Possible Bad News for 3D TV

Avatar’s Blu-ray success may be bad news for 3D TV, you decide.  Are consumers really going to shell out more money for the 3D version of Avatar when it becomes available?  Let’s have a closer look at what PCWorld had to say about it.

Hollywood moviemakers and TV manufacturers should file this item under Good News/Bad News. First, the good: The blockbuster movie Avatar is apparently a blockbuster on Blu-ray as well. Released just yesterday in stores–Earth Day, in case you missed the symbolism–Avatar racked up record sales of 1.5 million copies in the Blu-ray format. According to the Hollywood Reporter, an early industry estimate places overall disc sales (DVD and Blu-ray) of Avatar somewhere north of 4 million.

And while Avatar director James Cameron and Fox Home Entertainment, which released the disc, are no doubt popping champagne corks today, there may be a downside to the movie’s record-breaking disc sales–at least for TV makers. You see, the initial Blu-ray release of Avatar isn’t in 3D, but in plain old two dimensions. The millions of buyers who’ve already snapped up Avatar discs are aware of this, naturally, and there’s a good chance they’re drawn more by film’s action, characters, and plot than by the (admittedly cool) visually gimmickry of 3D. Fans who want Avatar 3D on Blu-ray will have to wait until early next year, according to Fox.

3D @ Home

Now the potential bad news: Since Avatar is a smashing success in Blu-ray 2D, does this mean that consumers are blasé about 3D entertainment in the home? After all, content drives adoption of new consumer technologies, at least most of the time. If shoppers are snapping up Avatar discs now, it is quite possible they’ll pass on the 3D version–well, aside from a relatively small number of home theater buffs who want to recreate a theatrical experience.

To be fair, 3D TVs are new and expensive, and few consumers own one today. But wouldn’t Avatar, not only the highest-grossing film of all time, but also one that’s integrally linked with 3D entertainment, be the killer app (or killer disc, in this case) that spurs people to drop big bucks on a 3D-ready HDTV, a 3D Blu-Ray player, and at least two (and likely more) pairs of 3D glasses?

I’m not saying that 3D TV will fail. But Avatar’s early disc sales may provide a clue as to what consumers think of 3D at home. If you’re a TV manufacturer, it’s too soon for the vomit bag. But do keep one handy–just in case.

Thanks PCWorld!

4-Color 3D TV Technology by Sharp

Showing that it has eyes for 3DTV too, Sharp announced in Japan Monday that it has developed 3D technology around it new four-color LCD TV system.

Like competitive systems in the market now, Sharp’s system requires the use of special 3D active-shutter glasses.

Sharp explained that most 3D LCDs use a system based on time-sequential display technology using special active LC (liquid crystal) shutter glasses. Images intended for the left and right eye on the LCD screen are presented sequentially, alternating between the two perspectives.

The LC shutters in the special 3D glasses are synchronized with the display, “opening” (becoming transparent) and “closing” (becoming opaque) in such a way that the left and right eye see separate images, Sharp said.

The human brain combines these two slightly different images to create the perception of depth in a three-dimensional image.

The drawback to the system, Sharp said, is that displaying 3D images on a conventional display using this system yield low brightness and crosstalk in the image.

Sharp’s newly developed 3D LCD system combines five proprietary LCD technologies, including UV2A technology, Sharp’s core LCD TV panel technology, four primary-color technology, FRED technology and side-mount scanning LED backlight technology.

The system optimizes LCD for 3D TV by increasing screen brightness when displaying 3D images 1.8 times higher than that of the conventional displays, while minimizing crosstalk.

Sharp’s four-primary-color technology, currently marketed in 2D as Quattron, utilizes four primary colors, adding Y (yellow) to the three conventional primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue).

Sharp said this technology contributes to brighter, more vivid colors using higher light-transmission efficiency through the panel and a wider color gamut, which had been difficult to attain on conventional three-primary-color displays.

