The Custom Integrator Show Installment 01B

The Custom Integrator Show Installment 01B is live.  This Podcast wraps up our initial look at 3-D.  This time we discuss some of the implications of 3-D when looking at the displays, projectors, and PC video cards.  We also through in a few topics at the end in preparation for CEDIA.

[mp3]http://thedigitallifestyle.com/audio/tdl_custom_20090904_01b.mp3[/mp3]

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One of the big areas of confusion lately is the concept the interaction between 120 Hz displays and 3-D content.  It is not good enough to just have a 120 (or 240) Hz display.  You also need to have the right type of display technology in addition to the proper electronics for decoding and rendering the 3-D material.

Considerations for 120 Hz Displays

  • For motion smearing

  • Does not solve the problems with time-sequential-based 3-D

  • Currently there are no 120Hz video signals with 120 distinct frames per second

  • Cannot be used for 120Hz 3-D unless it is labeled “3-D Ready” or “3-D capable”

Current Implementations for the Home

  • Anaglyph with red and cyan (green) glasses for stereoscopic 3-D (and “red-sharpened” differential diopter plastic glasses)

     – Poor quality

     – High ghosting

     – “Retinal Rivalry”

     – Inability to reproduce full color

     – Used for current 3-D DVDs

     – Used for stereoscopic 3-D games

  • Blu-ray 3-D standard in the works

Another area we discuss is in relation to HDMI 1.4.  The specification outlines support for a variety of 3-d delivery platforms, which just happen to coincide with the approaches we discussed in the previous Installment (01A).

• Frame, line, or field alternative methods
• Side by side methods (full and half)
• 2D plus depth methods

I believe that 3-D will put a huge strain on the interconnecting cables for delivering 3-D from the source to the displays, particularly if HDMI extenders over CAT-6 are used.

Even more so is the impact of another very popular trend – 4K (or 4K x 2K).  Currently, 4K primarily is used in commercial cinemas, but it is starting to get some traction in the homes, too.  Think about a resolution that is about 4 times that of the current “Full HD” 1080p.  That is an awful lot of data to have to shovel down a piece of cable 60 or more times a second, especially if you are dealing with Deep Color at potentially 16 bits per pixel.

There really are two different “4K resolutions” in the field

• 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high
• 4096 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high

However, 4K covers an even broader range once you start to get into the different aspect ratios (thanks to Wikipedia:

It really makes one think about where we are going to be in the next couple of years and how we are going to deliver these experiences in the home.  I can’t wait to experience all of them.

A great resource I recommend: Today3D at http://today3d.blogspot.com/

  =D-