Slashdot Mirror


World's First Integrated Twin-Lens 3D Camcorder

ElectricSteve writes "Shooting in 3D has traditionally required a complex, bulky and fragile rig using two cameras and additional hardware to calibrate and adjust them. Panasonic's straight-forwardly-named Twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder looks to radically change the 3D game, with integrated lenses and dual SDHC memory card slots allowing you to capture 3D footage immediately, with just one device." So there ya go, get started making your own Avatar.

162 comments

  1. Yay! by Jethro · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't WAIT to see all those cute kitten videos in 3D!!!

    --


    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
    1. Re:Yay! by robinstar1574 · · Score: 0

      Kitten movies in 3D? What is so special about kitten movies? Mabye I should put my black 19 year old cat taking a dump on youtube. Would that make you happy?

    2. Re:Yay! by tiedyejeremy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      sweater kittens? POV will never be the same.

      --
      Anything you say will be held against you. ... "tits"
    3. Re:Yay! by Jethro · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Probably make SOMEone happy...

      --


      In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
    4. Re:Yay! by Suki+I · · Score: 1

      Just what I was thinking and I can play them on my new 3D TV that I am probably not getting for five years!

    5. Re:Yay! by cayenne8 · · Score: 2
      Kittens....Really??

      My first thought was how this would REALLY revolutionize the pr0n industry!!!

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    6. Re:Yay! by eltaco · · Score: 2, Funny

      dito. I'm not looking forward to goatse in 3D though. it's bad enough without depth-perception of that bottomless pit.

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    7. Re:Yay! by JDeane · · Score: 1

      Agreed.... I really don't even want to imagine that.

      *shudders*

    8. Re:Yay! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm not looking forward to goatse in 3D though. it's bad enough without depth-perception of that bottomless pit.

      Don't you mean pitiless bottom?

    9. Re:Yay! by multisync · · Score: 1

      Kittens....Really??

      My first thought was how this would REALLY revolutionize the pr0n industry!!!

      Haven't you ever heard of kitty pr0n?

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
    10. Re:Yay! by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Does that fall under rule 34?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    11. Re:Yay! by FragHARD · · Score: 1

      What !!! no goatse 3d vd's

      --
      FragHARD or don't frag at all
    12. Re:Yay! by robinstar1574 · · Score: 0

      Which one?

  2. Ohh, really? by Lars+T. · · Score: 4, Insightful
    So there ya go, get started making your own Avatar.

    So where do I get the blue aliens and the monsters and the vehicles and ...

    --

    Lars T.

    To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    1. Re:Ohh, really? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 1
    2. Re:Ohh, really? by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Insightful

          I'd go original Star Trek style, and it would just be hot chicks in body paint, wearing not much of anything.

          And then it goes into someone elses comment above "wheres the 3d porn?" :)

          Funny thing about that camera. There's only one eyepiece. I guess you're not expected to see the scene as it's recorded. That's a shame.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    3. Re:Ohh, really? by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 1

      Funny thing about that camera. There's only one eyepiece. I guess you're not expected to see the scene as it's recorded. That's a shame.

      Thankfully I was born with 2 eyes and have yet to incur the loss of one, thus allowing me to perceive things around me in 3D without the aid of a stereoscopic recording device.

      --
      "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
    4. Re:Ohh, really? by quantumplacet · · Score: 4, Insightful

      if you've ever shot anything professionally you'd know that what you see and what the camera sees are never quite the same thing. the parent has a legitimate point, and I don't think many professionals would make use of this camera. although the article is a little light on details, and in my opinion what you'd really want instead of a dual eyepiece is the ability to display each shot individually by hooking up two monitors. its also possible there's a button or something to allow you to choose which frame is displayed on the eyepiece or an external monitor.

    5. Re:Ohh, really? by Pojut · · Score: 1

      I can't RTFA due to work firewall (yet they allow Slashdot? wtf?), but it's possible that both screens are viewable in the eyepiece either the way you mentioned (choosing which lens to view) or they could both be shown at the same time. It's also possible that the eyepiece shows a "middle" view, situated between the two lenses. The last possibility is that the eyepiece shows a 3D image as it will show up on a screen, and included in the eyepiece is whatever polarizing lens is necessary to view the image. ::shrug:: dunno

    6. Re:Ohh, really? by MrMista_B · · Score: 1

      Special effects.