SANYO Shows Off 82” LCD Weatherproof Street Display at Safeco Field

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) announces that a new, innovative Full HD 82” LCD Weatherproof “Street Display” has been installed at Safeco Field, home of the major league baseball team, Seattle Mariners (Mariners).

Safeco Field, built in 1999 and located in Seattle, Washington, houses the world’s second largest open/close roof with natural grass, is the Seattle Mariners home field and hosts more than 2 million fans per year. The street display being installed in the field today is a combination of SANYO’s proprietary waterproofing, dust protection and cooling technology, which can be used outside even while weather happens. The display features high brightness and advanced cooling control mechanisms. Weatherproof monitors will allow the stadium to display contents for ads or public information with clarity and brightness even outdoors.

”This 82” LCD monitor will give us a new way to provide information to our fans at Safeco Field without having to worry about the effects of weather. We are very happy that Sanyo chose to make its entrance into the North American digital signage market here at our home ballpark,” said Bob Aylward, Executive Vice President Business Operations, Seattle Mariners.

The growing digital signage market allows additional streams of income from innovative advertising options, and the digital signs are often seen in areas where people gather, outdoors, outside a store, at street intersections, etc. The signage serves a dual purpose, providing pertinent information to customers and the general public, as well as conveying sponsor messaging. Digital signage is very big in North America and Europe. Along with the proliferation of digital signs, there is also a shift to network the devices, and it is estimated that the market for digital signage will continue to grow to a market scope of approximately $2 billion in North America, and is said that it will expand to about $10 billion by 2015 (SANYO forecasts).

“It is our privilege on this occasion to have the Mariners install our first large 82” LCD Weatherproof Street Display,” commented Mitsuru Homma, Executive Vice President of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. “With this prominent appeal to our latest innovation in digital signage, this type of large monitor has officially made our presence known in the North American digital signage market.”

SANYO, on this occasion, officially is bringing the product as a digital signage option to North America. While the product is developed and manufactured by SANYO Electric, the sales for the product and services will be handled by the regional sales headquarters, SANYO North America Corporation.

The Mariners are slated to purchase and install approximately 250 SANYO TVs in their stadium this fiscal year, and when combined with the TVs already installed, the number of SANYO TVs in Safeco Field will be 656 units.

Sony Rolls Out 3D TV Products To Consumer Market

Sony has announced that its range of 3D products including its first 3D TV will be available to buy in June.

The Japanese electronic giants, regarded as the first major manufacturer to pledge allegiance to the latest televisual revolution, will be represented by the Sony HX803 as its first foray into the 3D TV consumer market.

Packing Sony’s latest 200Hz high frame rate technology, the HX803 will deliver a full HD 1080p picture, while ‘High Speed precision’, ‘LED Boost’ and ‘3D up conversion’ will help enhance that HD 3D image even further. There’s also wireless access to Bravia Internet Video and built-in Freeview HD.

PS3 fans can also look forward to a 3D treat as Sony plans to launch four 3D stereoscopic games which come free when you purchase a HX803 3D TV.

To make your PS3 3D compatible, console owners will need to download a firmware update which will be made available prior to the launch of the HX803 3D TV. A firmware update to make the PS3 3D Blu-ray compatible will launch later in 2010.

Of course if you don’t own a PS3 and still want to enjoy Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or Deep Sea on Blu-ray 3D, the Sony S470 3D Blu-ray player which is already available, can be snapped up instead.

Completing your Sony ‘3D home’ the BDV-E370 Home Cinema system will also come equipped to cater for all your 3D audio needs.

Motorola 3D TV DCX Line of Televisions

The Mobile Devices and Home business of Motorola, Inc. announced today software enhancements for its industry-leading DCX line of set-tops that represents a breakthrough in 3D video processing, providing consumers with an exceptional and seamless 3D TV experience in their home. By enabling 3D content to be processed in the set-top before delivery to the 3D-capable television, consumers will no longer be confused by having to use remote controls and access on-screen menus to configure the set-top and television set every time a channel change involves switching between 2D and 3D video. Furthermore, all of this is done while maintaining the visual integrity of emergency broadcast messages, closed captioning or on screen displays while 3D video is playing.

