IBC 2012 Registration now open (press release)
IBC Big Screen: showing the latest advances in cinema technology with state-of-the-art facilities encompassing 2K, 4K and Stereoscopic 3D digital projection, and audio presented in 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
See the full press release here:
Curry film students get lessons in 3-D technology
[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is from my home town paper!]
A little piece of Los Angeles took up residence in Milton recently. Jason Goodman, founder and CEO of 21st Century 3D, held a weeklong workshop with students in a digital documentary and movie-making class at Curry College.
Jerry Gibbs, professor and co-chairman of the communications department, stood by as Goodman worked with students on shooting with a large 3-D camera. They began in the studio and then brought the rig outside to the quad, where dancer Rebecca R. Levy performed in front of the lens.
“What I want my students to understand is 3-D is not just a fad this time,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the market for 3-D content is expanding. . ...
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3D Systems Acquires My Robot Nation
3D Systems CorporationDDD -4.11% announced today that it has acquired My Robot Nation, MRN, a leading consumer technology platform that provides intuitive, game-like content creation for 3D printing. The company expects to integrate the MRN platform and experience into Cubify.com, enhancing Cubify with hundreds of new fun and easy 3D creation and printing applications, together with its growing developer community. My Robot Nation's founders, renowned games industry veterans Mark Danks and Sarah W. Stocker, join the 3D Systems team, enhancing Cubify with engaging play spaces, social features, and intuitive user interfaces resulting in a visually stunning creative process with limitless opportunities for unique expression.
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What people really think about 3D TV – Survey results in!
1 – Do you think 3D will become truly ubiquitous? (ATM screens, portable DVD players, websites etc.)
772 people responded…
377 – Yes (49%)
290 – No (38%)
105 – Don’t Know (13%)
...
2 – Do you think 3D warrants the price premium in the cinema?
783 people responded…
136 – Yes (17%)
273 – No (35%)
374 – Yes if shot in 3D but no if converted (48%)
...
3 – How important will 3D be in your next computer choice?
750 people responded…
152 – Essential (20%)
217 – Would be nice to have (29%)
234 – Won’t have any influence in my decision (31%)
147 – Only interested if it was a glasses free 3D computer (20%)
...
4 – What are your perceptions of 3DTV? (People could tick more than once so no percentage is provided)
532 voters responded and each voter was able to select more than one option.
Sets are expensive – 173
There is nothing/very little to watch on them – 247
3D services are too expensive – 187
Poor compared to cinema experience – 64
Finally affordable – 141
Glasses are too expensive – 177
Technology has reached a compelling/exciting level – 199
Only good if screen size is big – 175
Unsocial viewing experience – 62
My lounge is too small for a 3DTV – 22
Social experience – 63
I don't like blockbuster films and sport – it's not for me – 13
Screen becomes too dark when viewed through glasses – 79
Just a fad – 83
Its the next best form of home entertainment – 275
...
5 – Do you prefer gaming in 3D?
844 people responded…
274 – Yes (32%)
77 – Yes but only in glasses free 3D (9%)
112 – No (13%)
381 – Have never played a 3D game (46%)
...
6 – Do you think the 2012 Olympic 3D coverage will boost the 3D industry?
706 people responded…
520 – Yes (74%)
186 – No (26%)
...
7 – Would you pay for a stand alone 3D channel?
750 people responded…
207 – Yes (up to £5) 28%
81 – Yes (up to £10) 11%
462 – No (just part of multi-channel sub) 61%
...
8 – How important will 3D be in your next TV choice?
771 people responded…
273 – Essential (35%)
177 – Nice to have (23%)
136 – Couldn't care less (18%)
Already own a 3D TV – 185 (24%)
...
9 – What type of 3D TV do you prefer?
728 people responded…
421 – Passive (58%)
307 – Active (42%)
...
10 – Chris Johns, Sky "3D will become the prime way of viewing TV"
554 people responded…
211 – Agree (38%)
343 – Disagree (62%)
...
