got 3D Vision yet, what's taking you so long? :-) The 3D gaming alone is worth it! Buy it here.

Gaming Giant Ubisoft Forsees a 50% Marketshare For 3D By 2012!!

You read that right! Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, spoke the company line during a conference call this week and said that he expects 15-20% of gaming titles will adopt 3D in 2011 and 50% in 2012!

Personally I believe he is bang on. With Sony's Playstation going 3D (looks like KILLZONE 3 will be S3D!), Nintendo coming out with their "no 3D glasses required" 3DS by March 2011 (more info here) and NVIDIA excelling with their 3D Vision technology for the PC, we are witnessing a 3D gaming renaissance.

I can't get enough of it really. I run NVIDIA's setup here in my office and it rocks! Every new title seems to better the previous one as developers master new techniques and start to envision in 3D what will happen on screen for gamers. You have got to try it!!

METRO 2033 To Support NVIDIA's 3D Vision, DX11 !!

Jim here. THQ and NVIDIA have announced that METRO 2033 will be supported by the graphics card maker's 3D Vision technology. Further, PhysX will also be featured.

METRO 2033 is a first person shooter that will make use of the most advanced DirectX 11 techniques ever seen.

Click images to zoom.

"Our engineers have been working closely with 4A Games to ensure that Metro 2033 takes full advantage of some of the spectacular effects made possible with the next generation of DX11 hardware," said Tony Tamasi, SVP, Content & Technology at NVIDIA. "The 4A Engine is one of the most advanced game engines we’ve ever worked with, and with DX11 enabled, Metro 2033 is undoubtedly one of the best looking PC games of 2010. Combine this with NVIDIA 3D Vision and PhysX and you will experience mind-blowing visuals."

The METRO 2033 video game is set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands.

In 2013, the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.

The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside.

You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond your Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.

Man, this sounds like a ton o' fun. I will be definitely checking this out with my 3D Vision system the second it is out.

Look for METRO 2033 in PC and Xbox 360 formats on March 16 in North America and Germany, March 18 in Australia and March 19 for the UK and Europe.

NVIDIA Expanding 3D Ecosystem! 3D Gaming Set To Explode...

Jim here. It's happening! Next up of course is the upcoming launch of the ASUS G51J3D in December with it's 15.6" screen. If you happen to be in New York City tomorrow (Nov 19), check out the Wine, Dine & Demo which is focused on the ASUS laptop. Go to www.pepcom.com for more details.

We are now getting word on other OEMs (Manufacturers) that are joining the "3D Ecosystem": LG, Clevo, CPT and MSI to name a few. LG is building the next generation of 120Hz notebook panels with full support for the NVIDIA 3D Ecosystem, while the others will have S3D laptops emerging very soon.

From CNN: "We are extremely excited about bringing the first NVIDIA 3D Vision notebook to market," said PC Wang, Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Notebook Business Unit, System Business Group at ASUS. "NVIDIA and ASUS have a passion for gaming and cutting-edge technology, and this is another example of how great companies working together can deliver awesome new platforms to our combined customers."

"NVIDIA 3D Vision is by far the most immersive, highest quality, full-resolution stereoscopic 3D technology available today," said Ryan Chung, Chief Director of Notebook Business Unit of CPT. "This is an exciting time for users, who will finally be able to see their games, movies and pictures with true 3D depth."

"LG Display is planning to fully support NVIDIA 3D Vision technology with our next generation of 120Hz notebook panels," said David Choi, Vice President, LG Display.

"We look forward to bringing NVIDIA 3D Vision-capable notebooks to the market," said Stephen Chien, WW Sales and Marketing VP at Clevo. "The era of 3D is upon us, and immersive 3D gaming and movie-watching is indeed an exciting proposition."

"NVIDIA 3D Vision is the best 3D technology available today," said Vincent Sung, VP of Notebook Engineering team at MSI. "We are excited about developing new MSI notebooks that offer this awesome technology and bring 3D gaming and movies to the masses." "NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology provides the best 3D experience that we have seen, and we look forward to bringing this technology to market on notebook panels," said SH Moon, Vice President, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung LCD Division is fully behind NVIDIA's 3D Vision ecosystem."

