3D was the Big Buzz on the Show Floor Stereoscopic 3D dominated the conversation at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention held last month in Las Vegas so it’s fitting that three of our five Top Products of the show involve 3D. Attendance was down by about 20 percent largely due to the economy it would seem but all the exhibitors I spoke with said that just served to make the show a more serious event. “No tire kickers ” was how more than one exhibitor described it. The people there were professionals intent on adding new capabilities to their various businesses. It made for a very compelling week and there were a lot of developments. We’ll have all the details in our next Report but for now we’re very pleased to present what we consider to be the Top Products of NAB 2009. Silicon Imaging SI-3D The Silicon Imaging SI-3D shoots uncompressed raw imagery from two synchronized cameras and encodes directly to a single stereo CineFormRAW QuickTime file along with 3D LUT color and convergence metadata. The stereo file can to be instantly played back and edited in Full 3D on an Apple Final Cut timeline without the need for proxy conversions. Traditionally 3D content was captured from two independent left and right cameras each with its own settings color controls record start timecode content management and monitoring outputs. A variety of complex devices would be used to synchronize the recordings or combine the outputs for viewing. The content would then have to go through a tedious process of being ingested or converted to formats compatible with the editing or grading systems matched up from the independent left and right sources flipped if the shot was on a beam splitter and the timeline adjusted to have the first frame overlapped. A color grade could then be applied convergence adjusted and finally a stereo image viewed for dailies playback. The SI-3D camera system streamlines the entire stereo-3D content acquisition and post production process says Ari Presler CEO of Silicon Imaging. Combining two cameras into a single control processing and recording platform enables shooting and instant playback like a traditional 2D camera with the added tools needed on-set to analyze and adjust the lighting color flip orientation and stereo depth effects. In post a unified stereo file plus associated metadata can be immediately graded for dailies edited and viewed in either 2D or 3D. The SI-3D system uses two remote SI-2K Mini cameras with an P+S interchange lens mount connected to a single processing system via gigabit Ethernet where they are synchronized and controlled through the familiar SiliconDVR touchscreen interface. On-set each camera can be viewed individually or in stereo mixed modes using modern 3D LCD and DLP displays. Various tools are used to visualize and adjust the focus lighting and 3-D effects including alignment grid overlays false color zebras digital zooming edge detection spot meters dual histograms parallax shifts anaglyph mixing and wiggle displays. Unlike modern HD cameras which develop and compress colorized imagery the SI system captures raw digital negatives where they are non-destructively developed and colorized for preview using the cinematographer's desired look for the scene. This color metadata along with stereo convergence flip orientation from beam splitter rigs and alignment data are encoded into a single CineFormRAW QuickTime stereo file. These files can be edited directly in Apple Final Cut without the need for conversion or rendering. Avid Media Composer Symphony v3.5 Avid Technology says it has addressed customer requests for native support of the Sony XDCam format a ground breaking 3D Stereoscopic workflow and the “death of the dongle ” with the release of Avid Media Composer and Symphony v3.5. Native XDCAM support: Offers complete end-to-end native support for the popular Sony XDCAM HD formats at all bandwidths. Customers may now playback and edit directly from the disc render mixdown export sequences and clips with eight audio tracks and writeback with sequence timecode. Stereoscopic 3D editing: Delivers full support of stereoscopic workflows which enables customers to acquire edit and display stereoscopic (3D) material. Content can be displayed with stereo monitoring capabilities in both the composer window and full screen playback - eliminating the need for costly conforms previously required to screen 3D material. AMA or Avid Media Access Architecture: Customers can automatically link clips from a third-party volume (Panasonic P2 or Sony XDCAM HD/EX) devices into an Avid editing bin without having to transcode or store the media on their system. Elimination of Dongle with new Software Activation and Licensing: Eliminates the need for a dongle key to activate new purchases and upgrades of Avid software. All new software sales and single seat upgrades will be licensed by a system activation key. Keyframeable Color Correction: Provides customers with the ability to make most color adjustments using advanced keyframes in the offline editorial process – saving time and money associated with online color correction costs when using the Avid Total Conform. Fluid Stabilizer: Equips customers with a new 2D tracking engine designed to track and remove camera motion when used in combination with the Avid SteadyGlide™ feature. General FX enhancements: Offers improvements such as the ability to copy Keyframes at position as well as enhanced 3D Warp Quality and CPU/GPU performance to quickly render and process FX. Improved Pro Tools integration: Integrates Media Composer 3.5 with Pro Tools 8 through the Video Satellite feature