NAB Show 2013: Dolby, Philips And CPG Partner On Autostereoscopic 3D TV

My good friend David Cohen over at Variety broke this story involving the new partnership of Dolby Laboratories, Royal Philips Electronics and the Cameron Pace Group for the support of autostereoscopic (glasses-free) 3D TV. Very interesting development!!

"3D is not really going to be successful as a mainstream viewing medium for consumers until it’s as easy as sitting down and watching the content," said Giles Baker, SVP, Broadcast Business Group of Dolby. "In order to deliver that best experience, you really need to embed a deep understanding of how the content was created into the 3D content."

Says Vince Pace of the Cameron Pace Group:  "The model for 3D success is from companies that know what they’re doing, know the combination of quality and technology. So Dolby was perfect fit for CPG."

"People will see entertainment as they experience everyday life and CPG will take the business steps to make that happen. That was done in the theatrical world, when Jim (Cameron) committed to making a film in 3D when digital cameras, digital cinemas, were all in their infancy. If you look at the broadcast model, to describe it as in its infancy is correct. But we see that as an opportunity for us. That’s the kind of market we like to play in."

The article paraphrases what Steve Schklair of 3ality Technica told Variety: '3D live broadcasting had stalled in part because of the lack of a strong business model in the U.S.'.

I will update this story as it unfolds, but for now it's an exciting next step toward glasses free 3D and the future of the small screen.

Report from NAB 2010: S3D is Everywhere!

Michael here reporting from NAB 2010 in Vegas. Saturday and Sunday featured the all-3D Digitial Cinema Summit, in which every S3D topic under the sun was presented and discussed by distinguished S3D professionals. Especially valuable to me was the real-time stereo footage (shot by 3ality Digital) which helped demystify stereo shooting. Errors were intentionally introduced, then fixed, as the audience of 600 something attendees watched with their Real-D glasses.

But that was just a tiny slice of the S3D smorgasboard that was presented. There were some fireworks too, as speakers voiced multiple conflicting opinions regarding 3D conversion. To get an idea of all that was discussed, check out the program here. The only really newsworthy item to come out of the Summit was a new, compact 3D camera from Sony. I was surprised to see it, as the Summit was about S3D education and discussion of where S3D is now, where it's headed, and where it will be in the future.

Today I watched a presentation of the making of Alice in Wonderland, as well as got to see the showfloor. S3D is absolutely everywhere. Panasonic had 6 of their $21,000 AG-3DA1 cameras available for attendees to try out by shooting a special backdrop with a live actor. I played with them for a while, and now I really wish I owned one. Sony has a gigantic S3D LED display, as well as a huge S3D broadcast truck in their booth. And just about every broadcast-related company was showing off their 3D solutions.

Off to the side of the Summit room were some demos of various 3D broadcast formats, including side-by-side, top/bottom, and 720P60 feeds of the same footage. I talked to TDVision today, and they wanted it to be known that they are throwing down the gauntlet against the half-resolution formats that were spoken about and demoed at the Summit.

Ethan Schur of TDVision spoke out against these half resolution 3D formats:

We choose service compatible 2D + Delta over frame compatible (top/bottom and side-by-side) because you don't disenfranchise the 2D users (2D version is included), you get the full HD quality, and you can watch it on any TV in the best quality possible . We shouldn't be sacrificing quality. Who wants to pay all this money for a 1080P television, a nice Blu-ray disc and all these kind of things, and then you are only watching half the pixels?

The problem is that a lot of people in their homes still have old set-top boxes from 2003 and before that, and that people are saying I don't want to make a big investment in 3D, I just want to shoehorn whatever I can into these old clunker set-top boxes. You can't keep your set-top box forever. These boxes can't even do 1080P."

I agree...I want full S3DHD. It seems some people think it may take until 2013 or so (as was said by one speaker at the Summit) until we get Full S3DHD broadcast. I hope it happens faster than that.

