Shape of Things to Come
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 05/13/2009 - 13:48.
The ETC@USC Explores a Range of 3D Consumer Technologies
By Carolyn Giardina
The living room of the future may come complete with 3D consumer electronics technology, including a 3D TV, 3D computer monitor, 3D webcam and assorted 3D glasses. A vision of what this may look like is nestled in downtown Los Angeles at the Entertainment Technology Center at USC.
The nonprofit ETC@USC has opened a first-of-its-kind 3D Experience Lab. In doing so, it is helping to shape the potential future of 3D, creating a dialogue amongst those who create and distribute content, as well as by providing customer feedback.
Of the vibrant workspace, ETC CEO and Executive Director David Wertheimer says: “On any given day, you’ll see students looking at technology that they have only read or hear about, providing industry feedback on the user experience. You’ll see creative people—filmmakers—looking at new technology for displaying their work and exploring how the technology shapes the content experience. And you’ll see executives from movie studios sitting next to executives from consumer electronics companies, talking about what are the problems that need to be solved.”
Humans perceive “depth,” or three dimensions by assimilating a variety of visual cues. The most important of these is the perception of a differential between two slightly offset images when viewed by each of two eyes. By presenting each eye with a slightly offset/different image, a projection system or display can create the illusion of depth, or 3D.
The Hollywood film business experienced its first 3D boom in the early ’50s, during which 45 titles were made including Kiss Me Kate, Hondo, Dial M For Murder and Creature from the Black Lagoon. But it didn’t have staying power, as a variety of factors combined to generate 3D that for many viewers was uncomfortable to watch. Similar factors stalled a 3D resurgence in the ‘80s, which saw production of titles such as Jaws 3D.
In recent years, theater owners began replacing film projectors with those that are digital. The precision of these projections systems enabled innovation in 3D, virtually eliminating many of the challenges of the past and sparking the latest push for 3D.
Since 2004 and Disney’s groundbreaking Chicken Little, several major films opened in digital 3D, including Meet the Robinsons, Beowulf and Journey to the Center of the Earth. In 2009, more than a dozen 3-D movies are slated for release, and many more are in production.
Explains ETC’s Phil Lelyveld, “The recent increase in theatrical 3D releases has proven to be extremely popular among consumers, and so it only makes sense for the creative industries to team with product and service providers to develop ways to move that experience into other environments, enabling the consumer to enjoy 3D experiences anytime and anywhere.” To that end, the NBA, NFL, NASCAR and other sports organizations--as well as broadcasters such as Fox Sports in the US and Sky in the UK – have already been involved in 3D tests. At the same time, technologies for displaying 3D in the home have entered the market. This is a pivotal time that will shape the potential future of the 3D industry. Therefore there is a pressing need for experimentation, education, communication and innovation.
With this in mind, the ETC@USC has been working tirelessly to bring the community together and lead communication, education and research initiatives, while collaborating with and supporting standards setting bodies and stakeholder organizations.
The latest initiative is the opening of the new Consumer 3D Experience Lab. Perhaps the most extensive home 3D test setting in the world, the lab offers a uniquely neutral setting for comparative technology assessment. The lab already boasts many emerging technologies for 3D in the home, including 3D TVs, as well as computer monitors and related technologies such as a 3D webcam. It also showcases all types of 3D glasses.
The uses of this lab are many: It is designed to support research and testing from manufacturers and standards setting bodies. It is also designed for student research and exploration. A mock living room is available for focus groups, and a new 103-inch screen and digital projection room allows participants to compare the widest possible variety of displays and screen sizes.
“Because we’re focused on 3D outside of the cinema, we call it the Consumer 3D Experience Lab – not the Home Experience Lab because the home is only one aspect of the potential of 3D,” Wertheimer says. “The applications extend from mobile devices to computer screens to Digital TVs. That said, we need to continue to work as a creative and technical community to realize the full potential of consumer 3D.”
The Consumer 3D Experience Lab is designed for expansion, and all product and service providers are being invited to exhibit their technology in this neutral setting.
As an example, today, five different types of 3D displays are displayed in the lab:
Active Shutter — This technology uses electronic glasses that open and close in front of each eye in sequence with the different images on the screen. The switch in images is done at a high enough speed that it is undetectable to the human eye.
Polarizing displays — In this technology, images for both eyes are presented on the screen simultaneously, and glasses worn by the viewer filter the images ensuring the viewer sees a different image in each eye.
Spectral – These are the classic red/blue glasses, as well as amber/green glasses. As with polarizing displays, each eye sees a differently filtered image from a single screen image.
Auto stereoscopic — This technology requires no glasses. Auto stereoscopic 3D technology provides the viewer’s eye with two separate images. However, this technology requires that viewers be in a specific viewing area in order to view the content in 3D.
Head Mounted Displays – These are glasses that contain small video screens, one for each eye. They are currently available for video games and virtual world experiences. The next generation will include motion sensors for more realistic navigation through environments, and semitransparent glasses for augmented reality and heads-up displays on top of the view of the real world.
Emerging technologies will continue to be added to the 3D Experience Lab, as ETC begins to explore further issues related to Consumer 3D. Today an estimated two million 3D-ready TV have entered the market.
ETC@USC is planning a series of open houses designed to expose a wider range of consumers to the possibilities and questions surrounding 3D. Details will be available at www.etcenter.org.
