FujiFilm has announced that their FinePix REAL 3D W1 – Stereoscopic 3D consumer digital camera is now available in Australia and New Zealand. No word on price yet.

The new FujiFilm 3D camera depends heavily on a newly developed chip called the “RP (Real Photo) Processor 3D” which synchronizes the data passed to it by both CCD sensors, and instantaneously blends the information into a single high quality image, for both stills and movies.
“Built-in 3D auto” determines optimal shooting conditions from both sensors. 3D auto means that as soon as the shutter is depressed, key metrics for the image, such as focus, zoom range, exposure, etc. are synchronized. The camera is also fitted with built-in synchro control, giving 0.001-second precision for shutter control and movie synchronization.
The processor uses the very latest technologies of high sensitivity and high resolution as the newest 2D processors.   Read the rest of this entry »

London has seen the launch of the first Sony 4K digital cinema system this week, with the Apollo Cinema chain unveiling the ‘Art Cinealta’ 4K projection setup at its Piccadilly branch.

The move is significant as it brings unrivalled picture quality to the big screen, with it the ability to play 3D movies in the best possible way.

At the launch event there were a number of industry heads discussing 3D cinema technology and the stereoscopic 3D industry as a whole. Among them was film producer and politician David Putnam who called the advent of 3D digital cinemas in the UK nothing less than game changing.

“The growth in cinema and box-office revenue is remarkable,” Putnam explained.

“2008 saw £170 million in sales, the best since 2004, and 3D is part of this. There is every indication that when films are shown in 3D and 2D, 3D is favoured by the public four to one. I do believe that in every sense that digital and 3D projection in general is the game changer in cinema.”

[source]

Following our story on the new beam splitter 3D camera rig released by the ‘3D Film Factory‘. Here is another beam splitting 3D camera rig this time from Element Technica. The following is an excerpt from ICG Mag:

Element Technica has created a more sophisticated set of 3D tools that are, “as simple to use as most modern 2D camera systems,” explains Stephen Pizzo who with partner Hector Ortega are co-founders of the Los Angeles-based company. “We want to make it possible for any filmmaker to create 3D content using their regular 2D crew.”

The firm has built both beamsplitter and side-by-side configured camera platforms to accommodate cameras from the miniscule Iconix or S1-2K to full-sized digital imagers like the RED or Sony 1500s. These systems represent the first of a new generation of 3D imaging tools with fully embedded control electronics. Most systems will accommodate zoom lenses and offer synchronous control of focus, iris and zoom with the embedded electronics.

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This weekend marks a milestone in UK cinema – the release of the first ever 3D movie with subtitles.

Disney’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ has been on release with subtitles on the 2D version since early November. But now, as part of The Walt Disney Company’s ongoing commitment to provide entertainment to as broad an audience as possible, and thanks to new technology which enables subtitles to sit on a 3D film, ‘A Christmas Carol’ becomes the first movie in the UK to become truly accessible in 3D to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ has taken £9.5m at the UK box office, with 79% of takings coming from the 3D screens. But only now has the stereoscopic technology developed to a stage where subtitles can be overlaid on a 3D image, so that people with hearing loss can enjoy the experience of a 3D film. The problem previously has always been where to place subtitles in the 3D space – in front? the middle? the back? Placed incorrectly, subtitles can cause nausea or headache.

Disney Studio’s Technical Executive Director, Saul Mahoney, said: “Dickens’ story was an innovative, socially responsible tale – a celebration of traditional Christmas-time values – family, sharing and charity. The Walt Disney Company believes in the same values, and has worked with the UK film industry and charities representing people with hearing or sight loss, to ensure that the 3D cinema experience can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.”

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Sony is showing off their massive new 280 inch stereoscopic 3D LED Display. At a whopping 6.4m wide and 3.4m high, the new 3D screen is called a “3D LED Wall”, which makes sense given the size.

The 3D Display is made up of 70 individual LED displays, each of which measures around 28 inches.

The 3D images are displayed by interlacing two overlapping 2D images. The technology uses passive polarized glasses to separate those images like used in RealD and Dolby Digital 3D cinemas (as opposed to active glasses like the nvidia stereo vision).

Check out the above video for a behind the scenes glimpse at the new Avatar stereoscopic 3D game for PC, PS3, Xbox and Wii.