I'll be back on the show floor tomorrow to see if there's anything cool that I missed, then it's back to LA.

Rundown of All the S3D Stuff Happening at NAB 2010!

Michael here with a rundown of the S3D stuff happening at NAB in April. The show will be filled with S3D educational sessions and high profile speakers such as Vince Pace, Steve Schklair, Barry Sandrew, Chuck Comisky, Buzz Hays and many more luminaries from all corners of the S3D world.

The Digital Cinema Summit on Saturday and Sunday is entirely dedicated to all aspects of S3D, and on Monday and Tuesday there will be even more sessions, including ones on the makings of Alice in Wonderland, How to Train Your Dragon, and Hubble 3D:

Check out the schedule below:

Digital Cinema Summit - Saturday & Sunday:

Saturday, April 10

Understanding Stereopsis and 3D Image Capture
Saturday, 04/10/2010 8:45am - 9:45am
Room S222

This session will provide a review of how the human visual system perceives depth, and the fundamentals of stereoscopic imaging. In addition, common techniques for live 3D image capture using stereoscopic camera rigs will be explained, including benefits and pitfalls, and a variety of 3D capture tools will be demonstrated. Other topics will include imaging parameters such as the setting of interaxial distance (baseline) and convergence, plus causes of eyestrain in improperly crafted 3D images. Finally, factors such as hyperstereo, divergence and accommodation will be explained and demonstrated.

Speaker(s):

Peter Lude, Senior Technology Executive, Sony Electronics
Steve Schklair, CEO, 3ality Digital Systems LLC.

3D Programming: Lessons Learned
Saturday, 04/10/2010 10:00am - 11:00am
Room S222

Stereoscopic motion imaging is fundamentally different than 2D. To be most effective, the 3D production crew will take a different approach to depth of field, camera positions, zoom moves, intercutting and graphic compositing. In this session, we'll hear from pioneering 3D content producers to learn what factors must be considered in planning high-quality 3D coverage of different program genres.

Moderator(s):

Al Barton, Consultant, Freelance Digital

Panelist(s):

Pierre de Lespinois, Co-Founder, Evergreen Films
Thomas Edwards, VP, Digital Television Testing & Evaluation, FOX

3D Conversion
Saturday, 04/10/2010 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room S222

With the recent announcements of multiple 3DTV channels in U.S., Asia and Europe, will there be enough natively-captured 3D content? Many content producers are investigating if it is feasible to convert existing 2D material to stereoscopic 3D. Others are considering shooting new programs in 2D and then converting to 3D, versus natively-capturing in 3D. Is real-time 3D conversion a viable option or are humans needed to make the creative adjustments to create acceptable 3D images? This panel will discuss various issues related to 3D conversion from the point of view of content producers, distributors and 3D conversion experts.

Moderator(s):

Brad Collar, Vice President, Technology, Warner Bros.

Speaker(s):

Barry Sandrew, Ph.D, Founder and President/COO, Legend3-D, A Legend Films Company
Chris Alexander, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Publicity, Twentieth Century Fox Television
Chris Yewdall, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, DDD USA, Inc.
Warren Littlefield, President, The Littlefield Company

A Case for Quality in Production and Post-Production
Saturday, 04/10/2010 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room S222

This panel focuses on the creation of high-quality 3D in broadcast, feature film and other production types. Discussion will cover all aspects of production and post-production that relate to the creation of a comfortable stereoscopic viewing experience. It will also include specific areas of the creative side that contribute to the highest quality 3D possible, while minimizing discomfort and eye strain. Demonstrations provided.

Speaker(s):

Buzz Hays, Executive Stereoscopic 3D Producer, 3D Technology Center, Sony Corporation of America

After the Capture: What Other Tools Exist?
Saturday, 04/10/2010 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Room S222

The post-production workflow has to be modified to handle 3-D. What tools exist for editorial, color correction, adjusting depth, placement of overlays/captions/menus? What quality assurance guidelines methods exist for assessing consumer comfort (including children)?

