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:
|
Digital film standards |
|||
|
Standard |
Resolution |
DAR |
Pixels |
|
Full Aperture 4K |
4096 x 3112 |
1.32:1 |
12,746,752 |
|
Academy 4K |
3656 × 2664 |
1.37:1 |
9,739,584 |
|
Digital cinema 4K |
4096 × 1714 |
2.39:1 |
7,020,544 |
|
3996 × 2160 |
1.85:1 |
8,631,360 |
|
|
Full Aperture Native 2K |
2048 × 1556 |
1.32:1 |
3,186,688 |
|
Academy 2K |
1828 × 1332 |
1.37:1 |
2,434,896 |
|
Digital Cinema 2K |
2048 × 858 |
2.39:1 |
1,757,184 |
|
1998 × 1080 |
1.85:1 |
2,157,840 |
|
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-