This new game is mos def as visually amazing as the hype would suggest. You will require a ‘3D Ready’ TV (obviously) and a set of 3D shutter glasses (like Nvidia 3D vision) to play in stereo 3D.  So if you are yet to buy a 3D LCD or Projector, now is definately the time!

Plot Summary (Spoiler Alert):

In James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, you arrive on the distant world Pandora, hand-picked to take part in the Avatar Program, a little known scientific initiative launched by the RDA Corporation, which is mining Pandora for rare minerals. You learn to pilot your own avatar, a hybrid of your DNA and that of Pandora’s indigenous species, the Na’vi. As you venture further into the Pandoran jungle, you learn more about its many creatures of Pandora, the Na’vi, and their struggle with the Corporation to save Pandora At the flashpoint of this conflict, you must decide where your true allegiance lies: Do you fight alongside the RDA, attempting to alter the course of a conflict spiraling quickly out of control? … or do you join the Na’vi, battling to protect Pandora from the onslaught of the RDA?

BIG NEWS: Sony has revealed that all existing PlayStation 3 game consoles are able to be upgraded to support stereoscopic 3D gaming (via a firmware update to be released at some stage next year).

I haven’t got much to add, short of saying I personally would have thought that stereoscopic 3D would be a far more important feature (and a bigger selling factor) than Bluray, the Playstation Network and the PSP linkage (which all currently exists).

[image source: Kotaku]

As we reported here..  Sony is going 3D in a big way.  Now they are drip feeding us the odd image outlining their plans for 2010.

For full details and the promo video read on.. Read the rest of this entry »

IN THE FLESH: The new Acer Aspire 5738-DG Stereoscopic 3D notebook. Priced at a reasonable US$1300 this stereo 3d computer is obviously aimed at consumer 3d multimedia fans.

Unlike Nvidia’s stereoscopic ‘vision 3D’ gaming glasses which use ‘Active 3D’ (Special mechanized glasses in which the left and right lenses shutter at high speeds at alternating times). The  Acer 5738DG utilizes ‘Passive 3D’ technology (static oppositely polarized lensed glasses).  [Learn more about Active 3D vs Passive 3D here] and special stereoscopic 3D software which acer is calling ‘Acer 3D CineReal’.

To make their stereoscopic 3D software Acer paired up with TriDef 3D. Included is the TriDef Media Player which will transform your 2D movies into 3D, while TriDef Ignition enables 2D – 3D conversion in games and applications supporting DirectX 9 or higher.

The Aspire 5738DG has a unique layered surface on the screen that combined with the special polarized ‘Passive 3D’ glasses allow the left and right eye to receive vision from different perspectives creating a stereoscopic 3D effect.   Read the rest of this entry »

Holoart’s 3D B-Vision consists of a thin piece of glass that fuses two projected images together, allowing stereoscopic 3D viewing without wearing any goofy glasses.

The whole approach is a very novel way of presenting stereoscopic 3D vision, yet it still requires some work. Only one person can use this in it’s current form which only really makes it a viable option for personal 3D gaming.  Check out a video of the unveiling at CEATEC by reading on.. Read the rest of this entry »

..well you could IF this Halloween costume from Etsy wasn’t sold out.

BenQ’s latest entry into the ever growing stereoscopic 3D market comes in the form of two new 3D projectors.

With imaginative names like the MP776ST and the MP772ST, these short-throw projectors are capable of displaying an 81-inch screen from an ultra close 1m throw (much bigger from further away.. obviously).

These projectors are aimed at schools and universities (part of the BenQ education series). You’ll still need to wear some special stereoscopic glasses to enjoy the 3D effect (unfortunately) luckily these seem to be of the ‘passive’ variety (I don’t mean in terms of aggression).

Using something they call “Front Project 3D DLP Link technology”, the MP776ST and MP772ST have a native XGA resolution and a contrast ration of 2,400:1  (which is pretty crap).

The higher-end MP776ST has a brightness level of 3,500 ANSI lumens as well as HDMI and VGA connectivity (which is nice and bright.. pity about the contrast). The MP772ST has a brightness level of 2,500 ANSI lumens and a VGA port (still very bright).

The MP776ST costs US$1750 and the MP772ST is priced at $1300.

[NOTE: I have converted the malaysian price to US dollars, who knows how much it'll actually cost if it ever reaches american soil.]

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