Moderator(s):

Jim Whittlesey, Sr. Vice President, Technology, Deluxe Digital Media

Speaker(s):

Howard Postley, COO/CTO, 3ality Digital Systems LLC
Matthew DeJohn, VP/VFX Producer, In-Three Inc.
Peter Postma, FilmLight
Steve Owen, Director of Worldwide Marketing, Quantel

Stereography and Storytelling
Saturday, 04/10/2010 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Room S222

For many producers, 3D imaging has become an exciting tool to enhance the creative process of story-telling. Given the projects that have been done to date in movies, TV, and games, what can we learn from cinematographers and directors on what really enhances the story-telling and what detracts from the story-telling?

Moderator(s):

Rob Engle, 3-D Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks

Speaker(s):

Chuck Comisky
Eric Kurland, Independent filmmaker/3-D enthusiast, 3-DIY.com

Sunday, April 11

Digital Cinema (including 3D) Roll-out: A Status Report
Sunday, 04/11/2010 8:45am - 9:45am
Room S222

Penetration flattened in 2008/2009 for a variety of reasons. 3D emerged as one of the strongest influencers in continued purchase of digital projectors. This session will assess the expectations and reationale for digital cinema deployment for 2010 and beyond.

(This session recorded for inclusion in the Online Learning Center)

Moderator(s):

Michael Karagosian, Founder, MKPE Consulting LLC

Speaker(s):

Oleg Berezin, Managing Director, Nevafilm JSC
Peter Wilson, Technology Chairman, EDCF, European Digital Cinema Forum

Technical Issues for 3D Digital Cinema
Sunday, 04/11/2010 10:00am - 10:30am
Room S222

While the distribution of the 3-D feature images are standardized, research and experiments continue in the realms of subtitling, windowing, depth ratios, etc. This session will identify what items are suitable for standardized metadata and what their time frames may be for documented standards versus practical field implementations.

(This session recorded for inclusion in the Online Learning Center)

Speaker(s):

Richard Welsh, Director, Digital Cinema Services, Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

Production and Projection Techniques for Immersive Media
Sunday, 04/11/2010 10:30am - 11:00am
Room S222

This talk focuses on new technologies in the areas of multi-view displays and 3-D panorama and explores the possibilities of gaming and cinema growing together in the future. This presentation will provide an overview of research in mini-HD cameras that provide for more complex panoramic 3-D rigs, field recorders able to store more 3-D images, and on-set calibration tools for stereoscopic camera rigs.

Speaker(s):

Siegfried Foessel, Dr. Ing, Frauhofer IIS

3D TV Distribution: Which Platform(s) Will Succeed?
Sunday, 04/11/2010 1:15pm - 2:30pm
Room S222

This is the first of three mini-panels about 3D TV broadcasting and the specific challenges it brings

This first panel will address the options, plans, and strengths for delivery of 3D to the home by terrestrial broadcast, cable, satellite, broadband, and optical media.

Moderator(s):

Patrick Griffis, Senior Director, Technology Strategy, Dolby Laboratories

Speaker(s):

Chris Johns, Chief Engineer, B Sky B
David Broberg, Vice President, Consumer Video Technology, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
Jim Taylor, Senior VP and Chief Technologist, Sonic Solutions
Mark Richer, President, ATSC, Winner: NAB Engineering Achievement Award - TV
Tony Jasionowski, Senior Group Manager Accessibility, Panasonic Corporation of North America

Can There (Ever) be a Common Worldwide 3D TV Broadcast Standard?
Sunday, 04/11/2010 2:30pm - 3:00pm
Room S222

While cinema delivery is closing in on one standard delivery package this year, challenges abound for other methods of delivery. There are many more challenges in the world of television, where distribution methods and device types are numerous and widely varied.