    7. Re:Ohh, really? by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      Funny thing about that camera. There's only one eyepiece. I guess you're not expected to see the scene as it's recorded. That's a shame.

      There's a trick for that - don't use the eyepiece! :-P

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    8. Re:Ohh, really? by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Funny

      Before using the viewfinder insert the Operator's SplitView Eye in your head.

    9. Re:Ohh, really? by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Interesting

          I actually have shot photos professionally on occasion. :) I know exactly what you mean. That's why I absolutely love the DSLR cameras now. There's no waiting to develop the film to figure out if my shots turned out the way I expected. I can shoot, and then check through the screen on the camera, to if the shots came out to be something resembling what I wanted. Not that ever shot comes out perfectly, but they never do. That's why I burn through shots there's no tomorrow. It's never the "Oh that's perfect" picture that was perfect. It's her real smile after the fake posed one and you started to laugh with her.

          But, back to TFA. Without dual eyepieces, you have to guess if that 3D shot is really what you wanted. Did it jump out of the screen, or did it just become part of the background? You won't know until it's reviewed later. Maybe it can hook directly to a 3d capable monitor, so it can be viewed live. 2 monitors would be nice for composition of the frame from each view, but it will never compensate for the depth which is what 3d is all about.

          Disney World has a 3D movie, Mickey's PhilharMagic, that was really good. It is a completely animated movie though, but the idea still applies. I saw it with my 2 year old daughter. It kind of freaked her out because things were popping out at her. Once I started encouraging her to grab the things out of the air, she really enjoyed it. There's a huge difference for the audience if an object may have come half way towards them, or right up to them. We felt that we could reach out and touch things through the whole movie. They reinforced it with blasts of scented air and sprinkling water, which is a bit beyond anything that'll show up in most theaters anytime soon.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    10. Re:Ohh, really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

          I'd go original Star Trek style, and it would just be hot chicks in body paint, wearing not much of anything.

          And then it goes into someone elses comment above "wheres the 3d porn?" :)

          Funny thing about that camera. There's only one eyepiece. I guess you're not expected to see the scene as it's recorded. That's a shame.

      Helpful to read the article. They are coming out with a monitor to view the 3D on an LCD screen.

    11. Re:Ohh, really? by Pojut · · Score: 1

      "Surely this convenience entices you? Pornography and online gaming at hundreds the times of speed of your normal advertising service provider! It's so easy to use, and the surgery to implant it at the base of your skull is so painless it's no wonder I'm number one!" - The www.yzzerdd.com

    12. Re:Ohh, really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      RTFA

      "The Twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder will be available in Q4 2010, and Panasonic plans to release a 3D Full HD LCD monitor for use in the field, and a digital mixer for live 3D broadcasting shortly after."

    13. Re:Ohh, really? by ckaminski · · Score: 1

      i dunno, while I was watching Avatar in Imax, during the storms and flying and battle scenes they kicked on the air blowers... so they're trying.

    14. Re:Ohh, really? by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      if you've ever shot anything professionally you'd know that what you see and what the camera sees are never quite the same thing. the parent has a legitimate point, and I don't think many professionals would make use of this camera. although the article is a little light on details, and in my opinion what you'd really want instead of a dual eyepiece is the ability to display each shot individually by hooking up two monitors. its also possible there's a button or something to allow you to choose which frame is displayed on the eyepiece or an external monitor.

      I've never photographed anything professionally. I've also never seen a 3D movie other some of the old 1980's films with the red and blue cardboard glasses. It never occurred to me that there was a problem to be solved in the first place. It also never occurred to me that there was a large demand for this. I made my previous post as a joke, that every photography nerd on here completely WOOSHED.

      3D in my humble opinion is hologram technology, something I'm not sure is technically possible in 2010. To me, it simply is not stereoscopic photography and light polarization tricks. A true 3D "image" is what I see when I open my eyes, thus a display technology that truly fills a 3-dimensional space will be the only one that (IMHO) qualifies as 3D.

