3D TV (television)
3D television technology is becoming increasingly popular with each passing day. Due to the rise of popular 3D feature films (namely Pixar's Up and James Cameron's Avatar), major television manufacturers began developing three dimensional home television technology in 2009.
There are several methods that these manufacturers use to create 3D images on an LCD television; some are more expensive than others, and some are more feasible than others. This article will discuss the three primary methods of 3-D home theater technology that will be used in upcoming years.
Lenticular viewing: This technology has been pioneered by Philips, and is available as of today. TV sets that use this technology can be watched without those funny glasses that audiences used in theaters. These televisions use a lens that can send different images to each eye. That is, your left eye will see a completely different image from your right eye, which will emulate your two eyes' use of stereopsis (the process by which your eyes discern depth). The one weakness of lenticular viewing, however, is that a viewer must sit in a very specific spot in front of the TV. This means that only a couple people would be able to comfortably watch the TV at once due to its small viewing angle.
Passive glass systems: Hyundai is developing this type of LCD monitor which will allow both 2D and 3D images to be viewed. To watch the 3-D images, viewers will need to wear the traditional glasses in order to watch three dinemsional media. This technology is nothing new: the TV has two overlapping images and the glasses have polarized lenses. Each lens is polarized so that it can see only one of the two overlapping images. This technology is very feasible and 40 to 50 inch LCD TVs with this technology are currently available for purchase.
Active glass systems: This system is very similar to the passive glass system, except rather than the TV doing all work, the glasses do. The glasses synchronize with the refresh rate of the TV, then they alternate the polarization of each lens, making the wearers of the glasses see 3-D images. With this technology, people could be watching a 2-D movie comfortably, then at will switch the movie into 3-D. This type of monitor is being developed by Samsung and Mitsubishi, but the downside is that the glasses could be very expensive. Some predict the glasses to be upwards of $100.
3D Technology
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3D Technology
by ravikumar » Thu May 27, 2010 1:09 pm
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Re: 3D Technology
by skyman » Thu May 27, 2010 1:22 pm
How 3D TV works
It seems that everyone is talking about 3D television these days. A few friends and relatives who called up for advice regarding what TV to buy even asked if they should wait till next year to get a 3D TV. Given the recent interest, we thought it would be appropriate to give a brief explanation of the mechanics behind stereoscopy – any technique that creates the illusion of depth of three-dimensionality in an image.
There is one basic preface needed in understanding 3D television: understanding how our eyes work. For the sake of this example, look at your computer mouse (or if you’re on a laptop, any other object nearby). In a nutshell, your left eye and your right eye are two separate lenses, registering two differently-angled images of the mouse, which are then sent to your brain. The brain then acts as the ‘image processor’, putting the two pictures together to come up with one three-dimensional picture in your mind. It’s basically the same principle by which the new FujiFilm FinePix 3D camera works.
Making screens display 3D images is based on a similar mechanism, but is divided into two main wings: Stereoscopic TVs (which require special glasses to watch 3D movies) and Autostereoscopic TVs (which appear 3D without any special accessories).
In the first part of this series of articles, we look at special glasses that are required by some of the upcoming stereoscopic TVs to deliver the 3D experience.
Shutter Glasses
The 3D technology that Panasonic, Sony and Nvidia are most gung-ho about in the near future is based on wearing what are called ‘shutter glasses’. Basically, these are glasses that alternately shut off the left eye and right eye, while the TV emits separate images meant for each eye, thus creating a 3D image in the viewer’s mind.
Nvidia's GeForce 3D Vision shutter glasses
Here’s how it works: The video signal of the TV stores an image meant for the left eye on its even field, and an image meant for the right eye on its odd field. The TV itself is synchronised with the shutter glasses via infra-red or RF technology.
The shutter glasses contain liquid crystal and a polarising filter. Upon receiving the appropriately synced signal from the TV, the shutter glass is automatically applied with a slight current that makes it dark, as if a shutter was drawn (hence the name). So at a time, only one eye is seeing one image.
The technology perfectly draws the shutters over either eye to make the left eye see the image meant for it on the even field, and make the right eye see the odd field of the video signal. By viewing these two images from different orientations, a 3D image is built up by the viewer’s brain.
While it seems like this would cause a delay for the viewer, there’s no need for such worries. With the high screen refresh rates that these modern 3D televisions have, the end user’s viewing experience is seamless, smooth and rich.
However, the one down-side of this technology is that due to the rapid drawing of ‘shutters’, lesser light reaches the eye, thus making the image seem darker than it is.
