Digital 3D Entertainment - Practical Realities & Opportunities

Published by: DIGDIA

Published: Jun. 1, 2011 - 283 Pages

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Digital Cinema Overview

3 Digital 3-D Movie Market

3.1 Early Success

3.1.1 Money Incentive

3.1.2 Good Experiences

3.1.3 Bad Experiences

3.2 3D Titles

3.3 3D Genres

3.4 How Many 3D Screens are Needed?

3.4.1 Simulation 1 – Based on Typical Genre Mix

3.4.2 Simulation 2 – Based on Actual 3D Release Dates

3.5 Number of 3D Screens

3.6 Theater Economics

3.7 3D and Equipment Financing

3.7.1 More Financing

3.8 Video

3.8.1 Mixing Windows

3.8.2 3D TV Programming

3.8.2.1 3D Programming Still Slim

3.8.2.2 Five ways to improve 3D TV’s Market

3.9 Games

4 3D Content Creation

4.1 3D Production (and Postproduction) Issues

4.1.1 Story Telling

4.1.2 The Stereographer and Convergence Puller

4.1.3 Depth Indicators

4.1.4 Depth Script

4.1.5 Toe in – Toe out

4.1.5.1 Toe-out for 3DTV

4.1.6 Vergence Accommodation Conflict

4.1.7 Depth Budget

4.1.8 Hyperstereo Issues

4.1.9 Camera Convergence or not

4.1.9.1 With Convergence

4.1.9.2 Parallel Cameras

4.1.9.3 Optical Shift

4.1.10 Safe Area

4.1.11 Image Stabilization

4.1.12 False Perspective Problem

4.1.13 Breaking the Frame

4.1.14 Animation and 3D

4.1.15 Live Action with CGI/Animation

4.1.16 3D Bugs and other Small Critters

4.2 Cameras

4.2.1 Film

4.2.2 Digital Side-by-Side Rigs

4.2.3 Mirrored Rigs

4.2.4 Mini Cameras for 3D

4.2.5 Professional Integrated 3D Camcorders

4.2.6 Unusual 3D Cameras

4.2.7 Camera Issues and Summary

4.3 Postproduction

4.3.1 Issues to deal with

4.3.2 Ghost busting

4.3.3 Editing

4.3.3.1 Editing Z Space

4.3.4 Digital Intermediate

4.3.5 A missing tool

4.3.6 3D Training

4.3.7 2D to 3D Conversion

4.3.7.1 Bum Rap?

4.3.7.2 Cheap Tricks

4.3.7.3 Automated 2D to 3D

4.3.7.4 2D to 3D Postproduction Houses

4.3.8 CGI Issues

4.3.9 Captioning

4.3.10 File Formats

5 3D Exhibition

5.1 Digital 3D Projection Technologies

5.1.1 Polarized Approach

5.1.2 Active Glasses

5.1.3 Color Shift

5.1.4 Triple Flash

5.1.5 4K Approach

5.1.6 Beyond 2K S3D

5.1.7 Film 3D Projectors

5.1.8 3D Theater System Companies

5.1.9 Serial Links

5.2 Image Brightness

5.2.1 Lamp Issue

5.2.2 Recovering Lost Brightness

5.2.3 Stacked Projectors

5.2.4 Brighter Projectors

5.2.5 Alignment

5.2.6 3D Technology Comparison Summary

5.3 3D Server

5.3.1 Server Summary

5.4 Live 3D Alternative Content

5.4.1 Live 3D Production

5.5 The Screen and Dead Seats

5.6 Sound Systems

5.7 Network Operation Center (NOC)

5.8 DCDC

5.9 “4th” Dimension

6 Consumer 3D

6.1 The Diffusion of 3D

6.2 3D Standards and Groups

6.2.1 3D Home Master and Related SMPTE efforts

6.2.2 HDMI 1.4a

6.2.3 ITU

6.2.4 DVB

6.2.5 CableLabs

6.2.6 CEA

6.2.7 3D@Home

6.2.8 Badge of Quality?

6.3 Consumer 3D Technologies – Pros and Cons

6.3.1 Consumer 3D Format Wars

6.3.1.1 Full Resolution, Full Frame Rate

6.3.1.2 Anaglyph

6.3.1.3 Spacial Compression (Frame Compatible)

6.3.1.4 Temporal Compression, Frame Sequential, Page Flip

6.3.1.5 2D + Delta or metadata (Service Compatible)

