Dolby 3D on prototype 4K display and HTC Evo 3D hands-on (video)

Posted on 18/04/2012 by Zach Honig

Truth be told, we haven't been wildly impressed with the glasses-free 3D solutions we've seen to date, be it because of the limited viewing angles, unconvincing picture or lack of availability here in the US. That could soon change, however, if Dolby's version of the three-dimensional experience makes its way to a production-ready television set. Best known for its audio technologies, the company just launched its own 3D standard in cooperation with Philips, called Dolby 3D. The platform-agnostic solution is far from ready to make its way into your living room, but it's conceptually sound, and the prototype 4K 3D TV and mobile versions being demonstrated at Dolby's NAB booth make us hopeful for the future. As with all displays -- especially those that support 3D -- you'll really need to see to believe, but we had an opportunity to do just that, and walked away very impressed.

The 56-inch 4K prototype display is viewable from nearly any angle, with 24 different viewpoints, though you'll really need to be front and center for the greatest 3D effect. Side viewing is certainly possible; you'll just sacrifice some depth in the process. Even from the front, 3D appears slightly muted compared to what we've seen with passive- and active-glasses equivalents, though we can't say that we mind much, considering that the image is still dramatic enough when you need it to be, such as when displaying scenes with significant depth. The company was also demonstrating Dolby 3D on an HTC Evo 3D along with a nondescript tablet, where an on-screen slider lets you dim the three-dimensional intensity just as you would adjust the volume, enabling you to customize the experience to suit your needs. Since Dolby 3D is merely a display standard, we won't be seeing any branded televisions or smartphones, though perhaps we'll see some third-party adaptations come CES 2013. Jump past the break to see it in action.

Gallery: Dolby 3D on prototype 4K display and HTC Evo 3D hands-on

Continue reading Dolby 3D on prototype 4K display and HTC Evo 3D hands-on (video)

Dolby 3D on prototype 4K display and HTC Evo 3D hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Ceton previews DVR companion apps on Android and iOS, teases Echo beta ‘soon’

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Richard Lawler

A quick stop by the Intel pavilion here at NAB 2012 revealed our friends from Ceton hiding within, and even though we just saw the Q DVR and Echo companion extender on our last trip to Vegas a few months ago, there's a few new items to show already. As shown above, the mobile companion app that we had only seen so far on Windows Phone 7 is also up and running on Android and iOS. While the apps are still very early in their development they're already running smoothly with metadata provided by Rovi and the usual set of features for DVR scheduling and management. Each one is designed specifically for the platform it's running on, rather than pulling the same UI from one device to all. This seems like a good approach to us, but Ceton's looking for feedback from potential users about what they might prefer. Speaking of potential users -- all those interested in this hardware should keep an eye out as we're told that the plan is to have a beta for the DTS-compatible Echo extender "soon", likely within a few weeks.

Ceton previews DVR companion apps on Android and iOS, teases Echo beta 'soon' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video)

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Zach Honig

What we're about to show you is decidedly low-tech -- it's essentially a projection screen with a sharp curve at the bottom -- but the resulting effect conveys a more realistic 3D image, for certain applications, at least. The Communications Research Centre of Canada was on hand at NAB to demonstrate a small variety of lab projects, with agency representatives hoping to make an impression on attendees, who will theoretically apply these concepts to actual products, with no licensing fee making its way back to the True North. This particular project employs an off-the-shelf Optoma 3D projector, active glasses and a white screen positioned with a dramatic curve, that essentially works to provide a platform for 3D subjects to stand on.

Believe it or not, the config really does make a difference, enabling a more immersive experience that makes 3D objects appear more realistic, assuming they're positioned in such a way that they're standing on the near-horizontal portion of the screen. Research Technologist Ron Renaud says that such a configuration would be ideal for video conferencing -- it's still no match for an in-person meeting, but it's certainly an improvement over the traditional approach. The demonstration projector wasn't configured to compensate for the curve, which theoretically makes it subject to warping, though we didn't notice any issues at the show. Like all 3D displays, you'll really need to see it for yourself to get an accurate impression of the experience, but jump past the break for an overview with Renaud, and a closer look at the screen.

Gallery: Curved 3D panel hands-on

Continue reading Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video)

Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won’t put a price tag on love

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Richard Lawler

With 4K cameras suddenly popping up everywhere we look at NAB 2012, it's little surprise that Canon is showing off this matching 30-inch prototype intended for the very professionals tasked with mastering video shot by its latest hardware. Like the retina display, it produces an effect where no matter how close you're standing it's still impossible to pick out the individual pixels, and easily matched what we'd seen from a prototype 20-inch 4K LCD from Panasonic at CES. The people we spoke to who handled some of the work on Canon's demo footage preferred it to their 2K projectors for the clarity and ability to get pixel accurate representations of the source material, plus it probably fits more easily into a production suite. The big question from all who see this in person is when will it be available and for how much, and while Canon says it's due to ship this year, we're on our own to speculate about the (surely astronomical) price.

Continue reading Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on love

Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on love originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Livestream Broadcaster hands-on

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Richard Lawler

According to CEO Max Haot the logical next step for Livestream -- now well established as a reliable service for bringing live video feeds to the internet -- is just to get more people distributing live video by any means necessary. To that end, the company is jumping into the hardware business with this palm-sized Livestream Broadcaster unit that just went up for preorders a few days ago. With a subsidized price of $495, it connects to video cameras directly over HDMI then reencodes and uploads the video on the fly to the company's servers (unlimited streaming costs $45 per month, each encoder comes with three months free) via Ethernet, WiFi or a 3G / 4G USB dongle. Even on the wireless-internet challenged LVCC floor it was sending several streams and enabling user control via buttons on the unit itself, or remotely from a PC or iPhone / iPad. These boxes are still on target to ship at the end of May and and showed off everything those without the backing of a tech / media conglomerate (cough), like small businesses or independent bloggers, would need to make their productions available for viewing as they happen.