Moderator(s):

David Wood, Deputy Director, EBU Technical, European Broadcasting Union

Speaker(s):

Ajay Luthra, Vice Chair JVT, Motorola, Inc.
Rick Dean, President, 3-D@Home Consortium
Ted Szypulski, Chair - SMPTE Working Group on 3D Home Master, ESPN, Inc.

Consumer 3D TV Displays: What are the Technical Differences?
Sunday, 04/11/2010 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room S222

This session will describe the technologies of displays in the market (including legacy CRT), their ability to handle 3D, the various encoding technologies and their applicability to each of the display technologies. This will cover large displays to hand-held.

(This session recorded for inclusion in the Online Learning Center)

Speaker(s):

Peter Putman, Contributing Editor, Pro AV

3D Consumer Experience in the Home: The Interoperability Challenges
Sunday, 04/11/2010 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Room S222

Many "3D-ready" displays were on the floor at CES, and are on their way to stores. What does "3D-ready" mean for the consumer? What efforts are occurring in the Consumer Electronics industry to assure 3D content will play in some 3D form on all 3D-ready displays? What technical or standards barriers need to be overcome to ensure consumer acceptance and the start of significant sales? How will consumers match content, video sources, displays and glasses to get a compelling 3D experience?

This session will answer these questions and more.

(This session recorded for inclusion in the Online Learning Center)

Moderator(s):

Brian Markwalter, VP, Technology and Standards, Consumer Electronics Association

Speaker(s):

Ami Dror, Chief Strategy Officer, XpanD Cinema
Brad Hunt, President, Digital Media Directions, LLC.
Mark Stockfisch, Vice President and CTO, Quantum Data
Steve Venuti, President, HDMI Licensing, LLC

3D 10 Years Hence: 20/20 in 2020?
Sunday, 04/11/2010 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room S222

What does the time-line look like for the migraion from special purpose glasses to inexpensive (almost disposable) glasses to glassless technologies? What technical or standards barriers need to be overcome to ensure consumer acceptance and the start of significant sales?

Moderator(s):

Hans Hoffmann, Programme Manager EBU Technical, EBU

Speaker(s):

Aljoscha Smolic, Disney Research, Zurich
Dr. Takayuki Ito, Deputy Director-General, NHK Science and Tech Research Lab
Tibor Balogh, CEO/Founder, Holografika Kft

Content Theater - Monday & Tuesday

Monday, April 12

ESPN: Scoring a Field Goal in S3-D Sports
Monday, 04/12/2010 3:00pm - 3:50pm
Room N109

With the wildly successful stereoscopic 3-D telecast of the Ohio State-USC football game, ESPN established itself as the leader in S3D sports production and exhibition. What are the creative and technical lessons that ESPN has learned capturing and distributing sports in S3D? How does S3D impact camera placement, workflows, graphics and the broadcast director and camera operator's job description? Industry pioneer Vince Pace joins ESPN technology and production executives to shine a light on ESPN's latest S3D projects and upcoming initiatives, including the new dedicated network to be launched June 2010.

Speaker(s):
Moderator(s):

Glen Dickson, Senior Editor, Broadcasting & Cable Magazine

Panelist(s):

Anthony Bailey, Vice President, Emerging Technology, ESPN
Vince Pace, CEO, PACE

Speaker(s):

Bob Toms, Vice President, Production Enhancements & Interactive TV, ESPN
Phil Orlins, Coordinating Producer, ESPN 3D & X Games

"Alice in Wonderland": Turning Fantasy into Motion Picture Reality
Monday, 04/12/2010 4:00pm - 4:50pm
Room N109

Journey behind the scenes of the stereoscopic 3D fantasy adventure "Alice in Wonderland," Tim Burton's wildly imaginative twist on Lewis Carroll's classic writings. Get an in-depth picture of the creative, production and postproduction processes, including the design of the film's poetic, hyper-real look and its use of S3D to accentuate the story. Understand the challenges of shooting for synthetic environments and realizing hybrid live action/CG characters of wildly varying heights and proportions. A rare glimpse into the making of one of today's most complex and visually arresting films.
Speaker(s):
Moderator(s):