6.3.1.6 Other Service Compatible Methods

6.3.1.7 Frame & Service Compatible

6.3.1.8 2D plus Depth

6.3.1.9 Selective 3D

6.3.2 Service Provider Formats

6.3.2.1 Satellite Services

6.3.2.2 CableLabs Formats

6.3.2.3 DVB Formats

6.3.3 Underlying Display Technologies

6.3.4 3D Display Technologies

6.3.5 Translating 24 fps Movies to 3D TV

6.3.6 Green 3D TV

6.3.7 Codecs

6.3.8 2D to 3D Real Time Conversion

6.3.9 Display Size Adjustment

6.3.10 Other issues

6.3.10.1 Action Game Issues

6.3.10.2 Ghost busting

6.4 3D Consumer Products

6.4.1 3D Televisions

6.4.2 Blu-ray Players

6.4.3 Consumer 3D Glasses

6.4.3.1 Active

6.4.3.2 Passive

6.4.4 Consumer 3D Cameras & Camcorders

6.4.4.1 General Observations

6.4.5 Frames, Multimedia Players, Wearable and Printers

6.4.6 PC Monitors, Notebooks, Pads & eBooks

6.4.7 Mobile 3D

6.4.8 Digital Signage

6.4.9 Odds and Ends

6.5 Content

6.5.1 Disk Media

6.5.1.1 Blu-ray 3D

6.5.1.2 3D Blu-ray Authoring

6.5.1.3 DVD

6.5.2 Commercials

6.5.3 Porn

6.6 Broadcast

6.6.1 Broadcast Production

6.6.2 Stereo 3D Graphics

6.6.3 Missing Metadata

6.6.4 Full Resolution 3D?

6.6.5 Cable Services

6.6.6 Satellite

6.6.7 Over the Air

6.6.8 Internet

6.6.9 Other 3D Mobile

6.6.10 Accessibility

7 Suggestions to the 3D Industry

7.1 Why 3D will take hold this time, but…

7.2 Shooting one’s own foot, and suggestions

8 Appendix

8.1 Glossary

8.2 SMPTE Standards Index

8.4 Organizations

8.5 Books

8.6 Publications

8.7 Conferences

Figures

Figure 1 - Relative news volume on "3D"

Figure 2 - Number of Feature Length 3D Titles

Figure 5 - Digital Cinema Ecosystem Overview

Figure 6 – Production & Postproduction workflow

Figure 7 - Distribution and Theater Workflow

Figure 8 - Live 3D event poster

Figure 9 – Opening U.S. 3D screen counts for selected major titles (2005 - 2010)

Figure 10 - Opening night: 3D screens / Sites

Figure 11 - Total Number of Screens by Theater Chain Rank

Figure 12 – Simulated Number of 3D Screens Needed

Figure 13 - Simulated 3D Screen Count Requirements based on Actual 3D Release Dates

Figure 14 - 3D Screens Worldwide (2006 – 2010)

Figure 15 - WW Digital Cinema Installations by Major Region (2005 - 2010)

Figure 16 – Worldwide Market Share of Major 3D Cinema Vendors

Figure 17 - Percentage of 3D Screens Installed in N.A., Europe, Asia/ROW

Figure 18 - Speculative WW Digital Screen counts by major region (2010 - 2015)

Figure 19 - Speculative WW 3D screen count by major region (2010 - 2015)

Figure 20 - 3D Glasses Washer System (KoopTech)