Gallery: Livestream Broadcaster hands-on

Continue reading Livestream Broadcaster hands-on

Livestream Broadcaster hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

THX manages AV settings for pros and consumers with Cinespace HD and Media Director

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Richard Lawler

The Star Wars Blu-ray boxed set was the first movie to ship with THX's Media Director technology built-in, which works with compatible hardware to automatically configure AV settings for optimal quality on that title, so it's no surprise the Lucasfilm produced Red Tails is next up for the treatment. Of course, the key element there is compatible hardware, and unfortunately there's not much new to report there since we last checked in at CEDIA, although we're assured the team is working on expanding support for its metadata from embedded chip manufacturers. On the content creation side THX also has something to offer with its cineCube HD, a slimmed down edition of its cineSpace offering designed to control color management at every step of the production process for the way it will eventually appear on Blu-ray. There's more details on exactly what it does and how in the press releases, although the real proof will likely be seen in the movies and TV shows it's used on.

Continue reading THX manages AV settings for pros and consumers with Cinespace HD and Media Director

THX manages AV settings for pros and consumers with Cinespace HD and Media Director originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

THX (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

Ceton’s Echo Extender for Media Center will be the first to support DTS surround sound

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Ben Drawbaugh

What's the Echo Extender for Media Center got that no other Extender for Media Center has? Support for DTS surround sound, that's what. The catch of course is that the Echo is still just on track for "later in 2012," but the press release after the break is a welcome reminder that the first new Extender for Media Center since 2008 is actually going to happen. Unfortunately, there's still no new updates on price, availability or really anything other than the fact that you'll be able to enjoy your favorite content in surround sound that is encoded with DTS -- hopefully that's enough for now.

Continue reading Ceton's Echo Extender for Media Center will be the first to support DTS surround sound

Ceton's Echo Extender for Media Center will be the first to support DTS surround sound originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Ceton | Email this | Comments

RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on (video)

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Zach Honig

Deep-pocketed RED owners take heed. The company just demoed some pretty nifty module updates, including an OLED EVF, a new 9-inch touchscreen and the crown jewel Meizler Module, which brings to the table such features as wireless 1080p transmission, a wireless timecode transceiver and full wireless lens control -- we're particularly taken with that last feature, which effectively enables remote-controlled follow focus, aperture and zoom control. The new 9-inch will also come in handy with wireless control, making it easier to verify sharpness and exposure. It features the same touch functionality of its smaller sibling, giving you full control of the camera.

The display will likely draw some attention when mounted on an EPIC , which is noticeably smaller than the LCD itself, but once you toss on a lens and power pack, the rig looks slightly better proportioned. That's the good news. The bad news is the price -- you're looking at a cool $13,000 for that wireless module, which is named after its designer, assistant camera Steven Meizler, while the Bomb OLED EVF can be had as an upgrade for $1,200 (if you're willing to trade in your LCD version), or $3,900 if you plan to buy it outright. You can head over to the Red Store to pick that device up today, though you'll need to hang tight for the Meizler and 9-inch LCD, both of which are expected to launch later this year. You'll get an up-close look at all the new gear in the gallery below, and you'll also find a video overview with RED's Ted Schilowitz when you venture past the break.

Gallery: RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on

Continue reading RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on (video)

RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

RED Store | Email this | Comments

Blackmagic Cinema Camera packs ‘feature film’ 2.5K quality, touchscreen for $2,995

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Richard Lawler

While Canon, Sony and Red have already stolen the show with new camera announcements here at NAB 2012, Blackmagic Design is trying to carve out a niche for its new Cinema Camera. Priced at $2,995, where the company sees this as differing from the competition is its ability to capture film quality video on its 2.5K sensor and output it to CinemaDNG RAW, ProRes and DNxHD file formats. That camera housing can take Canon or Zeiss lenses on the front, contains a built-in SSD within and has a capacitive touchscreen display for control and metadata entry. Once you've captured the video, the included copy of DaVinci Resolve can take care of all color correction needs, while the video can be pulled from the SSD over a variety of high speed ports including BNC SDI and Thunderbolt. Check out a few in-person pics in our gallery below and more specs in the press release after the break.

Gallery: Blackmagic Cinema Camera

Continue reading Blackmagic Cinema Camera packs 'feature film' 2.5K quality, touchscreen for $2,995

Blackmagic Cinema Camera packs 'feature film' 2.5K quality, touchscreen for $2,995 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

RED Dragon 6K sensor upgrade eyes-on (video)

Posted on 16/04/2012 by Zach Honig

"Obsolescence Obsolete" -- that's RED's tagline for the just-announced Dragon sensor upgrade, which is set to bring 6K resolution to EPIC and Scarlet cameras beginning later this year. The sensor module was on display at the company's NAB booth today, under a backlit case that could only have been designed to make photographing the new chip a near-impossible task. We did manage to snag a few frames of the device, which appears as a mere silhouette to the naked eye. Sensors aren't designed for us to look at, however -- they're supposed to do the looking -- so we won't get any more hung up on the presentation. Existing RED camera owners can look forward to an incredibly impressive 15+ stops of native dynamic range and up to 120 frames-per-second at resolutions up to 5K. And as we discovered earlier today, the upgrade will roll out to EPIC owners sometime in 2012 for $6,000 while Scarlet users will need to hang tight for a release date, and a price tag. That's all we've got as far as details go, so click on through the gallery below for a flashlight-enhanced peek at the Dragon.

Gallery: RED Dragon 6K sensor upgrade hands-on