Carolyn Giardina, Entertainment Industry Journalist, "The Hollywood Reporter," "ICG Magazine"

Panelist(s):

Art Repola, Executive Vice President, Visual Effects and Production, The Walt Disney Company
Corey Turner, Stereographer, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Ken Ralston, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Tom Peitzman, Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer, Walt Disney Pictures

"How to Train Your Dragon" - A Case Study
Monday, 04/12/2010 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Room N109

A comprehensive and revealing look at how the filmmakers created DreamWorks Animation's beautiful and heartwarming CG animated motion picture.

Speaker(s):
Panelist(s):

Bill Damaschke, Co-President of Production for Feature Animation & President of LiveTheatrical, DreamWorks Animation
Dean DeBlois, Director, “How to Train Your Dragon”, DreamWorks Animation
Gil Zimmerman, Head of Layout, “How to Train Your Dragon”, DreamWorks Animation
Kathy Altieri, Production Designer, “How to Train Your Dragon”, DreamWorks Animation
Robert Holtzman, Nexon America

Tuesday, April 13

"Hubble 3-D": Filmmaking in Outer Space with IMAX Technology Tuesday, 04/13/2010 3:00pm - 3:50pm
Room N109

How did IMAX collaborate with NASA to capture the intergalactic imagery for "Hubble 3-D," the new motion picture about the final mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope? How did director/producer Toni Myers and her crew train the space shuttle Atlantis astronauts to be filmmakers and realize the movie's vision? What was the stereographic 3D capture process and how was the equipment challenged by zero gravity and "daytimes" that lasted only 45 minutes? The "Hubble 3-D" and IMAX teams look at filmmaking in outer space and at the innovations that will power IMAX into the future.

Speaker(s):
Moderator(s):

Perry Hoberman, Research Associate Professor, University of Southern California

Panelist(s):

Brian Bonnick, Executive Vice President of Technology, IMAX Coporation
David Keighley, Executive Vice President, IMAX Corporation
Larry O’Reilly, Executive Vice President of Theater Development, IMAX Corporation
Toni Myers, Director, IMAX Corporation/ “Hubble 3D”

The Twenty-First Century Camera Crew and How it Works
Tuesday, 4/13/2010 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Room N234
Produced in Association with the International Cinematographer's Guild

How do you design a digital camera crew to meet the director's and cinematographer's working style, as well as the production's pipeline needs? How does this lineup vary for a high-end motion picture versus a project destined for HDTV? Why is there a digital imaging technician if the first assistant cameraman/woman knows HD? What are the workflow options for a WYSIWYG production, where what you see is what you get, and how is it different for a project slated for significant digital intermediate color correction? Leading digital filmmakers and crew explain how to configure a twenty-first century camera team and explore the challenges they face capturing, storing and moving digital assets on set.

Andy Romanoff
David Geffner
Jason Clark
Lewis Rothenberg
Steven Poster

Wednesday, April 14

The Business and Technology of Sports Broadcasting: From Mobile Devices to 3-D
Wednesday, 04/14/2010 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room Content Theater

Produced in association with Sports Video Group

Sports broadcasters and leagues played a key part in driving HD adoption. Will the same be true for 3D and mobile video devices? Top executives from networks and leagues discuss how they are gearing up for 3D at home, the business opportunities related to reaching mobile devices like the Apple iPad and phones. What are the challenges both technically and financially? And what do their efforts mean to local stations, cable operators, and digital cinema?

Moderator(s):

Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director, Sports Video Group

Presenter(s):

PETER ANGELL, Director Production, Host Broadcast Services

Panelist(s):

George Hoover, CTO, NEP
Jerry Steinberg, SVP Field Operations, Fox Sports
KEN AAGAARD, EVP of Operations and Production, CBS Sports
Steve Hellmuth, EVP Operations and Technology, NBA Entertainment

I'll hopefully be making it to NAB this year to cover some of this stuff. Everything looks fascinating!