      --
      "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
    15. Re:Ohh, really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just want to add, you could do it for free with Blender and GIMP. Both of those programs are capable enough to produce the same results you could produce with photoshop and any professional modeling/animating/rendering package.

      Yes, Photoshop is better than GIMP, there are professional programs that are easier to use than Blender, however, if you know what you are doing you can produce the same results in either.

    16. Re:Ohh, really? by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          IMAX still isn't most theaters, unfortunately. At least we've progressed beyond the old 16 fps silent movies. :)

          I'll actually be a happy camper when 3d has finally broken into mainstream, and used in almost all theaters. I know once it gets a foothold, the modern 24fps color talkies will just be a memory.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    17. Re:Ohh, really? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 1

      They reinforced it with blasts of scented air and sprinkling water, which is a bit beyond anything that'll show up in most theaters anytime soon.

      Just sit in front of the guy drinking beer and belching.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    18. Re:Ohh, really? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      I'd go original Star Trek style, and it would just be hot chicks in body paint, wearing not much of anything.

      And where do I find these hot chicks? Oh wait, I think I remember a website that had to do with that...

    19. Re:Ohh, really? by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      Step 1) You get a bunch of money together.
          Step 2) You go out to Hollywood and do a casting call.
          Step 3) You pick the prettiest ones that are willing to have sex on camera.
          Step 4) See previous post.

          Aw, who cares about the profit step. I just got freaky with a bunch of hot chicks that thought they were in a movie. :)

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    20. Re:Ohh, really? by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      Here

      So what do I need a 3D Camcorder for?

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    21. Re:Ohh, really? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 1

      Your Live Action scenes.

    22. Re:Ohh, really? by Threni · · Score: 1

      If hardware making stuff easier to produce than older, harder to use stuff resulted in better films, music, books etc then there'd be better music, films and books out now than, say, 30 years ago. But I'm not sure this is the case.

  3. Finally - 3D porn! by ugen · · Score: 1, Interesting

    nuff said

    1. Re:Finally - 3D porn! by Faaln · · Score: 4, Informative

      The porn industry is on this.

    2. Re:Finally - 3D porn! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's some 3D stereoscopic porn for you:
      http://www.3d-eros.com
      http://member3dporn.com

  4. Re:Putting the technology to use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...some things don't need to be shooting off the screen at me.

  5. Now, if only... by dsavi · · Score: 0, Troll

    Maybe it's about time that the standard consumer camcorder takes video in full HD for a decent price? I'd like to see that first. But no, focus development on something comparatively few people care about and are willing to pay for, not something that should have been done a couple of years ago.

    1. Re:Now, if only... by fprintf · · Score: 1

      I'd bet someone said this about color TV decades ago. "What do we need to see TV in color for? We need remote controls, larger screens, better sound yada yada"

      Like any new technology, it is being built because manufacturers think there is a market for it. I believe 3D TV is going to be one of my generation's lasting contributions to our technology culture. Hopefully it will be as commonplace in 20 years as color TV had become in the 1960s. (or flat panels are today, I recall seeing my first Philips one in the late 80s in an upscale Boston electronic boutique priced on sale at $17,000)

      --
      This post brought to you by your friendly neighborhood MBA.
    2. Re:Now, if only... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This is not your father's cam corder. At USD21,000 or so, this is low end pro (or insane serious amateur) stuff. Mostly this is an engineering exercise to see how things work and get some presence in the market.

      Expect to see something similar to this on you cell phone in about, let's say, 2038.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re:Now, if only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not sure if you've looked lately, but a 1080p camcorder is no longer an expensive device.

    4. Re:Now, if only... by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 3, Informative

      Maybe it's about time that the standard consumer camcorder takes video in full HD for a decent price? I'd like to see that first.

      Your wish is my command. So how was this last year you spent in a cave?

      Tigerdirect has that first model on sale for $500. That seems to me to be a pretty decent price... unless you're one of those "Let me know when I can get [product X] with [feature Q], [feature R], and two [feature S] for $99".

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
    5. Re:Now, if only... by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Expect to see something similar to this on you cell phone in about, let's say, 2038.

