HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D

Call it an inexplicable fascination, or call it all-out geek lust over a screen with three digits in the “diagonal screen size” specification field — either way, we had little choice but to shuttle over to HDI’s nondescript Los Gatos, California headquarters in order to check out what even Steve Wozniak has been quoted as saying is the best 3D solution out there. While stationed on the west coast this week for GDC, we grabbed a camera and bolted down the 280 in order to get a sneak peek at the aforesaid firm, a tight-knit startup that currently has prototype displays in production and plans for far more. We’ve heard plenty through the grapevine, but we set out to get our questions answered directly, and possibly even provide some insight that has yet to be made available to the public thus far.

For those unaware, HDI’s flagship product is a planned 103-inch 3D HDTV that uses a proprietary technology in order to showcase content in the third dimension (or 2D, if you’d like). We sat down with Chris Stuart (Director of Technology) and Edmund Sandberg (Chief Technology Officer) in order to get an overview of the tech, set the story straight in regard to pricing and availability, and dig in a little deeper on its plans for distribution and expansion. We also plopped down in front of the company’s prototype 97-inch set and a 46-inch 3D LCD that has remained mostly a myth up until now, and we’ve certainly got plenty to share in terms of impressions. If you’re eager to learn more (and take a behind-the-scenes look at a television R&D lab), give that ‘Read More’ link a gentle press.

Gallery: HDI 3D prototype HDTVs

Continue reading HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D

HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision

Epic Games has announced that its wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 has now added NVIDIA’s 3D Vision to its list of supported technologies. We’ve already come across Batman: Arkham Asylum being played with NVIDIA’s signature shutter glasses so this isn’t a huge surprise per se, but it does put a stamp of compatibility on the vast catalog of games — both current and future — built upon Epic’s graphics engine. Those include Borderlands, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 1 and 2, and that all-time classic 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The Unreal Development Kit — a freeware version of the Engine for non-commercial uses — is also being upgraded to make the addition of stereoscopic 3D effects “easier than ever,” while other small improvements (covered by Gamespot) show that the Epic crew isn’t standing still on its core product. Good news for all you mobile mavens wanting a taste of Unreality on your iPhones or Pres.

Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look

Darkworks introduced its TriOviz for Games SDK yesterday during GDC, and while TriOviz technology has been around for years in Hollywood, it wasn’t until today that this same technology debuted for console and PC titles. Essentially, this software wrapper enables standard 2D video games to be viewed in 3D on a traditional 2D display, and we were able to sneak an exclusive look at the technology today at the company’s meeting room. We were shown a European version of Batman: Arkham Asylum on Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and we were given a set of specialized glasses (which were passive, like NVIDIA’s active-shutter 3D Vision specs) in order to enjoy the effect. So, how was it? In a word or two, not bad. It obviously wasn’t perfect, but you have to realize just how cheap of a solution this is for the consumer to implement. All that’s required is a set of special glasses, but given that these can be distributed in paper-frames form, you could easily find a set for a couple of bucks (at most), if not bundled in for free with future games. Users won’t need to purchase any additional hardware whatsoever, and what they’ll get is a deeper, more immersive image in return.

We could very clearly see the 3D effect, and even though it was subtle, it definitely enhanced our experience. We noticed a minor bit of blurring and ghosting during just a few scenes, but when you consider that this doesn’t actually change the underlying code in existing 2D games (that’s the cue for developers to breathe a sigh of relief), we didn’t feel that these minor quirks were unreasonable. The other interesting aspect is just how clear the image remained for onlookers that didn’t have 3D glasses on; we noticed slight image doubling at specific points, but it’s not something we simply couldn’t look at without acquiring a headache.

More after the break…

Continue reading Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look

Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that

What do b-boys, random celebrities like Mark Sanchez, Andy Samberg and Hillary Duff, and the Black Eyed Peas have to do with 3DTV? We’re not sure either, but that didn’t stop Samsung from mixing them up during its “worldwide launch event” yesterday in NYC. Check the video (embedded after the break) for the above revelation about 3D from the JIMP troubador himself, but what was going through the heads of our friend Jimmy C and the BEP when this picture was taken?

Chris: “And see, just by turning this knob to the right, we can give Avatar a plot.”
Richard Lawler: “If everyone starts wearing these, we’re going to need new outfits.”
Nilay: “Fascinating. You say this is called a ‘lady lump?’”
Joe: “What? Bono beat us to it?”
Joanna: “That Neytiri, she’s a handful…”
Paul: “I’ve gotta feeling that nothing of intellectual importance is happening here.”

Continue reading Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that

Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required

Well, wouldn’t you know it? 3D seems to be the topic of conversation here at GDC , and Paris-based Darkworks is making a splash by announcing the availability of its TriOviz for Games SDK. In short, this magical software concoction is a post-process effect that allows standard 2D games to be transformed into 3D masterpieces… and you don’t even need to buy a 3D television. We were briefed on the tech here at the show, and we’re told that the magic happens in the software and the glasses, and unlike existing 3D technologies, other users around the house will still be able to watch you play in 2D without all those blurred edges. In other words, existing titles (for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC; sorry Wii owners!) can have a 3D experience added in, and we’re guessing that a select few AAA games will be seeing a DLC pack in the near future for those who care to re-play their favorites in the third dimension. We’ll be doing our best to swing by and catch a demo later today, but for now, just know that your life will never be the same once these 3D-ified games start shipping in the Spring.