There is obviously a tremendous corporate movement going on here and in the right direction. I have been an active shutter advocate for home S3D gaming for years now. It's finally coming to fruition and I couldn't be happier. Who is going to win? Gamers. Stay tuned!

3D Gaming Takes Off On Laptops! 3D Vision Leading The Way

Jim here. Acer has some competition now. Asus is coming out with TWO new 3D gaming laptops outfitted with NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology - so active shutter glasses. Active Shutter is the best option for gaming and home entertainment at this point and simply blows away Acer's entry (that uses polarization and a thin film on the computer screen). Asus' has much better 3D performance according to Reg Hardware.

The G51J3D will be released in December using NVIDIA's GeForce GTX160M graphics chip with 1GB of dedicated DDR 3 memory and a 15.6" screen.

The G72GX will see light in Q2, 2010 with a 17.3" screen. The GPU is still under wraps at this point. Both versions will utilize Intel's Core i7 CPUs with 4GB memory and 2 x 320 HDD.

Would love to test the larger unit out! Being able to pack up and move your 3D gaming system is great for visiting friends and setting up a quick "same room" session. More on these products when I get it!

First Impressions: RESIDENT EVIL 5 In Stereoscopic 3D Vision!

Jim here. WOW. I am stunned at how great RESIDENT EVIL 5 looks! To those of you not in the know, I just finished building my stereoscopic 3D gaming PC (powered by NVIDIA's GTX 285 and 3D Vision technology) and the first thing I put on it was this awesome zombie hunting game!

I will have a full review soon, but I wanted to share with you my first thoughts. Once I finished downloading the game with my Steam client, I was up and running very quickly (a brief side trip to create my Windows Live gaming account).

Right from the get-go I was into it: The menu screens have floating 'spores' that float in front of the text and man was it impressive. Getting right to gameplay, they have done an outstanding job. Small details like the sun giving a optical beam effect when looking through windows (coming right at you), or dust particles giving a floating effect for example.

Zombie hunting is cool too! You get a 3D effect for aiming your weapon (right mouse button) that traces a laser sight to your target.

Ghosting is very, very minimal. You have to look for it and once in the game - forget it - there is no way to notice very small nuances like that.

I have yet to put any solid game time into it yet, but very soon! Stay tuned for that review!! Hats off to NVIDIA and CAPCOM for this joint S3D effort. Amazing indeed. This stuff WORKS.

Want To See The Next Big Gaming Sensation? SILHOUETTE 3D!!

Jim here. Just saw some very interesting clips of Softkinetic's SILHOUETTE in action at NVIDIA GTC 2009! Awesome really.

Taking a cue from DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION and some outstanding innovation, Softkinetic has come up with a winner. Players simple stand in front of their televisions with their NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses on and watch the "silhouette" shape that they must make approach them as a shadow would on a wall.

I suspect that these approaching walls can be sped up and the shapes made outrageously hard! Now I am 6'6" so I don't know if I can even fit through them :-) Looks like fun though - my kids will enjoy laughing at me. I am pretty sure that this game will be a hit, especially in 3D.

Wrap Up From World Premiere: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, NOW IN 3D!

Jim here. San Diego-based 3D producer PassmoreLab, in conjunction with the Johnny Ramone Army, has confirmed that the iconic rocker’s memorial tribute was the largest ever, with approximately 3,000 fans showing up to pay homage to the guitarist and witness the World Premiere of “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” during the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, which took place at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Ramones’ guitarist Johnny Ramone created the enduring template for punk rock guitar. With his blazing power chords and brutal licks energizing Ramones' classics like "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Rockaway Beach" and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker", Johnny inspired generations of punk bands until his untimely death from prostate cancer in 2004. His annual tribute, now in its fifth year, takes place at the foot of his 8 ft. memorial bronze statue inside the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Attending Hollywood celebrities and rockstars included actress Rose McGowan, actress Rosanna Arquette, actress PJ Soles, actress Virginia Madsen, actors David Arquette and Vincent Gallo, Sex Pistol’s Steve Jones, musician Pete Yorn, X’s Billy Zoom, radio personality Joe Escalante of the Vandals, Stan Lee of The Dickies, the Ramones’ Tommy Ramone, CJ Ramone and many more.

