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.
Hubble Vividly captured in IMAX 3D Video
Vividly captured in IMAX 3D, Hubble 3D recounts the amazing journey of the most important scientific instrument since Galileos original telescope and the greatest success in space since the Moon Landing—the Hubble Space Telescope. Audiences will accompany the space walking astronauts as they attempt some of the most difficult tasks ever undertaken in NASAs history, and will experience up close the awesome power of the launches, the heartbreaking setbacks, and the dramatic rescues of this most powerful story.
Hubble 3D will also reveal the cosmos as never before, allowing viewers of all ages to explore the grandeur of the nebulae and galaxies, the birth and death of stars, and some of the greatest mysteries of our celestial surroundings, all in amazing IMAX 3D.
First Look Preview with Panasonic 3D TV and NVIDIA 3DTV Play
NVIDIA announced 3DTV Play with its partner Panasonic today. 3DTV Play will enable 3D LCD, LED and Plasma TVs, such as those by Panasonic, to play 3D games and Blu-Ray 3D movies from PC to TV using NVIDIA’s new 3DTV software and a NVIDIA GeForce graphic-enabled PC. The software will retail for $39.99. Concurrent with the announcement, NVIDIA showed off 3DTV for the first time on Panasonic’s Touch the Future Tour. GamerLive.TV got an exclusive first look preview of the new technology as it caught up with the tour in Hollywood, California.
ShoWest Is a Hot Spot for 3D Technology
ShoWest is the most prestigious and longest running convention and trade show for the cinema exhibition and distribution community. Cinema Exhibition professionals come to ShoWest for exciting film screenings of major studio and independent feature films slated for Summer release as well as product reel presentations, exciting special events with Hollywood’s hottest stars, educational seminars and to find the latest products, services and technologies at the largest trade show of its kind.
ShoWest/NATO Marketing Achievement Awards
In the cinema exhibition industry, on the theatre level, the hardest working individuals are the managers and their staff who work tirelessly to market everything from big blockbuster films to smaller, independent films in order to attract audiences to their theatres. These innovative managers employ tactics ranging from newspaper advertising to web promotions to community events to in-theatre displays and everything in between. That’s why, ShoWest and NATO are proud to announce that they are once again partnering to bring you the ShoWest/NATO Marketing Achievement Awards – a big, celebratory event that singles out the creative marketing geniuses and their superstar teams across the nation that represent the “best of the best” in a variety of categories. This brochure contains information on the awards categories, eligibility requirements, as well as the entry form. This is your chance to be recognized and rewarded for your Herculean efforts. Be sure to enter by the deadline of Friday, January 15, 2010.
We’ve provided a shortlist of exhibitors that pertain to new technology that will be showcasing their products at this year’s event.
GDC Technology
GDC Technology’s SX-2000 Digital Cinema Server with Integrated Media Block (IMB) can be seamlessly integrated into DLP Cinema® Series 2 projectors. It retains all the advanced features and user interface of GDC’s existing SA-2100 servers, Seamless upgrade (or migration) path is provided, with no need to retrain customers on the usage of the servers and the same workflow in managing 2K and 4K content. Customers can afford a new digital projection solution that is future-proof based on Texas Instruments’ Enhanced DLP Cinema technology.
Harkness Screens
Harkness Screens announces the Digital Screen Selector, a Web-based application available at no charge to help maximize the return on exhibitors’ digital-cinema investments. It works by using actual operating data to specify the optimal screen surface to reduce 2D operating costs, as well as to optimize both 2D and 3D light levels.
Hurley Screens
Hurley Screen Corp. is now producing a higher-gain option for Superglo HG screen material. In addition to their standard Superglo 1.5 and Superglo HG 1.8, Superglo HG 2.1 is available for immediate delivery. Superglo HG 2.1 is ideal for large screens in 3D systems where pearlescent screens can be employed. Like all of Hurley Screen’s gain screen surfaces, Superglo HG 2.1 is manufactured using an advanced printed finish for a significantly more even projection surface than commonly used spray-on screen surfaces.