By Carolyn Giardina
The living room of the future may come complete with 3D consumer electronics technology, including a 3D TV, 3D computer monitor, 3D webcam and assorted 3D glasses. A vision of what this may look like is nestled in downtown Los Angeles at the Entertainment Technology Center at USC.
The nonprofit ETC@USC has opened a first-of-its-kind 3D Experience Lab. In doing so, it is helping to shape the potential future of 3D, creating a dialogue amongst those who create and distribute content, as well as by providing customer feedback.
Of the vibrant workspace, ETC CEO and Executive Director David Wertheimer says: “On any given day, you’ll see students looking at technology that they have only read or hear about, providing industry feedback on the user experience. You’ll see creative people—filmmakers—looking at new technology for displaying their work and exploring how the technology shapes the content experience. And you’ll see executives from movie studios sitting next to executives from consumer electronics companies, talking about what are the problems that need to be solved.”Humans perceive “depth,” or three dimensions by assimilating a variety of visual cues. The most important of these is the perception of a differential between two slightly offset images when viewed by each of two eyes. By presenting each eye with a slightly offset/different image, a projection system or display can create the illusion of depth, or 3D.
The Hollywood film business experienced its first 3D boom in the early ’50s, during which 45 titles were made including Kiss Me Kate, Hondo, Dial M For Murder and Creature from the Black Lagoon. But it didn’t have staying power, as a variety of factors combined to generate 3D that for many viewers was uncomfortable to watch. Similar factors stalled a 3D resurgence in the ‘80s, which saw production of titles such as Jaws 3D.
In recent years, theater owners began replacing film projectors with those that are digital. The precision of these projections systems enabled innovation in 3D, virtually eliminating many of the challenges of the past and sparking the latest push for 3D.
Since 2004 and Disney’s groundbreaking Chicken Little, several major films opened in digital 3D, including Meet the Robinsons, Beowulf and Journey to the Center of the Earth. In 2009, more than a dozen 3-D movies are slated for release, and many more are in production.
Explains ETC’s Phil Lelyveld, “The recent increase in theatrical 3D releases has proven to be extremely popular among consumers, and so it only makes sense for the creative industries to team with product and service providers to develop ways to move that experience into other environments, enabling the consumer to enjoy 3D experiences anytime and anywhere.” To that end, the NBA, NFL, NASCAR and other sports organizations--as well as broadcasters such as Fox Sports in the US and Sky in the UK – have already been involved in 3D tests. At the same time, technologies for displaying 3D in the home have entered the market. This is a pivotal time that will shape the potential future of the 3D industry. Therefore there is a pressing need for experimentation, education, communication and innovation.
With this in mind, the ETC@USC has been working tirelessly to bring the community together and lead communication, education and research initiatives, while collaborating with and supporting standards setting bodies and stakeholder organizations.
The latest initiative is the opening of the new Consumer 3D Experience Lab. Perhaps the most extensive home 3D test setting in the world, the lab offers a uniquely neutral setting for comparative technology assessment. The lab already boasts many emerging technologies for 3D in the home, including 3D TVs, as well as computer monitors and related technologies such as a 3D webcam. It also showcases all types of 3D glasses.
The uses of this lab are many: It is designed to support research and testing from manufacturers and standards setting bodies. It is also designed for student research and exploration. A mock living room is available for focus groups, and a new 103-inch screen and digital projection room allows participants to compare the widest possible variety of displays and screen sizes.
“Because we’re focused on 3D outside of the cinema, we call it the Consumer 3D Experience Lab – not the Home Experience Lab because the home is only one aspect of the potential of 3D,” Wertheimer says. “The applications extend from mobile devices to computer screens to Digital TVs. That said, we need to continue to work as a creative and technical community to realize the full potential of consumer 3D.”
The Consumer 3D Experience Lab is designed for expansion, and all product and service providers are being invited to exhibit their technology in this neutral setting.
As an example, today, five different types of 3D displays are displayed in the lab:
Active Shutter — This technology uses electronic glasses that open and close in front of each eye in sequence with the different images on the screen. The switch in images is done at a high enough speed that it is undetectable to the human eye.
Polarizing displays — In this technology, images for both eyes are presented on the screen simultaneously, and glasses worn by the viewer filter the images ensuring the viewer sees a different image in each eye.
Spectral – These are the classic red/blue glasses, as well as amber/green glasses. As with polarizing displays, each eye sees a differently filtered image from a single screen image.
Auto stereoscopic — This technology requires no glasses. Auto stereoscopic 3D technology provides the viewer’s eye with two separate images. However, this technology requires that viewers be in a specific viewing area in order to view the content in 3D.
Head Mounted Displays – These are glasses that contain small video screens, one for each eye. They are currently available for video games and virtual world experiences. The next generation will include motion sensors for more realistic navigation through environments, and semitransparent glasses for augmented reality and heads-up displays on top of the view of the real world.
Emerging technologies will continue to be added to the 3D Experience Lab, as ETC begins to explore further issues related to Consumer 3D. Today an estimated two million 3D-ready TV have entered the market.
ETC@USC is planning a series of open houses designed to expose a wider range of consumers to the possibilities and questions surrounding 3D. Details will be available at www.etcenter.org.
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