“Motorola has been developing 3D technology for more than 10 years, leading the industry with innovative solutions that support the deployment of 3D TV to the home,” said John Burke, senior vice president, Motorola Mobile Devices and Home. “The development of this 3D software enhancement gives our service provider customers a straightforward solution for deploying high-quality 3D TV services today using their existing video delivery infrastructure. By focusing on the customer’s viewing experience Motorola has taken 3D TV to the next level and helped our industry to bring the experience of 3D from the theater into the living-room”

With many service providers having already announced their intent to broadcast select 3D programming, there are several challenges to overcome to deliver 3D signals to the home using currently deployed infrastructure and devices. Although frame-compatible 3D content can be passed through deployed set-tops and viewed on 3D TVs today, accessing the set-top on-screen guide and menu while watching 3D content provides an unsettling experience for the consumer. Motorola addresses these deployment challenges and maintains its leadership position in 3D TV by integrating 3D signal processing software into the set-top. Specifically, the new 3D TV-enabled set-tops provide the following functionality:

•3D format detection: The 3D TV processing software automatically detects the presence of 3D content and identifies the type of 3D format used to ensure proper delivery and display on the 3D TV. As a result, the consumer will be able to seamlessly switch between 2D and 3D channels. Additionally, the set-tops support 3D TV over both MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 and are capable of 1080p24/30 output.

•Content reformatting: Upon detection of 3D content, the set-top automatically reformats all on-screen text and graphics to match the incoming 3D format so that they can be correctly displayed by the 3D TV set. The 3D processing software supports all on-screen displays such as closed captioning, emergency alerts, application graphics and text overlays, as well as existing EPGs and applications.

3D TV is becoming a hot new viewing format and participants across the ecosystem are targeting home viewing. Momentum is building, and IDC survey data shows that consumers that have experienced 3D in the movie theaters express a greater willingness to pay for 3D-capable devices,” said Greg Ireland, IDC Consumer Markets research manager. “Motorola is successfully demonstrating its ability to support 3D TV and continues to be one of the leading providers of 3D TV solutions.”

Top 5 Tips To Consider Before Purchasing a 3D Television

Buying a 3D television at this point is an ambitious task given that there are so many manufacturers competing for your attention.  We’ve collected what we consider are the top 5 tips to consider before purchasing a 3D television to help make your buying experience that much better.

1. Glasses – the new TVs require 3D glasses and although some promotions add in one or two pairs, typically they are sold separately with a price range from $99 to $299 each. If you have a lot of TV viewers in your household, that can add up quickly. Most are not compatible with more than one brand, so if you have Sony glasses they won’t work with a Panasonic. Monster Cable is expected to release a line of 3D glasses that will be compatible with all brands later this year.

2. Choosing between 2D, HD2D and HD3D – London Drugs points out that if you’re in the market for a new TV, the 3D models offer the best 2D HDTV performance. I’d suggest though that you think back to the early days of flat screen models and how fast prices dropped for them. If you simply must spend $3,000-plus on a new TV right now, make it a 3D model. Otherwise, wait a bit until prices come down and there’s a choice of content that makes it worthwhile having a 3D TV.

3. Formats – If you’ve bought a TV in recent years, you’ll already have gone through the plasma versus LED backlit LCD debate. I decided on the LED format and so far most of the new 3D models now are that format. But in its tip sheet, London Drugs suggests that since the formats handle panel speed, black levels and viewing angles differently, you should talk to an expert to make sure the TV you’re considering is best for 3D performance.

4. Blu-ray compatibility – the bad news is if you bought a Blu-ray player pre-2010, it’s likely not compatible with the 3D TVs coming out. If your player is BD-Live compatible (BD-Live is a feature that lets you access content via the Internet with your Blu-ray player) it’s expected that you’ll be able to get a 3D upgrade via firmware although that would get you 3D (at 540p) but not high definition 3D.