JBL
JBL introduces two new Ultra High Power 4-Way ScreenArray® Systems, the model 5742 and the 5732. The new large-format 5742 ScreenArray features a 4” titanium-diaphragm high-frequency compression driver providing 125 watts of power coupled with a quad midrange with four 8” CMCD™ cone midrange compression drivers, providing 1,400 watts of smooth midrange coverage. The low-frequency section features double 18” Super Vented Gap™ low-frequency drivers, with over 1600 watts for high output power with minimum distortion. The 5742 is the ideal sound system to complement the large-format 3D visual experience.
The new 5732 Four-Way ScreenArray also employs the 4” 125-watt high-frequency driver, with a 700-watt dual 8” CCMD midrange section, coupled with a double 15” low-frequency section featuring 1,200 watts of low-frequency power. The 5732 provides significant power in a compact system for the headroom required in post-production venues and cinemas worldwide.
Kinoton
At booth 1617, Kinoton will present the new generation of DCP digital-cinema projectors, utilizing components supplied by Barco, a licensee of Texas Instruments’ DLP Cinema® technology. These “Series 2” DCP projectors comply with the latest security standards and offer excellent brightness at a lower cost and with a smaller footprint. They feature full-resolution 2K triple-flash technology for brilliant 3D cinema. Moreover, the new DCP projectors can be upgraded to 4K projection and are prepared for incorporating an Integrated Media Block (IMB).
Look 3D Eyewear
Look3D announces that RealD has officially certified its complete 2010 Digital Designer Eyewear Collection. This catalogue is a showcase of the collections that prove digital 3D glasses can be both fashionable and functional. With fashion wraps, perfect-fitting kids’ styles and superior lens optics. Look3D has it all. Look3D strongly believes that everyone deserves to see and be seen in the best 3D glasses on the market, and that movie lovers will increasingly demand both fashion and function when attending digital 3D cinemas.
Look3D offers a number of collections at various price points, manufactured to RealD’s specific engineering specifications and carrying the RealD certification badge to ensure that quality is maintained.
Technicolor 3D
3D continues to outperform 2D by more than two to one, and studios have already announced 19 major 3D releases for 2010. With only approximately 3,800 digital 3D screens in North America, exhibitors face a challenge in meeting audience demand. Market conditions continue to delay digital rollouts, and in smaller towns the current price of digital equipment may not be cost-effective.
Technicolor has developed a next-generation, high-quality, affordable 3D solution for 35mm projectors that enables exhibitors to bring 3D to audiences everywhere now.
3-D Glasses Global
3-D Glasses Global, LLC, is introducing a new line of 3D eyeware. “EYE-D” (copyright pending) 3D eyeware features molded plastic frames and is available with either circular or linear technology lenses that are manufactured by US Polarizer LLC. 3-D Glasses Global says the lenses provide the highest “extinction rate” in the industry.
“EYE-D”s are available in red, blue, green and yellow as well as traditional black, and are compatible with all 3D projection systems, including RealD, MasterImage and Technicolor.
For complete exhibitor listings, please visit the ShoWest website.
Samsung’s New C9000 3D LED TV Delivers High Performance
Samsung’s new C9000 3D LED TV is really as good as it looks, this swish looking TV shows all the signs of being a class leader. The C9000 is only 7mm thick but is packed with a luxurious array of features. Sammy’s new set comes with Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, HDMI and is HD 3D ready. The internet enabled monster allows the user of widgets including BBC iPlayer, Muzu.tv and movie streaming from LoveFilm.
The features don’t stop with the set itself, the C9000 comes with what looks to be a Logitech-Harmony-beating Wi-Fi zapper. The remote allows you to view content on the inbuilt touchscreen without requiring you to interrupt your current show. Very clever, although make sure your don’t end up watching football on the remote instead of your TV!
The TV will be available in 46? and 55? versions so those wanting an inconspicuous TV can look elsewhere, but looking as good as it does, who would want it to go unnoticed?
