3D illusion at BroadcastAsia 2010

COMMUNICASIA, SINGAPORE--3D is an illusion, according to Paul Maroni, Sony's Asia-Pacific assistant general manager and head of live production product marketing, broadcast and content creation solutions. A 3D video recorder works by capturing two images from slightly different angles--just like how our eyes work. Images are then overlaid, and with glasses, it can trick the brain into thinking the video is 3D.

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Unlike typical films that have cameramen on board, producing 3D images requires a stereographer who creates the 3D illusion by controlling how far the two lens converge. A complete 3D production system with only one camera will set you back about US$300,000, said Maroni, compared to a typical 2D system which costs about US$130,000.

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Korean company Master Image shows off its glasses-free 3D screen. The company develops 3D barriers--the patented cell matrix parallex barrier--which are overlaid on TFT-LCD displays. The beer commercial above is intended to be an outdoor display advertisement.

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A lonely 3D projector awaits audiences at a corner of the hall as part of the live 3D demonstration by Panasonic. The projector distributor told ZDNet Asia that a system like this costs an average of S$500,000 and has been adopted by Cathay for some of its cinemas.

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A tour guide from Singapore broadcaster MediaCorp calls the truck a "studio on wheels" as it has a complete suite of equipment. He added that a usual setup would require 15 workers on board to operate.

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A visitor tries his hands at one of the equipment on the truck. The alleyway is tiny and allows only one person to pass through.

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3M's mobile ambassadors debut at BroadcastAsia 2010. These cut-out board ambassadors can talk and gesture--although their elbow movements are limited to what is seen now.

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A film using 3M micro-bead technology is pasted onto a transparent board, and a projector is set up to project from behind the board. 3M explained that typical frontal projection on surfaces do not work well in bright conditions and the projections are often washed out. The film can also be cut into different shapes and sizes to provide customized requirements.

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ABC Products booth hunk twirls around the small space in front of his booth to demonstrate the strap-on camera. Below is an angled projector screen to prevent him from tripping over his feet.

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Broadcast live on-the-go with LiveU's LU-30. The backpack includes three mobile broadband dongles that transmit recording-video back to the receiver at the broadcast station. Previously, broadcasters needed a satellite dish to transmit live video back to the studio, said co-founder and COO Avichai Cohen.
This is the first time the four-year-old company has ventured into Singapore, and it is now in talks with broadcast stations as well as Internet portals. According to Cohen, the rental rate of an equipment is US$2,500 per month in the United States.

Photo by Liau Yun Qing