OTHER QUESTIONS WITHOUT COMMENT…
Does 3D enhance sports broadcasting?
569 people responded…
313 – Yes – It enhances it (55%)
43 – No - It makes it worse (8%)
62 – Neutral (11%)
151 – Have not watched 3D sport (26%)
Do you have or do you know anyone with Sky 3D?
846 people responded…
248 – Yes (29%)
598 – No (71%)
Do you own or have you used a 3D laptop or phone?
530 people responded…
115 – yes (22%)
415 – No (78%)
If you've seen an in-store 3D TV demo did it…
604 people responded…
339 – Encourage you to buy? (56%)
60 – Discourage you to buy? (10%)
133 – Make no difference? (22%)
72 – Have not seen an in-store demo (12%)
...
Read the full story with commentary here:
Ridley Scott: 3D isn’t brain surgery, it’s dead simple
It may surprise some but Prometheus, Ridley Scott's prequel to Alien, has been shot in 3D - his first film to be so. Indeed, some might have even believed the English director was not be a fan of the technology. They'd be wrong.
And having seen around 10-15 minutes of Prometheus during a private screening - being among the first in the world outside studio 20th Century Fox to get the honour - Pocket-lint can say that he's taken to it like a duck to water. Because, as Scott himself told us during a Q&A session afterwards, shooting 3D is "dead simple".
"It's not brain surgery," he said. "It's pretty straight forward. Anybody who says it's going to add six weeks, they don't know what they're doing."
This is partly, Scott explained, down to hiring the right cinematographer. Darius Wolski has previously worked with Ridley's brother Tony, on Crimson Tide and The Fan, and Tim Burton on Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Alice in Wonderland, but it is his work on the Pirates of the Caribbean movie - most notably the last, 3D one - that stood him in good stead to work on Prometheus.
"[He's a] wonderful cameraman," said Scott. "And we used Red cameras, so the quality is superb."
But ultimately, it's was Scott's own direction that determined whether a 3D shot worked or not. Although, even then he took a modest line. ...
See the full post here: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/45220/ridley-scott-3d-not-brain-surgery
Louvre Museum and Nintendo Have Joined Forces To Release The Audio Guide Louvre-Nintendo 3DS
As part of an ongoing partnership between Nintendo Co., Ltd and the Louvre Museum in Paris, the most visited art museum in the world, Nintendo will be providing the Louvre with Nintendo 3DS(TM) systems that will house an exclusive audio guide. The Audio guide Louvre - Nintendo 3DS will become available in the Louvre for visitors to enjoy from 11th April 2012 onwards. With this partnership, Nintendo & the Louvre hope that visitors to the museum will be aided with a tool to deepen their knowledge of art culture in a fun and interactive way.
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Carmike to Bring New Critically Acclaimed “BIGD” Experience to Apple Valley, MN
[Sun Herald]
Named “BIGD,” the new auditorium will include a wall-to-wall screen measuring 80 feet wide and nearly three stories tall, the latest in 7.1 surround sound and Digital projection of both 2D and 3D features. In technical terms, Carmike’s “BIGD” DIGITAL experience is powered by a cutting-edge Christie Brilliant 3-D flash projector. Images are projected onto a colossal wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screen. The end result is a light output of 30,000 lumens, creating a picture quality with noticeably higher resolution than HD.
Slash Makes Poignant Video For Adam Levine Song To Aid Homeless Youth (3D Audio)
...
The new version was remixed at Astound Studios using what's called GenAudio's unique 3D spatial audio technology, AstoundSound(R), which is based on over two decades of R&D into how the brain processes audio information.
The high quality MP3 of the song can be downloaded by making a donation -- minimum amount $1 (US) --to Los Angeles Youth Network. ...
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First 3D HDTV, Next 3D Printers? The Long Case For 3D Systems (Analyst article)
Have you ever wanted to make a model airplane or car but didn't want to have to assemble all the pieces? Have you ever cracked your phone case and wished you could make a quick replacement? Well thanks to 3D Systems (DDD) you can do that from home. It has a line of 3D scanners and 3D printers for home use or commercial production. In itslatest annual report it notes possible uses could be in schools, by garage entrepreneurs, or even for automotive parts and prosthetics. In addition to providing the printers the company also provides the printing materials and maintenance service on its proprietary systems.