Polarised Glasses
Polarised glasses are basically your regular sunglasses, and have been used as a medium for 3D stereoscopic viewing for a long time now. They are also the most popular mode of 3D glasses, currently used by large cinema houses and IMAX. Just like the shutter glasses, polarised glasses use the lenses to show different images to each eye, making the brain construct a 3D image for the viewer.
How polarised 3D glasses work
Here’s how it works: For polarised glasses to work, the movie being shown has to be shot using either two cameras, or a single camera with two lenses. Two projectors (left and right), both fitted with polarizing filters on their lenses, then simultaneously show the movie on the same screen. The polarizing filter orients images from the left projector to one plane (for the sake of example, let’s say ‘vertical’); and the filter on the right lens orients its images to the plane that is perpendicular to the left one (‘horizontal’).
The viewer sits wearing the special glasses, which are equipped with differently polarised lenses. The left lens of the glasses is aligned with the same plane (vertical) that the left projector is throwing up images at; and the right lens is aligned perpendicularly to correspond with the plane of the right projector (horizontal).
Thus, the viewer’s left eye sees only the images which the left projector is screening, while the viewer’s right eye sees only the images which the right projector is screening. As both the images are taken from different angles, the viewer’s brain combines the two to come up with a single 3D image.
But again, like the shutter glasses, the amount of light reaching your eyes with polarised glasses is significantly lesser, making the image appear darker than it is.
Summing up
The biggest disadvantage with stereoscopic 3D TV is that it requires the user to wear a special apparatus. This is quite inconvenient and a burden, as it renders a large screen obsolete without a pair of tiny glasses; i.e. if you aren’t wearing the shutter or polarised glasses, the images on the screen will appear distorted.
So what’s the alternative? Check out the second part of this article which talks about the technology behind next-gen television sets that don’t require the viewers to wear glasses or any special apparatus at all.
It seems that everyone is talking about 3D television these days. A few friends and relatives who called up for advice regarding what TV to buy even asked if they should wait till next year to get a 3D TV. Given the recent interest, we thought it would be appropriate to give a brief explanation of the mechanics behind stereoscopy – any technique that creates the illusion of depth of three-dimensionality in an image.
There is one basic preface needed in understanding 3D television: understanding how our eyes work. For the sake of this example, look at your computer mouse (or if you’re on a laptop, any other object nearby). In a nutshell, your left eye and your right eye are two separate lenses, registering two differently-angled images of the mouse, which are then sent to your brain. The brain then acts as the ‘image processor’, putting the two pictures together to come up with one three-dimensional picture in your mind. It’s basically the same principle by which the new FujiFilm FinePix 3D camera works.
Making screens display 3D images is based on a similar mechanism, but is divided into two main wings: Stereoscopic TVs (which require special glasses to watch 3D movies) and Autostereoscopic TVs (which appear 3D without any special accessories).
In the first part of this series of articles, we look at special glasses that are required by some of the upcoming stereoscopic TVs to deliver the 3D experience.
Shutter Glasses
The 3D technology that Panasonic, Sony and Nvidia are most gung-ho about in the near future is based on wearing what are called ‘shutter glasses’. Basically, these are glasses that alternately shut off the left eye and right eye, while the TV emits separate images meant for each eye, thus creating a 3D image in the viewer’s mind.
Nvidia's GeForce 3D Vision shutter glasses
Here’s how it works: The video signal of the TV stores an image meant for the left eye on its even field, and an image meant for the right eye on its odd field. The TV itself is synchronised with the shutter glasses via infra-red or RF technology.
The shutter glasses contain liquid crystal and a polarising filter. Upon receiving the appropriately synced signal from the TV, the shutter glass is automatically applied with a slight current that makes it dark, as if a shutter was drawn (hence the name). So at a time, only one eye is seeing one image.
The technology perfectly draws the shutters over either eye to make the left eye see the image meant for it on the even field, and make the right eye see the odd field of the video signal. By viewing these two images from different orientations, a 3D image is built up by the viewer’s brain.
While it seems like this would cause a delay for the viewer, there’s no need for such worries. With the high screen refresh rates that these modern 3D televisions have, the end user’s viewing experience is seamless, smooth and rich.
However, the one down-side of this technology is that due to the rapid drawing of ‘shutters’, lesser light reaches the eye, thus making the image seem darker than it is.
Polarised Glasses
Polarised glasses are basically your regular sunglasses, and have been used as a medium for 3D stereoscopic viewing for a long time now. They are also the most popular mode of 3D glasses, currently used by large cinema houses and IMAX. Just like the shutter glasses, polarised glasses use the lenses to show different images to each eye, making the brain construct a 3D image for the viewer.
