Sony Europe launch new '3D Experience'

Sony continue to push ahead with their plans to promote 3D TV to consumers with the launch of new ‘3D Experience.’

Sony Europe has announced the launch of "3D Experience", a new, free of charge on-demand streaming service offering a range of promotional video clips and trial content in 3D.

The service, which is already available for all 3D compatible Bravia LCD TVs includes highlights of Sony’s 3D Wimbledon final.

Additional content will include movie trailers from movies such as "Green Hornet" and "Monster House" in 3D, as well as 3D music promotional video clips.

The new Sony ‘3D Experience’ will provide instant access to an extensive range of 3D clips and content from a wide variety of genres, including movies, music, sports, and documentaries. Sony estimates that there will be about 30 titles available at launch.

Going forward, Sony plans to further expand the content line-up and has made plans to roll out to Sony’s 3D Blu-ray Disc Players and Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre Systems.

3D TV technology has moved on a long way in recent years. As well as Wimbledon, there have also been more sporting events screened in 3D, including Premier League football matches. Sky also screened the Isle of Wight Music Festival in 3D.

If you are due to upgrade your TV right now, it is worth considering a 3D option to future-proof your living room technology. But it really depends how often you think you’ll watch 3D. Right now, there isn’t a lot of content available, but one thing is certain, there is more and more 3D content coming to a screen near you very soon.

Source: Pluggedin.co.uk

Converting 2D TV to 3D will boost 3D TV sales

Advanced Digital Services (ADS) announced its latest service offering, breaking new ground in 2D-to-3D video conversion -- the first service to provide studios, production companies, and content owners an affordable business model to drive the conversion of many thousands of hours of video footage currently sitting idle. The service will not only make conversion fiscally practical, but will also result in guaranteed broadcast-quality 3D footage in a timely manner.

ADS has geared the service to content owners of episodic television content, documentaries, animated features, music videos, sporting events, commercial advertisements, and even infomercials. ADS's converted 3D video footage is optimized for cable and broadcast television, Blu-ray box sets, and pay-per-view. In addition ADS's formats include 3D for mobile devices and for services such as Netflix^®, iTunes^®, and Hulu^®. ADS's methodology has been validated as a proven technique by several major U.S. studios.

The opportunity for end-user consumers to view 3D content is growing rapidly, given the several dozen 3D channels currently available over cable, 3D-enabled Blu-ray players, and video-on-demand services. Nevertheless, broadcast-quality 3D content -- either converted to, or shot in, 3D -- remains in short supply. As a result, a large and continuously growing market exists for broadcast-quality 3D programming. ADS provides studios, content owners, and production companies an affordable and timely path that enables monetization of existing programming, thus creating opportunities to repurpose valuable content.

"Although consumer demand for 3D is growing, the limited supply of broadcast-quality 3D content has served to stunt that growth," said Thomas Engdahl, CEO of ADS. "Meanwhile, industry players are missing lucrative revenue opportunities, as 3D-TV producers and retailers wait in hopes of a magic bullet that will move 3D beyond a cottage industry. With our new conversion methodology, we are poised to fill this market void."

Until today, broadcast-quality 2D-to-3D conversion techniques have produced several notable successes, but conversion has been slowed by frame-by-frame processes that result in production costs out of reach for television programming. ADS, using proprietary processes and technology, has demonstrated that broadcast-quality 3D footage can be developed from 2D content for as little as three to five percent of the cost of frame-by-frame processes, and in a fraction of the time.

3D Growth on the Upswing
As the cost and complexity of 2D-to-3D conversion are overcome by ADS and other innovators, potential new revenue streams from conversion of existing 2D content are likely to propel the growth of 3D. "Content owners have a wealth of video assets -- going back 20 years or even longer -- and those assets are likely to fuel new interest in content that otherwise might have been consigned to the vault," said Engdahl.

While revitalized content will drive new opportunities, acceptance of 3D is also likely to accelerate with the availability of new 3D-enabled end-user devices, said Engdahl. "A second or third generation of mobile devices, such as the iPad, could be the next big growth driver," he said.

Source: Marketwire.com

Samsng's Super Resolution 3D TV showcase

Hi-Resolution 3D TV's are the way of the future, as are puffy shirts!

Sharp and NHK may be bringing us the 33-million pixel HDTV but Samsung's 8-million pixel, 70in HDTV sounds impressive in its own right. Samsung showed off their 4000x2000pixel 3DTV (so-called 4K) at the Society for Information Display conference in Los Angeles, according to MIT Technology Review.

The answer lies in shrinking pixels and using better transistors. In most cases, manufactures can't miniaturise pixels because the current silicon transistors can’t conduct electrons fast enough to work with miniaturized parts. Luckily Samsung has metal oxide transistors, which can and do very well at conducting electrons quickly. Also the implementation of these metal oxide backplanes is inexpensive and is one of the few mixes— IGZO: indium, gallium, and zinc—that work with current technology.