"This year’s event was spectacular and turned out to be everything we’d hoped for," said John Cafiero, Chief of Staff of the Johnny Ramone Army. "It was just a great night all around. The event was rich and diverse as a whole and so was the crowd. Commandos assembled from all over the world and it was the biggest turnout we’ve ever seen at the annual Tribute. I think Johnny would be proud.”

The event was a fundraiser with net proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus.

Fans enjoyed a full evening of Rock ‘N Roll and movie magic in both 2D and 3D with a vintage 1977 Ramone’s concert film “It’s Alive”; the rarely-seen “Rock ‘N Roll High School” original theatrical trailer, which was introduced by special guest PJ Soles, the original Riff Randall from the film; “Night of the Living Pinheads”, a unique clip from the “Ramones RAW” DVD where the band is seen in South America and their van is being mobbed by adoring fans fittingly intercut with shots from “Night of the Living Dead”; a rare memorabilia exhibit; an art show of original paintings by the legendary Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone; opening featurettes of animated music videos from the Johnny Ramone Army and the world premiere of Osaka Popstar’s “Wicked World” 3D video; NVIDIA’s new 3D Vision presentation of the horror game “Resident Evil 5”; and never-before-seen 3D photos of Johnny Ramone himself.

The evening concluded with the 3D World Premiere of George Romero’s original 1968 cult classic "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!", produced by PassmoreLab, and was superbly introduced by actress and JRA affiliate Rose McGowan, a close friend of Ramone for many years.

“We had a huge turnout! What can I say? It was for the love of Johnny Ramone, a great cause and fantastic entertainment,” reflects McGowan. “Johnny would’ve been thrilled that so many people love & respect The Ramones.”
"The movie looked great in 3D," said Greg Passmore, president of PassmoreLab. "We took great care restoring and converting it, and I am very pleased with the outcome.”

"Night of the Living Dead", one of the greatest low budget cult movies ever made and originally shot in black and white over 40 years ago, was painstakingly restored, colorized and converted, frame by frame into full 3D using Passmorelab's proprietary technology.

“It was great to see this all come together," said James Humann, producer at PassmoreLab. "We are fans ourselves, and were happy to be a part of such an amazing event!"

The World Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" and the Johnny Ramone Tribute event was open to the public for a $10 donation to the foundation. Attendees all received free 3D commemorative Johnny Ramone Army/“Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” glasses upon entering.

“I think Johnny would have been very proud. He loved horror movies, and would have been thrilled that “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!” had its world premiere at his tribute, in front of so many fans,” said Linda Ramone, wife of the legendary guitarist.

"Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" can now be seen in selected US theatres and in wide release in 3D theaters in Europe. "Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D!" will be available in anaglyph DVD on Amazon.com by Christmas, and a 3D TV version will be available when 3D BluRay becomes commercially available.

About PassmoreLab
Passmorelab, the “World’s Largest 3D Content Provider”, is a San Diego-based multi-media production studio that specializes in 3D production. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions, shooting everything from feature films, television and science documentaries, to underwater diving, extreme sports and cave exploration. State-of-the-art facilities include a full 3D production studio, video/film post-production, optical development lab, and a software development environment. Production includes 2D, 3D, high dynamic range time lapse, stereoscopic microscopy and cutting-edge simulation technologies for real time SFX. PassmoreLab has additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. For more information, visit www.passmorelab.com.

About Johnny Ramone Army
For more information about the Johnny Ramone Army and tribute, visit http://www.johnnyramone.com

About Hollywood Forever Cemetery
For more information regarding directions, parking and screening rules, visit http://www.cinespia.org/howto

Photos by Paul Redmond. Under license to JRA LLC. Used with permission.

The 3D Premiere Of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD To Have 3D Gaming Too: RESIDENT EVIL 5

Jim here. It's zombie night at the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on October 3rd. Not only is the world 3D premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (NOTLD) taking place, but NVIDIA will also be there to allow attendees to dispose of zombies in stereoscopic 3D with their 3D Vision technology and Capcom's RESIDENT EVIL 5!