How polarised 3D glasses work
Here’s how it works: For polarised glasses to work, the movie being shown has to be shot using either two cameras, or a single camera with two lenses. Two projectors (left and right), both fitted with polarizing filters on their lenses, then simultaneously show the movie on the same screen. The polarizing filter orients images from the left projector to one plane (for the sake of example, let’s say ‘vertical’); and the filter on the right lens orients its images to the plane that is perpendicular to the left one (‘horizontal’).
The viewer sits wearing the special glasses, which are equipped with differently polarised lenses. The left lens of the glasses is aligned with the same plane (vertical) that the left projector is throwing up images at; and the right lens is aligned perpendicularly to correspond with the plane of the right projector (horizontal).
Thus, the viewer’s left eye sees only the images which the left projector is screening, while the viewer’s right eye sees only the images which the right projector is screening. As both the images are taken from different angles, the viewer’s brain combines the two to come up with a single 3D image.
But again, like the shutter glasses, the amount of light reaching your eyes with polarised glasses is significantly lesser, making the image appear darker than it is.
Summing up
The biggest disadvantage with stereoscopic 3D TV is that it requires the user to wear a special apparatus. This is quite inconvenient and a burden, as it renders a large screen obsolete without a pair of tiny glasses; i.e. if you aren’t wearing the shutter or polarised glasses, the images on the screen will appear distorted.
So what’s the alternative? Check out the second part of this article which talks about the technology behind next-gen television sets that don’t require the viewers to wear glasses or any special apparatus at all.
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Re: 3D Technology
by skyman » Thu May 27, 2010 1:24 pm
we saw the different ways in which 3D television works when paired with special glasses. However, this stereoscopic method leads to two distinctive problems:
1) The glasses are really cumbersome and expensive, and you don’t want to accidentally sit on one or lose it. Plus, it takes away the simplicity of television as it stands today, where you simply hit the remote and start watching.
2) Also, without the glasses, any 3D content is completely unusable. The screen has been calibrated to work with 3D content and so dropping the glasses would end up displaying garbled images.
Recognising these limitations, several companies like LG and Panasonic are working on making autostereoscopic 3D TVs, where the user is free of any special accessories.
But before going on, here’s a recap of the one basic preface needed in understanding 3D television: understanding how our eyes work. For the sake of this example, look at your computer mouse (or if you’re on a laptop, any other three-dimensional object nearby). In a nutshell, your left eye and your right eye are two separate lenses, registering two different angles of the mouse. The two eyes send the two differently-angled images of the mouse to your brain. The brain then acts as the ‘image processor’, putting the two pictures together to come up with one three-dimensional picture in your mind. It’s basically the same principle by which the new FujiFilm FinePix 3D camera works.
Autostereoscopic 3D television sets work on a similar principle, with two main technologies that rely on it: lenticular lenses and parallax barrier.
Lenticular lenses
The less popular of the two autostereoscopic models involves the use of lenticules, which are tiny cylindrical plastic lenses. These lenticules are pasted in an array on a transparent sheet, which is then stuck on the display surface of the LCD screen. So when the viewer sees an image, it is magnified by the cylindrical lens.
To see how this works, roll up a newspaper or magazine (we recommend Digit!) into a cylindrical shape and hold it up in front of you. Now, with your other hand, cover your left eye. Notice the text and pictures that your right eye can see. Then uncover your left eye and use your hand to obstruct your right eye. Naturally, given the two varying angles, you will see a bit more of text and pictures on the extreme left side when you look with your left eye, and vice versa. By combining these two images, our brain can perceive depth.
Similarly, when you are looking at the cylindrical image that the TV is now showing you, your left and right eye see two different 2D images, which the brain combines to form one 3D image.
However, lenticular lenses technology is heavily dependant on where you are sitting. It requires a very specific ‘sweet spot’ for getting the 3D effect, and straying even a bit to either side will make the TV’s images seem distorted. Depending on the number of lenticules and the refresh rate of the screen, there can be multiple ‘sweet spots’.
Parallax Barrier
The other major method to enable autostereoscopic output is called the parallax barrier. This is being actively pursued by companies such as Sharp and LG, since it is one of the most consumer-friendly technologies and the only one of the lot which allows for regular 2D viewing.
