THE 3D COMPANY

Qube Cinema Demos Multi-IMB Synchronization, IMB-Supported Laser Projection and HFR 3D

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:29:38 +0000

Qube Cinema Demos Multi-IMB Synchronization, IMB-Supported Laser Projection and HFR 3D at CinemaCon 2012

Qube Cinema demonstrated a series of industry firsts at CinemaCon in Las Vegas recently, including multi-IMB sync, 3D projections running at 120 fps per eye (240 fps total), and a special demonstration of new laser projection technology from Barco.

On the show floor, Qube demonstrated multi-IMB synchronization, delivering 4K content from a single Qube XP-I server to two Qube Xi 4K Integrated Media Blocks (IMBs) in two Barco DP4K-32B projectors; both images were in perfect frame synchronization.

“The high bit rate and multi-IMB sync capabilities of the XP-I server and Xi 4K IMB mean that the promise of dual projector 4K 3D digital cinema has been realized,” said Eric Bergez, Qube Cinema’s director of sales and marketing for the Americas. “The system is easy to operate and flattens the learning curve for projectionists by eliminating the unnecessary redundancies and complicated hardware configurations offered by previous vendors.”

The Qube XP-I server has the throughput to play back at 1,000 Mbps – four times the DCI bit rate specification of 250 Mbps. With 2K content, the Qube Xi can deliver up to 120 fps playback. With 4K content it can provide up to 30 fps playback. Alternatively, the high data throughput can be used to drive dual 4K or dual 2K projectors for stunning 4K 3D at up to 30 fps per eye (60 fps total).

“The image quality at these frame rates is impressive,” said Bergez, “and it’s coming at the right time. HFR films are already in production, or in development today, so high frame rate playback capability is becoming essential for exhibitors. Qube demonstrated its ability to playback content and has emerged as a technology leader for digital cinema.”

The company also demonstrated a standard Qube XP-I server paired with a single Qube Xi 4K IMB driving Barco’s new prototype laser projector (aka The Dragon) in a special presentation at the Coliseum in Caesars Palace. The brightness and high contrast came through in the projection of clips from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, as well as others, shown at 4K and 2K HFR 3D at 48 fps.

“We’re delighted to work with Barco on another industry advance,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, CTO of Qube Cinema. “The high brightness and color saturation of the 4K laser projection improves the 3D experience immensely.”

At the Filmmakers’ Lunch, with special guests Ang Lee and Martin Scorsese, Qube highlighted its new multi-IMB sync and HFR-HBR technology. The presentations offered side-by-side comparisons of 2D and 3D content on three different screens, all driven by synchronized Qube Xi IMBs. The left and right screens featured single Barco DP2K-20C projectors with RealD single-projector stereoscopic configurations, while the center screen was illuminated by two vertically-stacked Barco DP2K-20C projectors. All three images were kept in perfect sync with Qube’s native ability to sync multiple IMBs.

In addition, attendees were treated to a triple 3D screening of Martin Scorsese’s award-winning 3D film Hugo, with the Qube XP-I driving a single DCP to Qube Xi IMBs in Barco 2K projectors and RealD 3D equipment in perfect synchronization.

“CinemaCon marked a real milestone for digital cinema,” said Senthil Kumar, co-founder of Real Image, the parent company of Qube Cinema. “HFR projection, coupled with stereoscopic 3D, delivers an immersive in-theater experience that people can’t get anywhere else, and multi-IMB sync will play a key role in delivering it.”

European Box Office Hits Record $8.24 Billion in 2011

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:22:26 +0000

European Box Office Hits Record $8.24 Billion in 2011

Based on provisional data, the Observatory estimates that European box office returns increased slightly by 0.7 percent from €6.37 billion ($8.2 billion) to €6.4 billion ($8.24 billion), the highest level on record. Cinema attendance remained stable with an estimated 962 million tickets sold.

Though the number of 3D releases as well as 3D screens increased notably in 2011, the format matured in markets like the U.K., where, despite an increasing number of 3D releases – from 28 in 2010 to 47 in 2011 – 3D share dropped from 24 percent to 20 percent of total box office. But 3D didn’t boost average ticket prices, as had been the case in 2009 and 2010, with the pan-European average ticket price increasing by 0.5 percent to €6.60 ($8.50).

In European markets, 2011 cinema-going trends varied, with admissions decreasing in 11 and increasing in 15 markets for which data were available, while box office increased in 14 and decreased in 12 markets.

