News

3D@Home Consortium Reaches One Year Milestones and is Poised for Further Industry Growth (28/4/2009)

Companies Unite to Accelerate Adoption of 3D Technology and Content for the Home

The 3D@Home Consortium, formed to speed the adoption of quality 3D technology in the home, completed its first year of operations with significant accomplishments in aligning member companies around common issues in developing systems for in-home 3D entertainment. A review of the consortium's efforts will be presented to its members on April 21, 2009 at the consortium's Spring Quarterly Member Meeting, held in conjunction with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

More than 40 organizations joined 3D@Home over the past 12 months, including board and leadership level companies Eutelsat, Intel, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Electronics of America, Samsung, Sigma, Sony, Thomson, Turner Broadcasting, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and XpanD. "Over the past year, the 3D@Home Consortium has built a broad knowledge and reference base of industry interest and support with leading companies from Asia, Europe and North America contributing ideas and resources," stated Rick Dean, chairman of the 3D@Home Governing Board and vice president at THX, Ltd.. "The highest priority this year is to communicate the information created by the consortium membership to key industry standards bodies to help them develop successful roadmaps for 3D standards creation and adoption."

Highlights from Year One

* Forming the consortium, governing board, operating procedures and (4) steering teams
* Enlisting more than 40 companies from Asia, Europe and North America to populate project teams
* Creating a portal for industry and member communications - www.3DatHome.org
* Hosted over 60 meetings of the membership and the various steering teams
* Defining the type and technology of 3D displays and creating a glossary of 3D terms
* Validating 3D test and measurement procedures
* Developing descriptions and metrics for 3D content creation, addressing artistic aspects, capturing techniques, post production and mastering
* Defining and diagramming the connections needed from mastering formats to final signal decompression within the display
* Creating use cases and connection scenarios to assist in defining necessary standards
* Identifying the full landscape of standards-setting bodies and initiating formal liaison relationships and exploring cooperation with evaluation labs and institutes

"Consumer awareness of the new generation of stereoscopic 3D is increasing daily," notes Chris Chinnock, 3D@Home board member and president of Insight Media. "3D in cinema is a hit and it is driving a demand for 3D entertainment in the home. 3D gaming is poised to become a mainstream phenomenon with 3D on laptops, cell phones, cameras and picture frames not far behind. But with such opportunities come challenges and cooperating to overcome them is why the 3D@Home Consortium was formed. We are leveraging development activity in all areas to bring this technology to market faster without sacrificing quality."

Mark Hartney, managing director of the 3D@Home Consortium, concluded, "The expertise of our member companies is clearly apparent in the first-year accomplishments. Discussions are meaningful, content rich and are leading to a pre-competitive type of collaboration that will propel the 3D industry forward. The 3D@Home Consortium has significantly shortened the timeline for product introduction and adoption by the consumer."

www.3DatHome.org