Samsung Brings the Red Carpet in 3D
Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced it will bring the first ever view of Hollywood’s red carpet arrivals live in 3D to guests at an invitation only viewing event at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on Sunday, March 7, 2010. The exclusive event will feature a special closed circuit 3D feed from KABC-TV’s ‘On the Red Carpet’ live local pre-show that will be seen on Samsung award-winning 3D LED TVs.
“We are thrilled to be the first to bring the wonder of 3D to Hollywood’s biggest night of the year,” said Peggy Ang, vice president of marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung recognizes that strong content remains critical to the adoption of 3D technologies and this represents a taste of the new dimension of home entertainment that we’ll soon deliver.”
The centerpiece of the event will be Samsung’s 3D LED TVs, featuring a first-of-its-kind built-in 3D processor for an unbelievable, immersive viewing experience. The event is an industry first-of-its-kind. It is also Samsung’s first 3D viewing party since it unveiled its complete 3D home entertainment solution as part of the world’s largest 3D-capable product line-up at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Samsung’s completed 3D experience will be available in the first half of 2010.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.
Samsung Celebrates its Worldwide Availability of Full HD 3D LED TVs
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today celebrated the worldwide availability of the first-ever Full HD 3D LED TVs with a one-of-a-kind special performance by The Black Eyed Peas in Times Square. “Avatar” director James Cameron, who has been a crucial driver in furthering the development of 3D content, also joined today’s celebration. In addition, Samsung also announced footage from The Black Eyed Peas’ hugely popular The E.N.D. World Tour will be exclusively available in 3D for Samsung customers.
Samsung Electronics 3D LED TV global launch celebration in Times Square was filmed in 3D by James Cameron and Vince Pace’s production company Cameron/Pace, and streamed live via Dipdive.com, the popular lifestyle engine for music, arts, action and more. The Times Square surprise performance by The Black Eyed Peas kicked off Samsung Electronics’ global campaign to raise awareness for its 3D TV technology leadership, which also includes worldwide launch events and a global television advertising campaign. The Black Eyed Peas 3D footage joins the growing range of 3D content, including the most successful animated film franchise of all time — DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: DWA) “Shrek” film series — which Samsung will make available in 3D Blu-ray for the first time ever.
Together, these leaders in each of their respective industries showcase a commitment by consumer electronics, music and content organizations to bring the 3D TV vision to life in consumer homes everywhere. It also symbolizes the beginning of a new era of home entertainment.
“Last year Samsung created a new category in home entertainment by bringing LED TVs to the market, and now we are adding a new dimension to the category by adding 3D LED TVs,” said Boo-Keun Yoon, President of Visual Display Business Unit at Samsung Electronics. “3D is more than just a groundbreaking technology — it’s the future of television, and we are committed to bringing this total viewing experience to consumers everywhere with the best picture quality in 3D content possible.”
“We are excited to help launch the Samsung 3D LED TVs and give our BEP fans exclusive access to the performance not only via Dipdive.com, but through the 3D experience,” said will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.
Television Entertainment Arrives in Samsung 3D
Samsung’s 2010 3D TV lineup includes the LED 7000/8000/9000 Series, LCD 750 Series, and the Plasma 7000/8000 Series. Available this month are the 3D capable 46″ and 55″ LED C7000, followed by the remaining 3D TVs in coming months.
Samsung is also partnering with the world’s top entertainment brands to deliver content that showcases the LED TVs’ 3D picture quality with incredible depth and perfect clarity. The company recently joined forces with DreamWorks Animation to accelerate the worldwide deployment of in-home 3D to mainstream consumers, which includes a first-time feature-length, 3D Blu-ray version of DreamWorks Animation’s 2009 release, “Monsters vs. Aliens.”
In addition, Samsung and DreamWorks Animation announced earlier this week an expansion of their strategic alliance to feature an exclusive offering of the Company’s beloved “Shrek” film series — which to date has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide box office — in its entirety in 3D for the first time ever.