Current HDTV video comes in 1920x1080p or 1280x720p resolutions, so presumably 4K will be the next step. A 1080p TV has a bit over 2 million pixels, so 4K would be quite a step up. Other vendors have toyed with 4K, including Toshiba and its "Cell TV". This might be the first time we here at GeekTech have heard about a 3D 4K TV, though.

Source: Good Gear Guide

Vizio launch new line of 3D TV's

In the span of a few years, American based VIZIO has gone from a relatively unknown electronics company to a major player in the world of consumer electronics.

Now, the company has aggressively followed up its initial launch of 3D TVs in 2010 with the announcement of three new 3D TV lines for 2011.

“We are highly encouraged by the positive response our circular polarized 3D technology has received from industry experts, the press and Hollywood leaders like James Cameron, says Randy Waynick, chief sales officer, VIZIO. “VIZIO’s early commitment to this direction, with its superior viewer experience has enabled us to develop the industry’s most comprehensive range of 3D HDTVs, ranging from introductory price levels to the most advanced cinematic displays available today.”

The three tiers of 3D products will be part of the company’s E Series, M Series and XVT Series, with screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 65 inches.

VIZIO’s new 3D TV products employ the company’s passive 3D technologies, which the company says offer viewers a clear, flicker-free image that’s twice as bright as the industry’s current-generation active 3D technologies.

Highlighting the new products is the Cinemawide HDTV 21.9 aspect ratio TVs that are part of the XVT series. These products are engineered to reproduce CinemaScope content without showing black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. VIZIO says that video experts generally refer to CinemaScope content as movies with 2.35: 1, 2.37:1 and 2.39:1 aspect ratios. In addition to its widescreen movie capabilities, the CinemaScope products also include VIZIO’s Internet apps to support streaming Web services.

Pricing for the 3D TVs range from $500 to just over $3,000. Pricing for the CinemaScope products hasn’t been determined as of yet, but the TVs are expected to become available in October and November.

Credit: Robert Archer - Electronic House

SONY Vaio 3D Touchscreen Desktop PC

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With so many integrated features, including a 3D display, the L Series delivers the ultimate one-stop shop for your every productivity and entertainment needs. The VAIO L Series All-in-One desktop is a contemporary high-definition PC/TV with a stunning 24-inch (diag.) LED backlit multi-touch display that offers intuitive touch access to Internet and TV(select models), Blu-ray Disc™ movies (select models), music, photos and more.

The Sony VAIO L Series features a full HD 3D display and lets you enjoy 3D Blu-ray Disc™ movies and PC games in 3D. You can also connect to a PlayStation®3 entertainment system via HDMI® and enjoy 3D gaming on the 24-inch full HD display. One pair of USB rechargeable, active shutter 3D glasses are included with the L Series desktop.

Powerful and Productive:

• Quad Core Intel® Core™ i7 processor for visibly smart performance at its best (select models)

• Windows® 7 Professional (select models)

• Windows® 7 Home Premium (select models)

• Dedicated NVIDIA® graphics with 1GB VRAM (select models)

• Sleek and sexy All-in-One design from any angle

• Compact All-in-One design, wireless keyboard and mouse offer a clutter-free workspace

• Wait less and transfer data faster with USB 3.0 technology

• HD web camera powered by Exmor™ sensor offers great low-light performance and superb

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• VAIO Care™ software makes PC maintenance simple



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• Multi-touch controls offer a simple, intuitive way to explore your PC

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• Experience 2D and 3D Blu-ray Disc™ movies (select models) and games in stunning Full 1080p HD

• Enjoy your photos and videos in 3D with the 3D photo and video viewer

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• Experience your content in a whole new way with Media Gallery™ software

• A true All-in-One solution with a PC, Blu-ray Disc™ player (select models), HDTV and DVR (select models) in one sophisticated wall-mountable package (mount sold separately).

Kylie goes 3D with Les Folies tour in London

London's The Box nightclub has hosted a screening of Kylie Minogue's 'Les Folies' in 3-D ahead of its TV showing on June 19.

The forthcoming screening of Kylie Minogue's 'Les Folies' tour in 3D was celebrated in London last night (06.06.11).

'Britain's Got Talent' hopefuls Up and Over It - famous for their table tapping routine - were at the event at the capital's infamous The Box nightclub in Soho to launch the show, which will be screened on Sky 3D on June 19.

The 90-minute show featured the diminutive pop princess' performances at the London O2 with songs including 'Better The Devil You Know' and 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head'.

Discussing the screening, Kylie recently said: "I'm so proud of this tour, everyone has pulled out the stops to give my fans a truly unique concert experience.

"So I'm excited we have been able to use the power of 3D TV to give audiences at home the chance to get a front row experience."