Territories that performed well were France (up 4.7 percent), the U.K. (up 5.2 percent) and Germany (up 4.1 percent) while Spain and Italy saw a decline in both admissions as well as box office.

2011 saw European films claiming back market share which they had lost to U.S. 3D blockbusters in 2009 and 2010. Based on provisional figures, estimated market share for European films in the EU climbed from 25.2 percent to 28.5 percent in 2011, back to the ‘pre-3D’ levels of 2007 and 2008.

With 72 percent of its total screens converted to digital at end 2011, the U.K. had the highest digital screen penetration among the six major European markets, ahead of France (67 percent). With 50 percent and 54 percent Germany and Russia followed but were well ahead of Spain and Italy where roll-out did not grow at comparable speed and only 39 percent and 38 percent of the total screen based digitized by the end of 2011.

Toshiba 55-inch 4K 3DTV for under $9,500

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:33:06 +0000

Toshiba to release 55-inch 4K 3DTV in Japan for under $9,500

Toshiba is set to release a 55-inch 3DTV with a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution for around 750,000 Yen (roughly $9410) this June.

Future price of OLED TVs

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:31:43 +0000

The Expected OLED TV Price curve.
A 55-inch OLED TV priced over $8,000 in the second half of 2012 may cost closer to $2,300 within two years, a dramatic price reduction that would make the sets accessible to mainstream buyers.
That’s according to a price forecast from research firm NPD DisplaySearch, which predicts a significant and steady decline in OLED TV prices starting soon after the sets debut.
Samsung today announced that its 55-inch “Super” OLED 3D TV will be available in Korea for around $9,000 in the second half of 2012. The company didn’t say when its OLED TV will arrive in the U.S.
Acknowledging a “great deal of uncertainty” surrounding prices of large OLED TVs, NPD DisplaySearch says the price of a 55-inch OLED model could drop roughly 50 percent to around $4,000 by the end of 2013, and continue falling to the $1,500 range by the end of 2015.
Ultra-thin OLED TVs feature vivid colors, deep blacks, and superior clarity and contrast. Simply put, they display a prettier picture than today’s LCD/LED and plasma TVs.
LG Electronics also plans to launch a 55-inch OLED TV with a price tag in the $8,000 range. Maeil Business Newspaper of South Korea reported last month that LG would unveil its OLED set at the Cannes Film Festival in the second half of May.
NPD DisplaySearch isn’t alone in predicting a rapid drop in OLED TV prices. Improvements in panel production capacity will quickly reduce manufacturing costs, Digitimes reports, and lower the price gap between OLED and LCD TVs to around 30 percent in 2013.

YOU On Demand to Launch the First 3D Video On Demand Service in China; Signs Content Deal With 3net

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:52:07 +0000

YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. China’s leading national Pay-Per-View (PPV) and Video On Demand (VOD) platform, announced today that it has signed a distribution deal with 3net, the leading U.S. 3D television channel and global production studio, for Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD) and Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) in China.

In connection with this deal, YOU On Demand will be launching a separate 3D SVOD package this summer.

Among the titles that will be available are “African Wild,” which takes viewers on a journey into the secret world of Africa’s largest and most dangerous animals and “Feeding Time,” a behind the scenes look at the fussy eating habits and individual personalities of some of the world’s most adored and iconic creatures.

“With the addition of 3net’s content, YOU On Demand is uniquely positioned to bring the 3D viewing experience to our subscribers. This is such an important time to launch 3D content, as it is a major initiative for our cable partners,” said Shane McMahon, Chairman and CEO of YOU On Demand. “We share 3net’s mission of bringing viewers the highest quality and most immersive in-home 3D viewing experience.”

“China represents one of the most dynamic international markets for 3D television, and we’re pleased to be able to bring our compelling, native 3D content to viewers in the region through our partnership with YOU On Demand,” said Tom Cosgrove, President and CEO of 3net.

About YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc.

YOU On Demand is the leading national Pay-Per-View and Video On Demand platform in China. The Company offers high quality premium content to customers across China through its Near Video On Demand (NVOD), Video On Demand (VOD) and Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) services. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that include alliances with leading media operators, comprehensive end-to-end content delivery, an exclusive billing solution, governmental partnerships and approvals, and value added services.

YOU On Demand has secured strategic partnerships with the largest media entities in China, and has a highly experienced management team with a strong background in Cable, Television, Media and Telecom. The company is headquartered in New York, NY, with its China headquarters in Beijing. For more information, visit http://www.yod.com

Kingdom of Plants 3D premieres

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:42:00 +0000

Kingdom of Plants 3D premieres

On May 3rd, an audience were treated to the first ever screening of Kingdom of Plants 3D episode one – Life in the Wet Zone, followed by a ten minute preview of the other two episodes – Solving the Secrets and Survival.