5. What can I use it for? That is probably a key question you should ask before you rush out and buy the latest 3D technology. Content and programming are currently lagging so you could find yourself paying a premium for a 3D TV only to watch Avatar over and over again. A number of announcements have been made in the US but no word on prospective availability of 3D channels from the US in Canada yet. Service providers here haven’t announced any broad offerings although Shaw HD customers can tune in to the 2010 Masters Tournament in 3D. 3D Blu-ray movies and 3D video games will also be coming out in increasing numbers so the content situation will change fairly quickly. Sports are getting 3D attention, with the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be available in 3D with Disney’s ESPN in the US.

In addition to these 3D TV buying tips, do some research on your own to ensure the best value for your money.

Game Developers Conference Online to Feature Summits Dedicated to Development on iPad, iPhone, Stereoscopic 3D, Game Narrative

Game Developers Conference(R) Online (GDC Online) 2010 will feature a line-up of emerging-market summits on the first two days of the October 5th-8th event in Austin, Texas. These key standalone summits include one and two-day events dedicated to game development on Apple’s iPad, 3D stereoscopic games, iPhone games and videogame narrative. The summits will present sessions with in-depth business and technical advice in these major up-and-coming facets of the game industry. The three days of GDC Online main conference sessions will offer a host of business, marketing, design and technical content vital to making social network titles, free-to-play web games, kid-friendly online titles, larger-scale MMOs, or experimenting with other online gaming genres. GDC Online takes place at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Call for submissions for GDC Online summits and main conference sessions will open April 21st.

The summits to be presented at the Game Developers Conference Online (formerly known as GDC Austin) this October include the following:

iPad Gaming Summit
Debuting at GDC Online, the one-day iPad Gaming Summit, paired with the iPhone Games Summit, will provide an abundance of key facts and advice for all those working on the iPhone and iPad platforms. Sharing key business learnings to top technical takeaways from developers already surging to major success on this extremely competitive format platform, the iPad Gaming Summit provides a springboard into the world of iPhone/iPad game development.

3D Stereoscopic Gaming Summit
In another Summit debut, the one-day 3D Stereoscopic Gaming Summit will be the first GDC event to explore the world of 3D stereoscopic gaming in depth. With 3D-capable movies such as Avatar and Alice In Wonderland topping the worldwide box office for multiple weeks, and graphics engine companies and console manufacturers alike touting the rise of 3D in gaming, the 3D Stereoscopic Gaming Summit will gather industry experts to explain and demonstrate the latest advances in the area. Sessions will cover how to build 3D support into future games, potential technical barriers and solutions, and an analysis of key trends surrounding hardware adoption and penetration.

iPhone Games Summit
Returning to Austin after its successful debut in 2009, the third iPhone Games Summit will once again bring together top game developers from around the world to share ideas, best practices and discuss the future of this revolutionary platform. This one-day summit, paired with the iPad Summit on the following day, will focus on driving business and marketing strategies and how to truly succeed through micro-transactions on the iPhone 4.0 operating system and beyond. With advice from successful iPhone game companies, leading speakers and advisors, this event will be a must-attend for those in the space, or just looking to learn more.

Game Narrative Summit
The 2010 Game Narrative Summit, evolving in name and intent from the long-running Game Writers Summit, is dedicated to exploring the state and future of storytelling in videogames – all the way from emerging independent and social game experiences to the biggest AAA game titles. The two-day event will span all facets of the game story-making process and will bring together experts from the writing, design and creative game communities to showcase what interactive entertainment can do with storytelling – and why it’s so vital to the future of videogames. Sessions will address the art of writing scripts that seamlessly integrate into major console and online game titles with the new breed of story experiences, centered in anything from ARGs to Facebook games.