PassmoreLab did the modern conversion of NOTLD and they are really looking forward to showing their 2D to 3D expertise at the festival.

Rose McGowan (GRINDHOUSE) will be on hand to introduce the movie.

The event is open to the public for a $10 per person minimum donation, with proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center. Gates open at 5:30 pm. Picnic dinners, drinks (including alcoholic ones), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees will receive free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering.

Resident Evil 5 is the latest PC game to take advantage of NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, which transforms standard games into eye-popping, jump-out-of-your-seat, 3D experiences. Not only did its creator Capcom design "out-of-screen-effects" to scare the daylights out of gamers, they also rendered all of the game's cinematic cut-scenes with the same immersive 3D effect. The critics have raved about the game running on NVIDIA 3D Vision. Said Jeff Haynes of IGN.com, "Resident Evil 5 was designed to fully take advantage of 3D, [with] certain segments of the game piercing the digital 'fourth wall' with a sense of negative depth that is quite incredible."

"Night of the Living Dead was one of Johnny Ramone's top ten horror film favorites of all time," said John Cafiero, chief of staff of the Johnny Ramone Army, an official entity acting on behalf of the seminal punk rocker and his Estate preserving the icon's memory and legacy. "What better way to celebrate the world premiere of this incredible flick in 3D than to give people a virtual experience to fight the living dead in Resident Evil 5 in 3D on NVIDIA's latest gaming hardware."

For more information: 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, NVIDIA 3D Vision, PassmoreLab.

I See 3D Gaming In My NEAR Future...

Jim here. Feels like the holidays around here! Just got a extra special package delivered to my door - a gorgeous 22" Samsung Synmaster 2233 (yep! 120hz - and VERY 3D ready!), an EVGA NVIDIA GTX 285 graphics card (a behemoth card!), and last but certainly not least, NVIDIA's 3D Vision.

I'll give you ten seconds to figure out what I am going to be doing in the very near term! I guess the title gave it away :-) Have some serious 3D gaming coming up and I will be posting my reviews for your use in judging what you want, when you want when it comes to Stereoscopic 3D gaming. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM in 3D anyone?

I am now in the process of building a box around these core pieces!

Further, I will be shooting the unboxing of these sexy pieces of 3D hardware shortly. Stay tuned! :-)

3D Game Review: RESIDENT EVIL 5

Jim here. Got some rather cool 3D gaming news to share - My friends over at IGN posted their Resident Evil 5 for the PC review and has given it a very nice score of 9.3! This is a higher score than the console version received! The editor who reviewed it loved the graphics, the upgraded mercenaries mode and the new 3D Vision feature.

IGN compared the game in all formats and the PC version came out on top.

Here is what they had to say: ...However, if you do happen to have a 120Hz monitor and you have the Nvidia 3D vision glasses, you're definitely in for a serious treat. RE5 was designed to fully take advantage of 3D, and it doesn't disappoint, rendering Chris and Sheva in a way that provides them with the visual illusion of weight and mass as they move through their environments instead of being flat 2D images onscreen. Objects and enemies also appear to pop out of the screen during certain segments of the game as well, piercing the digital "fourth wall" with a sense of negative depth that is quite incredible. Once you see the slithering worms of the first boss of the game seemingly drip through the screen at your face, you'll know you're seeing something special. Since you're able to tailor the perception of the depth to your personal taste, you can also adjust how much of an impact the 3D has, which allows you to make the experience fully subjective to your tastes. While not everyone with a PC may have the gear to take advantage of the 3D, it's extremely easy to enable, and RE5 provides two benchmark tests to help you configure your experience. If you have the means, definitely check out the game like this – you'll enjoy the experience.

RE5 is actually better looking on the PC, and if you happen to have the equipment, playing in 3D is an excellent experience.

I think that is a pretty clear, ringing endorsement of 3D gaming on the PC through NVIDIA's 3D Vision. Can't wait to get mine set up - should have it shortly!! Let the reviews begin on MarketSaw :-)

Found this clip on YouTube too - Enjoy the preview ...