Head of Sky 3D John Cassy and Executive Producer Anthony Geffen introduced the screening with Cassy saying “Anthony Geffen has absolutely pushed the boundaries of 3D television and I think what you are going to see tonight is very special. 3D offers a way of telling stories that you can’t get anywhere else.” He continued to say “We are looking to make more and more home grown programming and in the next three years we are going to raise our investment in home grown shows like this… it is a good time to be a programme maker working for Sky”.

Kingdom of Plants 3D is a three part 50 minute series filmed over the course of a year at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which houses some 90% of all known plant species in one form or another. In a similar model to Flying Monsters 3D, the show (formerly known as Kew 3D) will be released for IMAX as well as 2D TV (on Sky Atlantic). Free 3D clips will be made available for the Nintendo 3DS as well as a supporting tie-in book initiated by Kew, a ‘making of’ programme and “an amazing app experience” according to Anthony Geffen.

Each episode covers a different aspect of plant life and utilises a number of different camera techniques to draw the audience into the surprisingly competitive world of plants. Life in the Wet Zone (26th May) looks at the adaptation of plants to wet and humid environments, with episode two, Solving the Secrets (2nd June), exploring the behind-the-scenes lives of plant movement, scent and communication. Survival (9th June), the concluding episode, focuses on the continual adaptation of plants as well as a look at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, which houses almost two billion seeds of more than 30,000 species of wild plants to ensure their future for generations to come.

Just before the screening, Geffen said “While we were making Flying Monsters 3D, David, the team and I realised the power of macro photography in terms of 3D and we started doing tests on various things. One of the things that struck us would be interesting was plants. It didn’t take very long after doing even very simple tests to realise that the plant world was going to be an extraordinary world to make a 3D film in.”

Referring to his meeting with James Cameron at IBC, Geffen said “I think this film is going to take 3D to another level, in a different way. It was really interesting as I was at a trade show a few months ago. I showed James Cameron and he said “My goodness I cannot believe that footage. That would take tens of millions of dollars to do that in CGI”.

3D Focus believes Kingdom of Plants 3D is possibly the most advanced Sky 3D documentary to date. It has very high production values and some of the 3D time lapse shots were sensational. It is incredible how close the cameras get to the plants and insects and you really do feel like you are watching something quite ground-breaking. However, this is not a review article (which will be released May 27th) but that is a quick taster!

Kingdom of Plants 3D was a team effort between Atlantic Productions, Dimension Media and ONSIGHT. Anthony Geffen was the Executive Producer with Dimension Media’s Adam Sculthorp and Jacquie Pepall stereo supervising and 3D producing respectively.

Like Flying Monsters 3D and The Bachelor King 3D (premiering at the end of the year), ONSIGHT managed the post production and facilities element with Richard Mills acting as Chief Technical Officer and Ben McGuire being the Post Production Supervisor using SGO Mistika. HALO worked on the sound effects.

Kingdom of Plants features many ground-breaking filming techniques. In fact, there were nine different camera systems used including time lapse (time lapse rigs using Canon Prime lenses), high speed (using Phantom cameras) plus 3D night-vision and infra-red sequences.

A variety of rigs and cameras were used including P&S Standard with Canon 5D cameras (for time lapse), the small P&S Freestyle rig using Sony F3 cameras, a bespoke 3D borescope rig with Red Epics, a Romford Calcutta Side-by-Side rig, and a Quasar principle rig.

The crew used Optimo DP Zooms, Ultra Primes, and Olympus 100mm Macro lenses. The time-lapse rigs used Canon prime lenses and the borescope system was equivalent to 40mm.

Speaking at the premiere, David Attenborough said “If you film time lapse for 24 hours a day you have to have the same exposure, the same light, in every single frame so at night time you have a flash but in the daytime you have to cut off daylight and use the same flash so a time lapse of a plant can’t be done in a place where the normal public are. It has to be done at the back or in some special circumstances, not even at Kew.”

However, the majority of filming was filmed at the Royal Botanic Gardens and the attraction was never closed during the filming. With the presence of the public and humid filming conditions, rigid filming schedules and planning were implemented as 3D Producer Jacquie Pepall said at the 3D Storytelling event at Ravensbourne in March…

“We had two separate time lapse units as well as a main unit. The main unit had to get a lot of the footage you see, certainly all the David Attenborough footage, shot in a relatively quick amount of time, and so, even though as a concept Kingdom of Plants seems really easy because everything is in one place, we were extremely strict and rigid in our planning. Because the 3D equipment is quite big, we had to be really careful so in the scheduling for our shoot days we scheduled up until 15 minutes so we would knew within 5 minutes where we should be and what we should be doing. I think that was the only way we could get everything done in time”.