Figure 21 - How VPF Money Flows

Figure 22 - Release Windows

Figure 23 - Average Theater to DVD Window vs. Domestic Theater Gross

Figure 24 - Theatrical to DVD Window from 2000 to 2008

Figure 25 – Percent of Box Office Take by Week After Release

Figure 26 - Depth Script

Figure 27 - Transitioned Depth

Figure 28 - 3ality depth map tool screenshot

Figure 29 - Eye's Parallax

Figure 30 - Parallax relative to the screen

Figure 31 - Percival's Zone

Figure 32 - Distance from Screen vs. Disparity

Figure 33 - 3DTV and Viewing Distance Problem

Figure 34 - 3D TV viewing by Children

Figure 35 – A Depth Budget rule of thumb

Figure 36 - Trench binoculars for exaggerated depth

Figure 37 - Virtual camera placement when zoomed in

Figure 38 – Keystoning

Figure 39 - Y-axis distortion problem

Figure 40 - Camera convergence and where infinity appears in theater

Figure 41 - Optical Shifting

Figure 42 - Safe Area

Figure 43 - False perspective used in Lord of the Rings

Figure 44 - False Perspective

Figure 45 – What Left and Right Eye see

Figure 46 – Floating Window

Figure 47 - 3D camera used for Creature from the Black Lagoon

Figure 48 - Early rig by 21st Century 3D

Figure 49 – “Hyper Stereoscopic” depth camera

Figure 50 - Early Pace HD Fusion camera

Figure 51 – Kronomav StereoCam 300

Figure 52 - Kronomav Boom 3D Rig

Figure 53 - 21st Century 3D - BX-2 and BX-3

Figure 54 - 3ality rigs, TS-1 and TS-2

Figure 55 - 3ality looking into the beamsplitter

Figure 56 - Convergence and Interocular controls

Figure 57 - Technica 3D rig

Figure 58 - Rig with Steadicam

Figure 59 - Binocle 3D Brigger III

Figure 60 - Paradise FX Rig

Figure 61 - Silicon Imaging SI-2K Mini

Figure 62 - Iconix HD-RH1

Figure 63 - Panasonic's Professional 3D camera

Figure 64 - Sony prototype 3D cam

Figure 65 - IMAX camera used for Hubble 3D shots

Figure 66 - Thomson camera for Depth Mapping

Figure 67 - Depth is indicated by color

Figure 68 - 3D Holographic Camera

Figure 69 - Real-time Holographic Video Display

Figure 70 – Ghosts

Figure 71 - Ghost busting

Figure 72 - Quantel Pablo Neo Station

Figure 73 - Quantel Pablo Stereo3D screenshot

Figure 74 - Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 3D

Figure 75 - Filmlight's Baselight DI station operating on a 3D clip

Figure 76 - DVS Clipster

Figure 77 - DVS 3D output selection menu

Figure 78 – Sony MVSX 3D station

Figure 79 - Screenshot from Sony MVSX showing depth analysis

Figure 80 – 2D to 3D conversion requires creating occluded images

Figure 81 - Cheap Occlusion Trick

Figure 82 - Cheap Rubber Trick

Figure 84 – Z Screen polarizer and Christie projector

Figure 85 - An alternative polarization system

Figure 86 - Polarized glasses

Figure 87 – 2nd Generation Active glasses from XpanD

Figure 88 - Color Shifting

Figure 89 - Dolby glasses

Figure 90 - Inside of the projector where filter wheel goes

Figure 91 - Closeup of Dolby color shift wheel

Figure 83 - Triple Flash

Figure 92 - Sony 4K projector with RealD

Figure 93 - Technicolor 3D film format and lens

Figure 94 - Business end of Technicolor's 3D lens

Figure 95 - Oculus3D format and lens

Figure 96 - SoliDDD's 3D film lens

Figure 97 - Panavision 3D Film System

Figure 98 - Panavision 3D Digital Wheel

Figure 99- LTI Philips LTIX 6000-DC Xenon Digital Lamp

Figure 100 - RealD XL System improves brightness

Figure 101 - RealD XL on a Christie Projector

Figure 102 - IMAX 3D projector system

Figure 103 - Stacked Projectors

Figure 104 - 3D Alignment Frame

Figure 105 - 3D alignment frame used by Oculus3D

Figure 106 – Doremi DCP-2000 Digital Cinema Server

Figure 107 - Doremi Integrated Media Block

Figure 108 - Server and Media Block diagram

Figure 109 - Doremi Server for Live 3D

Figure 110 – Dolby Digital Cinema products

Figure 111 – QuVIS Cinema Player

Figure 112 – GDC Tech Server and Integrated Media Block

Figure 113 - Sony Media Block

Figure 114 – Qube server and control panel

Figure 115 - Kodak Content Player

Figure 116 – Datasat Digital Entertainment

Figure 117 - XDC CineStore Solo G3 and screenshot

Figure 118 - Electrosonic and Extron players

Figure 119 - DVC Player

Figure 120 – Digital Cinema Servers

Figure 121 - Diagram of how Live 3D Sports works

Figure 122 - Screen gain

Figure 123 - Keystone perception issue

Figure 124 - Dead seats

Figure 125 - 16 channel audio

Figure 126 - Spacial Audio Processor

Figure 127 - Iosono Speakers

Figure 128 - 3D Sound

Figure 129 - 3D standards in the value chain

Figure 130 - Various 3D Data Formats

Figure 131 - Anaglyph Glasses

Figure 132 - A format for Service & Frame compatible

Figure 133 - Side-by-Side with Passive Glasses

Figure 134 - Dynamic LED backlighting