which allows control of a Media Composer system from Pro Tools for full resolution synchronized video playback for audio. Now customers can install both Media Composer and Pro Tools software on the same system. Enhanced Audio Capabilities: Delivers a wide range of new audio capabilities that provide customers with more control over audio clips and sequences. Avid Media Composer and Symphony v3.5 are available now. JVC GD-463D10 The JVC GD-463D10 slated for release in July 2009 is 46-inch large and 1-1/2 inches (39mm) thin and uses JVC’s unique high-quality 3D visual engine to deliver a natural flicker-free visual experience. JVC plans to produce 2 000 units of the GD-463D10 a year for the global market. The GD-463D10 provides flicker-free 3D images by adopting the Xpol polarizing filter method and battery-free passive-type circular polarizing filter glasses. Video input is compatible with industry standard line-by-line and side-by-side 3D formats. JVC’s unique 3D decoder circuit translates images into the optimal Xpol display format and demonstrates the ability to accommodate subtle gradations and shades of color. At 46 inches the GD-463D10 is a large 3D LCD monitor for professional use. JVC’s unique high-quality 3D visual engine reproduces high-quality images befitting this new era of wide high-resolution displays. The compact 1-1/2 inches (39mm) depth allows for greater flexibility in the layout of 3D visual environments. The GD-463D10 is compatible with the industry standard line-by-line and side-by-side 3D video formats. The Xpol polarizing filter method moves beyond the shutter method to provide a stable flicker-free visual experience. Whereas the left eye and right eye information switches back and forth on a shutter glass display the GD-463D10 always displays left and right images on the screen to offer clean stable 3D images. The GD-463D10 includes two pairs of battery-free light polarizing glasses. The GD-463D10’s three HDMI input terminals are compatible with standard HD video signals including 1080/24p 50p 60p 50i and 60i. Input signals in line-by-line or side-by-side format can be displayed as 3D images (50i and 60i for side-by-side format only). Gefen AV Cinema Scaler Pro l and ll Digital cinema theaters can now enjoy a simple way to add pre-show advertising and all alternative content including consumer audio/video sources such as DVDs PS3s Blu-ray players and computers to their system. Gefen’s new AV Cinema Scaler Pro I and II both interface with all digital cinema projectors and integrate flawlessly with digital cinema audio systems. They are ideal solutions for theaters looking to expand revenue by renting theaters for birthday parties games presentations and high profile TV events that draw nation-wide interest. The Gefen AV Cinema Scaler Pro I and II both enable HDMI DVI VGA and component video inputs and both digital and analog audio inputs to be output in scalable DVI-I format with 7.1 analog audio. Both deliver 7.1 Dolby digital and Dolby pro logic audio. The difference between the two products is their audio support using the DB-25 7.1 AES delivering either analog or digital formats. On both products the video is output in DVI-I format with cinema quality image scaling accessed and controlled by the LCD display or front-panel selectors. RS-232 control allows for simple automation and control. Audio delay black barring audio isolation transformers and advanced mode scaling combine to make these scalers top quality performers. In many cases this audio capability will allow the theater operator to replace other audio processors that had traditionally been required says Robert Lemer director of business development for Gefen. The units can either process the audio or they will act as a pass through. Both units also offer audio delay to ensure complete lip sync capability. Video can be up and down scaled in high definition resolutions to 2K OR 1080p full HD. With full HDCP-compliance both rack mountable scalers enable compatibility and performance with today’s protected content. However non-HDCP compliant projectors can use the component video input to bypass this functionality and still perform at cinema quality levels. Petrol Inflatable Airline Bag The Petrol Inflatable Airline Bag was created specifically for boarding a plane with a full-size broadcast camera. This innovative duffle-style bag is carried in a compact 13.8-inches long by 9.4-inches wide by 5.7-inches high zippered nylon pouch for hassle-free transportation through airline security and easy boarding. The Petrol Inflatable Airline Bag is uniquely designed to safeguard a camera against accidental damage from other cargo or jostling during a flight. There’s no longer need to pad and cover valuable equipment with airline blankets or extra pillows. The top of the bag unzips smoothly and opens wide to offer enough room for a full-size broadcast camera without disturbing the viewfinder and lens. An exterior side pocket holds a coiled tube that connects to an exterior inflation valve. The user simply blows into the tube to fill the bag’s internal inflation system. Inside the contents are surrounded by soft fabric backed by a firm protective cushion of air. The inflation system is removable and can be easily replaced. When inflated the bag can be safely stored in the airplane’s overhead compartment or inside a hard case or standard camera bag. Additional features include Petrol’s nylon shoulder strap and easy-glide dual-directional zippers. The exterior is constructed of water-resistant blue Cordura and heavy-duty black ballistic nylon. The U.S. list price for the Inflatable Airline Bag is $259.