3D Everywhere - 2009 NAB Show

By Rochelle Winters - NAB Keynote and Supersession Programmer and Special Correspondent For MarketSaw

Stereoscopic 3-D will be everywhere at the 2009 NAB Show (April 18 – 23 in Las Vegas). Friday, April 10, is the last day to register for a free exhibits only pass (enter code HW01). PGA, VES and FIND members receive $ 100.00 off conference entrance fees (info on the org’s websites).

SUPERSESSIONS AND KEYNOTES - (www.nabshow.com/2009/education/supersessions.asp)

Monday afternoon, April 20, is a hot time with several premieres . Henry Selick will keynote about creating an optimal brew of traditional and new technologies (3-D of course), and speak about “Coraline” in this context. BSkyB’s 3-D honcho, Gerry O’Sullivan, will be unveiling lots of stereo 3-D footage from the network’s library – sports, serial programming, music—in his keynote about 3DTV. Sky just road tested its 3DTV solution last week, and is in an enviable position to push the go button (if it so desires) because it both creates and distributes its own content.

The afternoon ends with the 3-D alternative content supersession in which Globo TV’s Jose Dias will premiere the first footage from the Carnival 3D/Rio de Janeiro production (shot two months ago). He will do so as part of a panel discussion on alternative 3-D content that includes execs from the NBA, AEG Network Live, Cinedigm and Sky.

DIGITAL CINEMA SUMMIT - (www.nabshow.com/2009/education/digitalCinemaSummit.asp)

The Digital Cinema Summit (April 18, 19) is called 3D Cinema and Beyond: Lens to the Living Room and is all about 3-D mostly from the technical side. Highlights include a session on 3-D sports featuring Vince Pace (NBA games), Fox’s Jerry Steinberg (BCS Game), advances in 3-D cinema technology (Dolby, XpanD, Sony and Real D sharing the stage) and keynotes from Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine) and Mark Zoradi (Disney)

CONTENT THEATER - (www.nabshow.com/2009/education/sessiondetail.asp?id=159772)

Pixar Case Study, focusing on the making of “Up” and “Toy Story 2” in 3D

SHOW FLOOR

There’s a 3-D pavilion with companies across the entire 3-D supply chain including 3ality, Nvidia, Philips and 3D@HomeConsortium. Exhibitors throughout the Show will also be showing their latest 3-D offerings.

This sounds like an awesome 3D lineup this year for NAB. Having just come from ShoWest, I can personally vouch for the overwhelming support 3D is attaining in the industry. 2009 is definitely the Year of 3D. Thank you Rochelle for this update and I look forward to hearing more from you as the show progresses!

Red To Release the Scarlet "Pocket Professional" Camera!

WHOA! I am still reeling from Red being able to use their Red One cameras in 3D configuration, but now comes word from their corporate forums that they are coming out with a "Pocket Professional" camera code named Scarlet!

Red's CEO, Jim Jannard posted on their forums this nugget:

The name is... - Reduser.net via kwout

What does this mean? Well if it is as industry redefining as their Red One Camera (4K resolution at 60 frames per second @ less than $18k), then perhaps more common folk can walk around with a Red camera on their person grabbing unheard of portable HD everywhere! I can't imagine right now what kind of resolution it will have, but I have got some feelings developing... Hope they are accurate! (Ok I can - 2K resolution, but its a guess!)

You have gotta love how Red has captured the imaginations of many people and it seems as though they are just beginning! It reminds me of the earlier iterations of Apple's iPod and how they eventually just took everything over. Red may very have the video capture equivalent of the iPod here in our midst.

Can't wait to see the final product of the various RED projects going on right now from Steven Soderburgh.

Link: www.red.com

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