Marketing in a New Dimension
Samsung is waging a multi-dimensional marketing campaign to create greater awareness worldwide, and to communicate the experience of 3D in a variety of ways, including television commercials displayed on two-dimensional TVs.
The effort starts with the global phenomenon The Black Eyed Peas, which includes producing 3D concert footage from their The E.N.D. World Tour to be displayed at retail and be used in bundled 3D Blu-ray promotions with Samsung 3D LED TVs later this year. Samsung also deployed B-Boy dancers throughout New York City today to highlight the liberation of TV from 2D to 3D, and is aggressively utilizing print and out-of-home advertising, as well as an in-depth social media campaign.
Samsung also today revealed its 3D Cube, a mega screen display composed of 36 55″ LED 7000 Series 3D LED TVs outside The Samsung Experience in New York City. This is one of several 3D Cubes created by the company to build awareness for Full HD 3D LED TV around the world.
At the centerpiece of the campaign is a global TV commercial filmed by renowned director Sam Brown, that translates the immersion of 3D on a 2D TV screen. The commercial was shot in Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls in Argentina, requiring 10 days of filming and a large scale production.
The ads will begin running in late March on every continent except Antarctica.
Samsung Push to Become the Preferred 3D Brand
The Korean company Samsung kicks off the industry wide push and battle for brand supremacy – by launching a 3D range that will be in British shops by the end of the month. Billed as the world’s first high definition, three-dimensional LED televisions, Samsung’s range will be serenaded by the Black Eyed Peas at a glitzy global marketing debut in New York tomorrow.
At a press conference today, Samsung said its televisions and Blu-ray devices will come with a starter pack of two pairs of 3D glasses and a Blu-ray version of Monsters vs Aliens under a tie-up with the movie studio DreamWorks Animation. “It’s quite simply the entertainment revolution of our time,” said DreamWorks’ chief executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg. “It’s as important as the introduction of sound or colour.”
Keen to get in on the act, the Japanese company Panasonic will sell its first 3D television at a BestBuy electronics shop in Manhattan this week. And Sony, which expects to begin selling its sets in June, has set an ambitious target of selling 2.5m 3D televisions by March 2011 – amounting to roughly one tenth of all its global television sales. In British shops, John Lewis’s vision buyer, David Kempner, said he expected demand to be a “slowburn”, with an opening price point of £2,000. “HD is still a relatively new concept and consumers are just getting used to it but 3D will be the next big thing. Given it has the support of all the major manufacturers, 3D technology has got momentum of its own but it also requires content providers to support it and there is a time lag there.”
Experts say that 3D televisions are likely to enjoy mainstream uptake because the technology behind them barely costs any more than existing sets. To achieve three dimensions, manufacturers need more powerful processors but the fundamental make-up of the television changes only marginally. The only substantial extra cost is making 3D glasses. “The add-on cost of manufacturing isn’t significant,” said Jim Bottoms, director of the technology consulting company Futuresource. “Set makers are starting to incorporate 3D in higher-end televisions this year. Very quickly, certainly by 2015, virtually every full-sized television will have 3D capability.”
Although pricing for British shops is yet to be finalised, Sony’s 3D televisions range in Japan from around £2,150 for a 40in set to double that amount for a 60in model, while Samsung is charging $2,000 (£1,350) to $4,000 in American stores. Sport and films will be the early applications for 3D home entertainment. Under a deal with Sony, Sky has already begun showing certain Premier League matches in pubs on 3D televisions and this summer’s World Cup could be a watershed for the technology: Sony will film 25 matches in South Africa using 3D cameras.
The opening ceremony of Vancouver’s Winter Olympics was available in 3D. More than 20 movies in 3D are scheduled for release this year, including Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which topped Britain’s cinema box office charts at the weekend. Mainstream television programming will take longer. The BBC and ITV have expressed interest in experimenting with 3D content.
