my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » The Afterlife   » 3D via webcam

Author Topic: 3D via webcam Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-09-2009 02:02 PM                     The next step for 3D viewing .. via webcam .. story below -Monte link Do-it-yourself 3D movies at home By Mark Ward BBC News technology correspondent, Las Vegas 3D films may soon no longer be the sole province of movie studios with big budgets. At CES, two firms have been showing off ways for home users to make and share their own 3D films. One is a webcam with two lenses that mimics human sight and turns the images it captures into 3D footage. Another firm is producing software that it hopes will make it far easier for home users to show 3D movies on many different types of screen. Manchester-based PDT has created the Minoru webcam that has two lenses set roughly the same distance apart as human eyes. Software included with the webcam turns the two images into what is known as an anaglyph. To see the resultant footage in 3D, viewers must wear the familiar spectacles with red and blue lenses. This ensures that only one of the two images being shown is seen by each eye and forces the brain to turn them into a moving 3D image. DIY 3D movies shot with the Minoru can be shared on YouTube. The webcam can also be used as a more conventional 2D image grabber or as a video conferencing tool with Windows Live, Skype, AOL and many others. David Holder, the creator of the Minoru webcam, said his children were the inspiration for the gadget. "I took my kids to Disney World two years ago and they loved the 3D attractions there," he said. "They just loved the idea of things coming out of the screen, even though they had to wear the glasses." Explaining why he embarked on the project to create the camera, he said: "If someone gave you an iPod with one ear piece you would think they were nuts." He added: "I've never made anything that's grabbed so much attention." Diverse screens Also at CES, American firm TD Vision showed off a software codec that makes it much easier to show 3D movies on many different screen types. Ethan Shur, spokesman for TD Vision, said the company had also developed a prototype 3D camcorder that would work with the software to turn footage into a 3D movie. To ensure the film can be played back on different screens, it stores information about the anaglyphic characteristics of each scene separately from the standard images. The firm's breakthrough is finding an economic way of storing only information about the parts of each frame that change to evoke the 3D effect. "The magic is in the method of how it compares the left and right view," he said. "It takes only the differences, the delta, the changes." Having the 3D information stored separately means that the footage can be played back as 2D on a normal television or as 3D on more capable screens. Initially, said Mr Shur, TD Vision was working with broadcasters and DVD makers to use the 3D codec but had plans to address consumers in the future. Story from BBC NEWS:  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 01-12-2009 03:02 PM                        Wouldn't it make sense for the company to provide some sample videos on their web site of what it looks like to view videos in 3D using their webcam? After all, many people have 3D glasses from other promotions, so it would make sense (to me anyway) to have sample videos to show off their technology. If they wanted to get people to visit their web site after seeing them at CES, they could have given out free glasses and the ability to save a movie of themselves playing with the camera at the show (with a unique access code) and view it at home, send it to the kids, etc. If their intent is for people to have fun with this thing, I don't see much fun to be had in their sales stuff. Interesting idea, poor marketing, IMHO.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.