Adam Sculthorp added “There were certainly issues working within a highly damp environment but it all comes down to planning. We knew this would be an issue so we worked with ONSIGHT to make sure we had the right tools there. We had a time schedule for the rig to acclimatise.”

Kingdom of Plants 3D also broke the boundaries of Sky 3D’s depth budget parameters which were especially extended for the series. Also, there is a higher use of negative space than previously seen (the space in front of the screen) as cameras delve into the secretive world of the plants up close.

Speaking at 3D Storytelling, Post Production Producer Ben McGuire said “For Sky, the depth bracket is about 3%. You can then push that depth bracket either behind the screen plane or in front of the screen plane… as we have been progressing, Sky were changing their parameters and with Kingdom of Plants, we pushed what we would put into negative space. What was once constrained to 1% in negative space, out of the screen, we actually went to 1.5 and a bit further on this programme.”

One of the concerns for any 3D production is the reduction in lighting caused by wearing 3D glasses. Directors Michael Bay and, more recently, Martin Scorsese have been making some noise about the brightness issue during 3D theatrical presentation. A number of vendors are recommending developing laser illuminated projection technology to make the screens brighter and some in the industry believe laser-based projection technology could begin to reach theatres by the end of 2013.

However, whilst that might offer a solution in the long term, Kingdom of Plants 3D has been produced for television too. When 3D Focus asked about this issue, Richard Mills said “It depends on the particular display medium. For cinema, there are DCI specifications. The standard specification for a theatrical screen is 14 foot lamberts. For 3D projection you are lucky to end up with 4.5 foot lamberts which is why people tend to grade up for a theatrical presentation. However, when it comes to television it very much depends on the user settings on the TV. Most modern sets vary their brightness dynamically so you are fighting a losing battle so you don’t really mess about with it too much. In the early days we were tempted to grade up for television production but it is largely left the same. I’m hoping the television experience at home won’t ruin it.

On the production side, Dimension Media’s Jacquie Peppall added “One of the things that this show really points out is how critical lighting is. We really spent a long time lighting the shots and it makes a huge difference if you put a lot of time and energy into lighting for 3D and particularly because one of the things that really coms through well with 3D is textures. We saw that with the fossils in Flying Monsters 3D and we see it in the macro photography in the plants with Kingdom of Plants. If you can light to ring out the textures, it really makes the 3D experience all that much more phenomenal so that is something I will take with me on my next 3D project.”

3D Focus asked Celia Taylor, Commissioning Editor Factual and Features at BSkyB whether she was frustrated that the majority of people will see Kingdom of Plants in 2D and she responded “We would love lots of people to see it in 3D and 3D is a growing market. By creating some of the best 3D in the world that is how we are going to get people to see more 3D. That is what we are after. That is our whole strategy, to make the best 3D in the world that engages the audience.

‘Twilight’ star Kellan Lutz to play Tarzan in 3D film

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:39:49 +0000

‘Twilight’ star Kellan Lutz to play Tarzan in 3D film

Kellan Lutz, who rose to fame after playing Emmet Cullen in the famous vampire film franchise, has been roped in to play the titular character in upcoming movie ‘Tarzan’ 3D.

The 27-year-old will star opposite Spencer Locker, who will play Jane Porter, reported Aceshowbiz. The new “Tarzan” movie, is developed at Constantin Film. Similar to any other versions of the vine-swinging jungle man, the story follows Jane who meets and teams up with Tarzan to defeat mercenary army. The film will be directed by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe. Yoni Brenner and Jessica Postigo provide the script, which is inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic story.

Pepsi teams up with Katy Perry for 3D film: “Part of Me 3D”

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 08:25:22 +0000

Pepsi Announces Movie Partnership with Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D Film

Pepsi today announced a partnership aligning the global beverage brand with the upcoming film Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D, set to be released by Paramount Pictures in theatres on July 5th. The film is the first-ever big screen look at the international superstar’s life both on and offstage.

Pepsi have recently change advertising company and this is a very smart move by Pepsi because it will give them months of high quality exposure to their core demographic. It’s also its hugely significant move for the 3D market in general because Pepsi is the first major brand to do a deal of this kind and they will rightly get lots of kudos.