But Bottoms said everyday shows were unlikely to go 3D until technology arrives to eliminate the need for special glasses, which is thought to be up to five years away. “We see the next three to five years as being ‘event-driven’ for 3D. When we get to a glass-less solution, then we’ll really see 3D become more pervasive,” he said.
It has taken decades even to get to this point. The first 3D film, The Power of Love, was made back in 1922 and dozens of movies came out in the 1950s including such gems as Creature from the Black Lagoon. But a key problem was “3D fatigue” whereby viewers’ eyes became tired from distinguishing the twin images needed to create depth perception.
Lady Gaga Going 3D
Lady Gaga fans are in for a treat as she prepares to incorporate 3D technology into her future performances. Perhaps you’ll need to wear 3D glasses at her upcoming performance.
MTV reports that once Gaga — famously a workaholic — finishes her current “Monster Ball” tour, she may be putting together a 3D concert, which could be filmed for DVD release. It seems this has all been in the works for a while, as the singer included a pair of 3D glasses with special editions of Fame Monster last year, with a cryptic note that they’d be useful “for things happening soon.”
This should be exciting to see when it finally rolls out!
DirecTV Getting Into 3D
DIRECTV, Inc., the world’s most popular television service, and Panasonic, a world leader in HDTV and digital electronics, announced today a strategic relationship that, for the first time, will bring 3D TV, the next frontier of television entertainment, to the largest audience nationwide. Beginning in June 2010, millions of DIRECTV HD customers will receive a free software upgrade enabling them to have access to three dedicated 3D channels through their 3D television sets, such as Panasonic’s VIERA Full HD 3D TVs.
Panasonic will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of DIRECTV’s new HD 3D channels, which will deliver movies, sports and entertainment content from some of the world’s most renowned 3D producers. DIRECTV and Panasonic will leverage current relationships with programming partners and movie studios to obtain new and existing 3D content. DIRECTV is currently working with AEG/AEG Digital Media, CBS, Fox Sports/FSN, Golden Boy Promotions, HDNet, MTV, NBC Universal and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., to develop additional 3D programming that will debut in 2010-2011. The sponsorship will feature Panasonic branding on all DIRECTV 3D channels for a one-year period.
“We led the way with HD and we are excited to do the same with 3D,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. “Adding the most HD channels to our lineup gave customers a viewing experience that was incredibly lifelike; adding 3D to the mix will take that one step further allowing them to become part of the cast as the picture comes to life in their living rooms. We are taking a technology that at one time could only be seen in a theater and bringing it into the living rooms of the largest audience in the United States. By partnering with Panasonic, we are bringing together two industry leaders to deliver the most advanced television technology available today and together we are continuing to set the standard for the best television viewing experience available.”
“Panasonic has been developing 3D standards for television for several years, and we believe it represents a fundamentally new experience in home entertainment because it adds the immersive nature of real life,” said Yoshi Yamada, chairman & CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Our relationship with DIRECTV is a core component of our ‘end-to-end’ strategy of building out an entire 3D entertainment ecosystem. From leading the development of the Full HD 3D standard for Blu-ray Disc to launching Full HD 3D stereoscopic prosumer camcorders; to now supporting broadcast of 3D content by DIRECTV; to introducing a broad line of Full HD 3D VIERA televisions and a Full HD 3D Blu-ray player in 2010; our commitment to 3D is unquestioned in the industry.”
At launch, the new DIRECTV HD 3D programming platform, powered by Panasonic, will offer a 24/7 3D pay per view channel focused on movies, documentaries and other programming, a 24/7 3D DIRECTV on Demand channel and a free 3D sampler demo channel featuring event programming such as sports, music and other content.
In addition, Panasonic is working to make available 3D production tools, such as Full HD 3D camcorders, professional monitors and related production technology assistance.
Panasonic will showcase its suite of Full HD 3D VIERA televisions and home theater system products tuned to a dedicated DIRECTV 3D channel with exclusive content from the motion picture, “AVATAR” and other sports, entertainment, documentary and music footage at its booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, #9405) at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