Figure 135 - LCD ghost pixels

Figure 136 - Ghosting for object moving away from viewer

Figure 137 - Close up of a Micropolarized display

Figure 138 - LG Passive Glasses TV with no HDTV resolution loss

Figure 139 - LG Dual Engine LCoS system

Figure 140 - Lenticular Lens

Figure 141 - Stand Here

Figure 142 - Parallax Barrier

Figure 143 - 2-Layer Pseudo 3D

Figure 144 - Variations of “3:2 Pulldown” for 3D

Figure 145 - FTC TV Label

Figure 146 - European TV Label

Figure 147 - LG's Smart 3D Positioning

Figure 148 - Portable 3D Blu-ray Player

Figure 149 - CEA 3D Glasses Logo

Figure 150 - Samsung's 3D Glasses Evolution

Figure 151 - Panasonic's 3D Glasses Evolution

Figure 152 – Monster Glasses and RF syng

Figure 153 - XpanD Youniversal

Figure 154 - RealD in Active Glasses

Figure 155 – Volfoni

Figure 156 - Sisvel 3D glasses sensor

Figure 157 - Examples of passive 3D glasses

Figure 158 - Fashion Glasses

Figure 159 - Fujifilm W3

Figure 160 - Sony Bloggie 3D

Figure 161 – Viewsonic 3D Cameras and Camcorders

Figure 162 - Sharp 3D Camera

Figure 163 - Aiptek 3D camera

Figure 164 - DXG's 3D camcorders

Figure 165 - Hero 3D camera

Figure 166 - Panasonic 3D Camera

Figure 167 - SLR 3D Lens

Figure 168 - Panasonic 3D Cam and Lens explosion

Figure 169 - Sony 3D Camcorder

Figure 170 - JVC's one and a half 3D camcorders

Figure 171 - Front Niche

Figure 172 –3D Frames

Figure 173 - Wearable 3D Displays

Figure 174 - 3D Multimedia Player

Figure 175 - Kodak's 3D prints

Figure 176 - Side-by-Side viewer

Figure 177 - nVidia glasses and emitter

Figure 178 - Samsung's 3D Monitor

Figure 179 - 3D Android Pad

Figure 180 - 3D for the iPhone

Figure 181 - 3D Mobile Phone from recent past

Figure 182 - LG and Sharp 3D Mobile Phones

Figure 183 - 3D Mobile TVs

Figure 184 - 3D Portable Gaming

Figure 185 - Sony 3D Billboard

Figure 186 - A real 3D display

Figure 187 - ViewSonic 3D interface

Figure 188 - 2D to 3D Anaglyph converter

Figure 189 - HDMI 3DTV Extender

Figure 190 - 3D IP Camera

Figure 191 - 3D Slot Machine

Figure 192 – Sony screenshots

Figure 193 - Broadcast Facility Block Diagram

Figure 194 – Harris, Evertz & Miranda equipment

Figure 195 - Ericsson pair of receivers for 3D

Figure 196 - Typical message tells viewer how to set 3DTV mode

Figure 197 - Dish STB for 3D

Figure 198 - Caption Window

Tables

Table 1 – Early 3D screen box office multiplier over 2D

Table 2 - 3D Titles (2005 to 2010); next page (2011 & 2012)

Table 3 - Changing 3D Genres over the Years (2005 to 2011)

Table 4 - 3D Cameras and Rigs

Table 5 - 3D Editing and Digital Intermediate

Table 6 - Stereoscopic 3D theater systems

Table 7 - 3D Projector Technologies Comparison

Table 8 - 3D Projector Technologies Comparison (cont.)

Table 9 - ITU Roadmap

Table 10- DVB allowable 3D formats

Table 11 -3D Codec Vendors

Table 12 – 3D Codec Vendors (Cont.)

Table 13 – 3D Television Vendors and Technology employed

Table 14 - Consumer 3D Glasses

Table 15 – Digital Signage 3D Display Companies

Abstract

2010 was the big coming out party for 3D. Hot on the heals of Avatar, just about everyone was eager to offer movies, consumer electronics, services and television content in 3D.

Now that 2010 is over, some pundits are now saying that 3D has been a disappointment. 3D movie reviewers find it easy to bad mouth some titles. 3D TV hasn't taken off like some thought it would. Glasses are expensive and cumbersome, and there isn't much 3D programming to watch.

But, none of this is a surprise for many in the industry. 3D was overhyped at the 2010 CES. The inevitable bad movies were converted to 3D. Standards were not all in place. The industry was caught a little by surprise. All of this was to be expected, and many predicted it would happen.

Remember, 3D didn't really start in movies until 2005 and 3D TV didn't start until mid-2010. Look at the chart above - the number of 3D movie titles is still growing at an incredible rate.

In the meantime, efforts to make 3D better and more complete are happening on all fronts, from movies, to equipment and tools, to devices, to content and services. An explosion of 3D in just about every product category imagined was on evidence at CES 2011.

But, opportunities to improve just about every element of the ecosystem still exist, if you know how things work. This is true, even for 3D TVs, which are now on their 3rd generation.

This report covers the complete 3D ecosystem. It talks about the market, the vendors, the technology, the products, the content and the services. Along the way, several areas of opportunity are mentioned or are made obvious.

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