3D Systems just launched the Cube, its first at home 3D printer. It also maintains a website where people can sell their designs to other people. The person could buy the design and print it right there in their own house. It recently acquired Z Corp for a print engine that is capable of printing in full color. It also recently acquired Vidar which gives it contacts into the healthcare industry. During 2011 it also acquired nearly a dozen other companies the each helped offer strategic growth. ...
As this is an emerging technology, anyone can invent a similar process and start a company. While 3D holds or has pending nearly 1,000 patents, it could still be overtaken by a better technology. Stratasys (SSYS) is a close competitor and based on its website, it focuses more towards the larger commercial versions of 3D printers. ...
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TCL TV sales stats, including 3D TVs
[Press Release]
TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited ("TCL Multimedia" or "the Group", HKSE stock code: 01070) today announced the sales volume of its TV and AV products for March 2012.
The Group's monthly sales volume of LCD TV in March 2012 amounted to 1,120,967 sets, up by a significant 123.4% year-on-year. The sales volume of overall LED backlight LCD TV reached 724,241 sets in March, accounting for 64.6% of the Group’s total LCD TV sales volume.
In the PRC Market, the Group continued to optimize its product mix, marketing strategies, sales channels and brand awareness. As a result, the sales volume of LCD TV increased by 94.5% year-on-year to 562,825 sets in March. Sales of LED backlight LCD TV as a percentage of the total LCD TV sales volume in the PRC Market continued to increase steadily by 67.2%. The sales volume of Smart TV and Internet TV reached 185,569 sets, accounting for 33.0% of the total LCD TV sales volume in the PRC Market. The Group seized the opportunities to become the exclusive 3D Channel partner with CCTV and continued to increase the promotion of its 3D TV sales. Sales volume of 3D TV reached 83,659 sets, bringing sales of 3D TVs as a percentage of the total LCD TV sales volume in the PRC Market up to 14.9%.
In the Overseas Markets, LCD TV sales volume increased by 162.9% year-on-year to 558,142 sets in March. In the Emerging Markets, the Group actively expanded its LCD TV and LED backlight LCD TV businesses, continued to adjust product portfolio and leveraged its successful marketing strategies, sales volume of LCD TV in March increased by 157.5% year-on-year to 328,322 sets in the Emerging Markets. The Emerging Markets remains the Group's largest overseas market in terms of sales volume and has become the new growth driver in its business, second only to the PRC Market. In addition, the sales volume of the Group's Strategic OEM business recorded a substantial increase in March.
The Group sold 1,344,089 sets of AV products in March, down 24.1% from the same period of the previous year.
March 2012 (Unaudited sales volume)
2012 2011 Change 2012 2011 Change
March March (%) Jan - Mar Jan - Mar (%)
LCD TV 1,120,967 501,673 123.4% 3,218,821 1,927,555 67.0%
Of which:
LED backlight LCD TV 724,241 200,464 261.3% 2,022,366 598,740 237.8%
Smart TV & Internet TV 186,133 62,518 197.7% 550,850 84,198 554.2%
3D TV 103,158 387 26,555.8% 250,048 497 50,211.5%
CRT TV 230,242 396,916 -42.0% 765,084 1,163,355 -34.2%
Total TV Sales 1,351,209 898,589 50.4% 3,983,905 3,090,910 28.9%
AV Products 1,344,089 1,771,742 -24.1% 3,367,582 4,403,190 -23.5%
Note: TCL Multimedia has announced the monthly sales volume of its Smart TV and 3D TV since February 2012. Taking into account the industry practice of disclosing the shipment data of Smart TV and Internet TV, therefore, starting from March 2012, TCL Multimedia has adopted the same practice of disclosing the monthly sales volume of Smart TV & Internet TV and 3D TV so as to allow comparison based on the same basis.