The parallax barrier is a fine grating of liquid crystal placed in front of the screen, with slits in it that correspond to certain columns of pixels of the TFT screen. These positions are carved so as to transmit alternating images to each eye of the viewer, who is again sitting in an optimal ‘sweet spot’. When a slight voltage is applied to the parallax barrier, its slits direct light from each image slightly differently to the left and right eye; again creating an illusion of depth and thus a 3D image in the brain.
The best part about this, though, is that the parallax barrier can be switched on and off with ease (one button on the remote is all it would take, according to Sharp), allowing the TV to be used for 2D or 3D viewing. So on a computer monitor, you could play video games in full 3D glory and then easily switch to 2D mode for your work requirements.
While the wide range of content it offers is heartening, again, the need to sit in the precise ‘sweet spots’ hampers the usage of this technology.
Still, there are quite a few companies finally looking to make 3D TVs a reality. In the upcoming third part of this series, we will take a look at some of the brands and products that promise to bring next-gen content to your living room.
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3D Camera
by skyman » Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:16 am
Fujifilm Introduces Amazing 3D Digital Camera
Fujifilm has introduced a new digital camera with capabilities of capturing 3D videos and 3D still images, the REAL 3D W1 camera has dual lens and sensors combo which shoots regular 2D images at 10 Megapixels and combine them to create a stereoscopic 3D image. It also boasts of a 3X optical zoom with 3D functionality, you can also shoot 3D Still photos, which can be enjoyed on its special 2.8 inch 3D viewing LCD screen without the need of additional 2D glasses.
Fujifilm 3D W1 Digital Camera marks the beginning of new world of personal 3D cameras, which are sure to impress everyone, it is powered by FinePix REAL 3D Technology and 3D lens system which is capable of capturing high quality 3D images, thanks to high precision lens alignment technology combined with superb resolution, on the inside, it is powered by Real Photo Processer 3D, a newly developed processor which makes independent image capture and alignment possible to produce a stunning 3D image.
Fujifilm also announced its companion viewer, REAL 3D V1, its a 8 inch 3D photo frame to enjoy the 3D pictures without the need of 3D glasses.
See 3D picture in action : http://www.fujifilm.com/products/3d/camera/finepix_real3dw1/features/swf/page_02/pic_01.swf
Fujifilm has introduced a new digital camera with capabilities of capturing 3D videos and 3D still images, the REAL 3D W1 camera has dual lens and sensors combo which shoots regular 2D images at 10 Megapixels and combine them to create a stereoscopic 3D image. It also boasts of a 3X optical zoom with 3D functionality, you can also shoot 3D Still photos, which can be enjoyed on its special 2.8 inch 3D viewing LCD screen without the need of additional 2D glasses.
Fujifilm 3D W1 Digital Camera marks the beginning of new world of personal 3D cameras, which are sure to impress everyone, it is powered by FinePix REAL 3D Technology and 3D lens system which is capable of capturing high quality 3D images, thanks to high precision lens alignment technology combined with superb resolution, on the inside, it is powered by Real Photo Processer 3D, a newly developed processor which makes independent image capture and alignment possible to produce a stunning 3D image.
Fujifilm also announced its companion viewer, REAL 3D V1, its a 8 inch 3D photo frame to enjoy the 3D pictures without the need of 3D glasses.
See 3D picture in action : http://www.fujifilm.com/products/3d/camera/finepix_real3dw1/features/swf/page_02/pic_01.swf
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HD 3D Camera Module for Mobiles
by skyman » Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:21 am
Sharp Unveils HD 3D Camera Module for Mobiles
Digital cameras already supports the 3D shooting, now its the turn of mobiles to join the 3D bandwagon as Sharp has introduced an industry’s first HD 3D camera module which will be used in Smartphones and digicams in the near future.
Sharp’s 3D Camera Module is capable of capturing videos and images in 3D and that too in 720p per eye. According to the early reports mass production of 3D camera modules will begin by the end of 2010 and you could be seeing 3D camera enabled handsets in as early as Q1 2011.
Pricing details of the 3D modules are unknown as of now.
more..: http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/100512.html
Digital cameras already supports the 3D shooting, now its the turn of mobiles to join the 3D bandwagon as Sharp has introduced an industry’s first HD 3D camera module which will be used in Smartphones and digicams in the near future.
Sharp’s 3D Camera Module is capable of capturing videos and images in 3D and that too in 720p per eye. According to the early reports mass production of 3D camera modules will begin by the end of 2010 and you could be seeing 3D camera enabled handsets in as early as Q1 2011.
Pricing details of the 3D modules are unknown as of now.
more..: http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/100512.html
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- skyman
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