Darkworks SDK transforms 2D games into 3D games, no 3D TV required originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PrimeSense talks full-body motion control at GDC, gives us a video demonstration

PrimeSense was formed in 2005, and unless you’re a sickly obsessed silicon junkie, you’ve probably never heard of them. All that changes today. We sat down with the company at GDC to learn more about the chip that it produces, and we left with an imagination sore from being stretched so severely. Put simply, the company manufacturers a microchip that, when paired with off-the-shelf optics, can create a 3D grid that a computer can understand. The purpose here, as you can likely glean, is to enable PlayStation Eye-like interactions, or as the company suggests, a “more natural” way to interface with devices you use every day. Rather than grabbing the remote to switch channels or snapping up that HTPC keyboard in order to flip through your stored DVD library, PrimeSense would rather you kick back on the sofa and gently flick your hands in order to turn to this week’s Gossip Girl or sort through those classic horror flicks.

It’s important to remember that PrimeSense isn’t in the business of creating hardware, but today we were shown a reference design that looks an awful lot like an enlarged webcam. The device is completely USB powered, and while the unit shown in the images and video here was obviously a standalone device, we were told that it would be possible to integrate the solution into displays and the like in the future. They also mentioned that the depth location — which enables it to map out a room and detect your entire body — was done on-chip, with only the associated middleware taxing the CPU. Still, they’ve had success running this on Atom-level processors, so there’s certainly no big horsepower hang-up preventing it from hitting up a variety of markets.

More after the break…

Gallery: PrimeSense motion control demo at GDC 2010

Continue reading PrimeSense talks full-body motion control at GDC, gives us a video demonstration

PrimeSense talks full-body motion control at GDC, gives us a video demonstration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boeing announces compact, energy-efficient 3D camera

Yes, even the military has gone 3D. Helping it in that endeavor is Boeing, which has just announced a tiny new 3D camera that’s one-third the size and consumes one-tenth the power of comparable 3D imaging systems. While it will also be made available for commercial use, it seems like military will be first in line to use the cameras, with Boeing noting that it’s potential applications including “mapping terrain, tracking targets and seeing through foliage,” and adding that it’s already testing the camera on unmanned aerial vehicles. The biggest drawback to the camera at the moment is that it’s only able to take 3D still images, but Boeing says it will “soon” add 3D video capability as well. Details are otherwise pretty hard to come by, as you might expect, and pricing is no doubt best left unsaid.

[Thanks, Graham]

Boeing announces compact, energy-efficient 3D camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning

Beginning today, customers at Best Buy’s Magnolia stores can pick up that Panasonic full HD 3D Home Entertainment System the kids in Japan have been going crazy over for the last month or so. Consisting of a 50-inch Viera VT20 HDTV, a BDT300 Blu-ray Disc Player, and but one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter glasses, the total price is is $2900 — but if you plan on having company over you’ll need to pick up additional pairs of 3D eyewear for $150 each. As you well know, Panny is due to start sponsoring free 3D programming to DirecTV HD customers starting in June, so if you’re not set up with the service you might as well add that to your shopping list. PC Magazine braved the stampede to check out the scene in Manhattan, so hit the source link to see the pics. As for us, we’re going back to watching Snowboard Academy on VHS, as we do every time one of its stars has fallen. PR after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning

Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn’t!: Katzenberg says ‘beautifully styled’ 3D glasses won’t make you look like a dweeb

Another day, another CEO with more lip gloss than brain matter. Jeffrey Katzenberg has been talking to USA Today on what seems to be his favorite topic these days, 3D, and telling us that the glasses ain’t no big deal. After all, “many many many people” wear glasses — that’s three lots of many for those keeping count at home — and the new and improved 3D appendages are so “beautifully styled” that he expects them to start popping up at your local optometrist right next to the sunglasses and designer eyewear isles. In fact, this dude’s sipping the corporate firewater so hard, we half-expect him to tell us that 3D offers “very high value” for money or … wait, he said that too? Alright, we give up.

CE-Oh no he didn’t!: Katzenberg says ‘beautifully styled’ 3D glasses won’t make you look like a dweeb originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung 3D Starter Kit gets 3DTV and Blu-ray buyers started

Planning on buying one of those fresh Samsung 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray players now that they are available? Well, the good news from Samsung’s press conference is that you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit if you decide to fork over the cash for them both. Included are two pairs of active shutter glasses (available separately for $150) and the 3D Blu-ray version of Monsters vs. Aliens, which is exclusive to Samsung for the time being. And speaking of new 3D titles, DreamWorks’ own Jeffrey Katzenberg took stage to announce that Shrek will be coming soon. We’re not sure how we feel about these super expensive sets, but the hands-on pictures of the kit do seem to make spending plus $2,000 for that new Sammy 3DTV and Blu-ray player a bit more enticing.

Gallery: Samsung 3D Starter Kit hands-on

Samsung 3D Starter Kit gets 3DTV and Blu-ray buyers started originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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