The Pepsi partnership with the movie is set to begin next month and includes co-branded television and radio spots, digital advertising and retail displays. All elements of the campaign will feature Pepsi’s new global tag line, “Live For Now.” The Pepsi effort will offer consumers the chance to win trips to attend the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles, which will include a live performance by Katy.

Simon Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Americas Beverages said, “Pepsi is a brand at the forefront of pop culture and this partnership with Katy’s film will deliver fans an exclusive one-of-a-kind experience at one of the biggest movie events of the Summer, starring one of the one today’s hottest musical artists. This is one major way Pepsi will invite and inspire our fans to Live for Now.”

”Pepsi is one of the world’s leading brands, and this integrated partnership provides an incredible platform for us to build fan anticipation to see this exciting look into Katy’s world when the movie comes to theaters this summer,” commented LeeAnne Stables, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships for Paramount Pictures.

Pepsi announced its first global campaign, “Live For Now,” on April 30th. The campaign invites and inspires Pepsi fans to live each moment to the fullest through a breadth of global, pop-culture platforms. Pepsi will incorporate its partnership with Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D movie into all aspects of “Live For Now,” including interactive engagement with consumers through Twitter and Pepsi Pulse.

Further details around Pepsi sponsorship of the movies’ live premiere event will be released in the weeks to come.

About the Film

A 3D motion picture event movie, Katy Perry: Part of Me is a backstage pass, front row seat and intimate look at the fun, glamorous, heartbreaking, inspiring, crazy, magical, passionate, and honest mad diary of Katy.

Demand for 3DTV to increase by 122% in 2012

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:20:06 +0000

Demand for 3DTV to increase by 122% This Year

As IFA Global Press Conference 2012 event took place recently in Dubrovnik, Croatia, GfK executives gave out surprising market research information about the sales trends in the EMEA region.

Despite the bleak predictions from last summer, the European TV market seems to have jumped on the 3D bandwagon and started buying into everything that’s 3D and 3DTV related.

The adoption rate the company expects for 2012 is around 122% as far as 3DTVs are concerned. This is almost triple the adoption rate of Smart TV, which is expected to grow by 56% this year.

The customers are basically saying, we don’t care much about Smart TV as we care about 3D.

The country with the most eager 3DTV buyers is Switzerland where 42.3% of all TVs sold in January 2012 are 3D capable.

If people are voting for 3D with their wallets, who can explain why brands aren’t making 3D adverts? It can’t be a question of cost or quality …

Struggling Sony Set To Try Selling OLED TVs

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:21:51 +0000

The move comes only days after Sony’s new CEO, Kazuo Hirai, told analysts he was set to cut back Sony’s exposure to TVs after eight years of losses.

At the 2009 CES show, Sony showed a 19″ OLED Monitor. They claimed at the time that they would have full production of OLED TVs within 12 months.

New reports out of Taiwan claim that Sony is looking to partner with AU Optronics to manufacture Sony OLED TVs as the loss making Japanese company tries to develop a turnaround strategy.

“We know that Sony will have to form some kind of alliance with a third party since it would be difficult for it to capture more share in the OLED TV area alone. It’s not a surprise if it is considering a tie-up (with AU),” Nobuo Kurahashi, an analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities, told Reuters.

“For Taiwan and Japan, their interests coincide. If they don’t do anything, there will always be a gap in market share,” he added, pointing to competition from South Korea.

Both Samsung and LG in January displayed prototype 55-inch OLED (organic light emitting diode) screens – which boast sharper images and do not need backlighting – at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas in January. The TVs will go on sale in Australia in September.

Sony, who pioneered the technology with the world’s first OLED TV in 2007, halted production of the $2,000 screens for consumers in 2010. They then moved to focus on 3D TVs, bragging they were set to lead the world in 3D technology but since then both Samsung and LG have strripped 3D TV market share away from Sony.

For any maker of credit card-thin OLED displays, the obstacle to consumer acceptance is price. At a rumored price tag of $10,000, the 55-inch models from Samsung and LG would be ten times the price of an equivalent LCD TV.

The company that can find a way to mass produce at a sharply lower cost would have a headstart over its rivals. Sony, which no longer owns factories capable of fabricating TV size display panels would either have to invest in new plant or tie up with another maker to stay in the race.

OLED is not the only new technology that may be offered to consumers. Japanese makers including Sony are also working on ultra high-definition sets, dubbed 4K. Sony also has what it calls Crystal-LED, which also does away with a backlight, that it says offers richer colors and better contrast than conventional sets.