“With this new batch of specialized summits, GDC Online proves once again that this event is at the forefront of the emerging technologies and platforms of the future,” says Izora de Lillard, event director of GDC Online. “The full breadth of GDC Online’s content offers essential sessions for both industry veterans and online game developer newcomers to learn about and capitalize on important and developing trends.”

Panasonic Joins 3D Project at the Entertainment Technology Center

The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC, a non-profit consortium that brings together top entertainment and consumer electronics companies to listen to and evaluate consumer mindshare towards future technologies, is pleased to announce that Panasonic has joined the ETC@USC as a 3D Project sponsor. ETC’s ongoing 3D Project is looking at all things related to 3D, including the challenges faced when selling 3D products, guidelines for producing and displaying comfortable stereoscopic imagery, opportunities for marketing and advertising in 3D, education and demonstrations for the creative, equipment and retail industries, and more.

“It goes without saying that 3D is here to stay, in the theater, in the home, and in special venues everywhere. Through its many 3D-related projects and initiatives, the ETC@USC has played a key role in fostering an on-going dialogue about the best approach to furthering the success of 3D across many platforms,” said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, chief technology officer for Panasonic Corporation of North America. “For this and numerous other reasons, we are pleased to join the ETC@USC’s efforts to further the success of 3D.”

Panasonic’s sponsorship will contribute significantly to the Center’s 3D initiatives, including its Consumer 3D Experience Lab and a number of research and industry education efforts. Among these, Panasonic’s participation will help ETC undertake research studies that further explore human factors issues related to viewing 3DTV and the impact of stereoscopic technologies as they relate to the human visual system. The results of this work will be shared with the content creation community to provide insights and guidelines as it continues to produce immersive and visually comfortable 3D content.

In addition, Panasonic will participate in ETC@USC’s other initiatives, including acquiring consumer feedback on 3D products in ETC’s 3D Lab and research on consumer 3D product and service adoption.

“We welcome Panasonic to the ETC@USC as a 3D Project sponsor. As the consumer demand for 3D content becomes greater, content producers and CE manufacturers are going to be faced with many difficult questions about the future of this burgeoning industry. With the help of active participation from sponsors like Panasonic, the ETC@USC will continue to help address the questions facing this industry,” said David Wertheimer, CEO and executive director of the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC.

Bell Offers First 3D High Definition Television Broadcast

Bell today announced that it will be Canada’s first TV provider to offer a national 3D High Definition television broadcast when Bell TV delivers rounds three and four of the 2010 Masters Tournament in 3D HD this weekend.

“Bell TV has become Canada’s fastest-growing television service thanks to our ongoing innovation in digital TV, with the most High Definition channels available in Canada and now the country’s first national 3D TV service,” said Kevin Crull, President of Bell Residential Services. “The 2010 Masters Tournament is an ideal opportunity to showcase 3D HD technology, which will make watching the event on a 3D television just like being on the green.”

On Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, the Masters will be broadcast in commercial-free 3D HD from 5 pm to 7 pm ET. Available coast to coast to all Bell TV subscribers with High Definition service, the Masters Tournament in 3D HD will be available on channel 1000 at no extra charge. Bell TV customers can also experience the Masters Tournament in both High Definition and in Standard Definition through CBS, Global, RDS and TSN.

Bell TV HD set top boxes are already capable of receiving 3D HD, although customers also require a 3D television and compatible 3D glasses. Bell also plans to leverage 3D broadcasts to showcase to prospective customers the superior quality of Bell TV at select locations of The Source and other national retail partners.

“3D TV is very new technology and few 3D sets are in Canadian homes now. But Bell is committed to being at the forefront of television innovation, and we’ll continue to expand our 3D TV lineup as more quality content becomes available,” said Heather Tulk, Senior Vice-President of Products for Bell Residential Services.

Serving approximately 2 million customers across Canada, Bell TV offers the most HD channels, the best HD PVR, the first online commercial-free programming portal subscribers can watch on any computer and the only remote PVR feature that allows customers to manage their PVR from anywhere in the world using the Internet or their own smartphones.