John Cassy, Channel Director of Sky 3D added: "If ever a show was made for 3D it is 'Aphrodite-Les Folies'. From the costumers to the choreographer and the fountains to the flying angel, Kylie has excelled herself. Fans of Kylie are in for a treat."

Source: List.co.uk

SONY Playstation 3D TV looks to gamers for 3D TV sales

3DTV set-makers are looking to gamers as a potential market for 3DTV upgrades.

While 3DTV has been hailed as the wave of the future, 3D is actually one of the weakest drivers of new TV replacements, according to a study by research firm DisplaySearch that was released Wednesday.

Other features like LED backlight and Internet connectivity, though both also received low ratings in the U.S. and most other developed countries, still rated higher than 3D.

In an attempt to counteract that resistance, though, set-makers are bundling 3D movies with new sets as one incentive for 3DTV purchases, and they are also actively courting the gaming community.

This week at E3, for example, Sony introduced a strategy that involves bundling a PlayStation-branded 24-inch 3D display with a 6-foot HDMI cable, a pair of PlayStation-branded active 3D glasses and a copy of Resistance 3 for $499.

"We know gaming is a key driver to 3D adoption," Susan Panico, senior director of PlayStation Network, told The Hollywood Reporter of the company's strategy. "The 24-inch display is a great point of entry, whether you are in a college dorm or your bedroom at home, in getting the younger gamers into 3D. And these games like Resistance 3 are phenomenal and take it to a whole different level. Bringing this content to them is really going to drive the adoption."

Sony reported that 108 stereoscopic 3D game titles are available for PlayStation3. Additionally, PlayStation Network currently offers 10 3D movie titles plus additional video content. The company reported that earlier this year, the release of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011: The 3D Experience counted 83,000 3D downloads in the in first week, compared with 48,000 for the 2D version of the video.

The new Sony full HD LCD display also comes equipped with a new feature that Sony said would allow two individuals playing a multiplayer game to see individual, unique, full-screen images of gameplay using the bundled 3D glasses and supported software titles.

The active glasses in the PlayStation bundle can also be used with any Sony 3DTV, as well as select 3DTVs from third-party manufacturers. The bundle will be available in the fall. The glasses will also be sold separately for $69.99.

During E3, Microsoft had a more cautious approach to 3D. "It's reasonably important; it's technology that is progressing forward," Marc Whitten, corporate vp at Xbox Live, told THR. "You are going to see more 3D movies and games. I think it will be a while for the adoption to really catch up, but it is something that as people get these devices into their homes, we'll support in a great way."

Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

3D TV continues growth even though 3D movies drop

Entertainment executives may be seeing a softening of interest in 3D movies, but one survey says 3D television sets continue to show rapid growth.

TV equipment research company DisplaySearch says that 1.9 million 3D TVs were shipped in the first quarter of 2011, a jump of 104%. It is estimated that globally, 3D TVs will have a 16.8% share number by the end of the year. In the first quarter, 3D TVs represented a 3.9% share.

At present, DisplaySearch says there are still obstacles to faster growth: not enough 3D TV shows/content, a flickering or crosstalk that can cause dizziness among some set manufacturers, high prices, uncomfortable glasses and confusion about different 3D technologies.

Near-term prices for 3D TV have fallen some. Long-term, the research company says the addition of 3D can help retailers increase average selling prices.

Read the full article here

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Trailer!

The 3D TV of the future is glasses-free

The future is here right now! Well almost and it's in the form of a 52 inch glasses-free 3D TV which has gone on sale in Japan. The Dimenco 1080p LCD TV supports 3D without the need for glasses.

It comes from Dimenco, a small company made up of former Philips employees. The team has developed a new kind of glasses-free 3D tech that can be scaled to large-screen devices without any real loss in visual fidelity.

The tv set has a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time, 700 nits of brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate. Does this tv sound too good to be true? Well, if you dont think about the price, $20,000 and the fact it is not released commercially but targetted towards business applications, we can only just sit and wait for the tech to become mainstream.

Microsoft to reveal 3D plans for XBOX360

Microsoft looks set to announce some 3D news for the XBOX360 at this years E3 expo.

According to Eurogamer, the 3D announcement will most likely be regarding some kind of update similar to what Sony did with the PS3. Sony announced its 3D firmware upgrade for the PS3 back in February 2010, with the update happening in June.

Although the Xbox 360 technically already has 3D content out including Avatar the game, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Crysis 2 which were all released in stereoscopic 3D, it doesn't match the resultion of the of the PS3, which outputs at 1280x1470.

Source: Techradar

Titanic 3D coming to an iceberg near you!

James Cameron has revealed that his 1997 epic Titanic will be setting sail on the big screen once again on April 6, 2012, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the ship's doomed maiden voyage (April 10th, 1912). However, this time around Cameron has made good on the threats he's been delivering for the past couple of years, meaning it'll be in eye-popping 3D!

Read more here