      In 2038, you won't need a camera phone, you'll just need a subscription to the Panopticon Drone Network®, filming everything, everywhere, for your fun and pleasure, since 2031!

    6. Re:Now, if only... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      The Linux drivers for it may be delayed since that's about when the Unix time rolls over.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    7. Re:Now, if only... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      "Maybe it's about time that the standard consumer camcorder takes video in full HD for a decent price?"

      I'm seeing HD camcorders for standard consumers all over the place? I'm looking at good Cannon ones (Vixia series), in the $499(refurb) to $699 price range. From what I can tell from the specs...they do take images in full HD???

      I guess I'm missing you point....looks to me like there are several HD camcorders out there and decent prices...

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    8. Re:Now, if only... by sznupi · · Score: 1

      The same way 3D photos, available for many decades, made a lasting contribution?

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
    9. Re:Now, if only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um hello. My JVC does FULL HD (1080i) just fine. in fact most PROFESSIONAL camcorders only do 1080i. Most are set at 720p because that is what broadcast WANTS.

      Also, I have shot in 1080p, and it's a crapshoot. most lenses are shitty and cant record the difference between 720p and 1080p on consumer camcorders. Let me guess, you are the type that wants a 60 megapixel camera in your phone because more=better to you.

    10. Re:Now, if only... by dsavi · · Score: 1

      Never said that consumer HD camcorders do not exist- I'm just saying I am not willing to shell out 700$ for it, because anything less is sub-standard. A more realistic price is 400$. It's the future already!

    11. Re:Now, if only... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      "Never said that consumer HD camcorders do not exist- I'm just saying I am not willing to shell out 700$ for it, because anything less is sub-standard. A more realistic price is 400$. It's the future already!"

      Different points of view of economics I guess.

      I'd never think $400-$700 was too much for a quality video camera. I'm not what I'd consider an early adopter, but, seems most all of my video cameras over the years, especially the early ones..were in the $1K or so range.

      So, I'd consider anything sub $1K to be a reasonable price for a quality HD camera, especially with HD still being relatively new still.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    12. Re:Now, if only... by dsavi · · Score: 1

      You've guessed wrong. The 1mp camera on my phone is just fine for me because I don't shoot serious pictures with it. Again, I know that the market is full of consumer full HD camcorders. I'm just saying that the prices are ridiculous. In my original post I said nothing to (intentionally) imply that consumer-level 1080i/p cams don't exist.

    13. Re:Now, if only... by dsavi · · Score: 1

      Different points of view of economics I guess.

      Yeah I suppose so. Of course, if I got paid to take videos, it would be a different story.

    14. Re:Now, if only... by b0bby · · Score: 1

      The problem is, there's a fundamental difference between adding color and adding the ability to trick our brains into seeing depth where there is none. Aside from the "needing special glasses" problem, there's a disconnect between the perceived focal planes and what your eyes can really focus on which isn't going to be solved by anything short of 3d displays with real depth to them, which won't be cheap or convenient. It may happen, but it's not inevitable either.

    15. Re:Now, if only... by residieu · · Score: 1

      I was hoping by then my brain implant could just take a feed right off the optic nerve and archive that. After adding 32x optical zoom and perfect focus to my eyes, of course.

    16. Re:Now, if only... by dotgain · · Score: 1

      Linux drivers don't need no stinkin' excuse to be delayed / absent.

  6. W00t! by Abcd1234 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now not only can our relatives bore us with their hours-long videos of their cruise, but they can also leave us with (worse) headaches and intense nausea! Now that's what I call progress!

    1. Re:W00t! by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      Just think of what will happen when someone gets seasick, and hurls towards the camera! That's real family entertainment. "Play it again, I wanna see grandma puke again! Wow, I can almost taste it!"

          {{shivers}}

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    2. Re:W00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Whether you are joking or not, I wish people constantly complaining of nausea and headaches would just stop. I do not get headaches and nausea from viewing 3-D movies, nor does anyone I know. Yes, it may affect you, but quite complaining. There are people who get car sick, plane sick, boat sick, or in general motion sickness. Notice how most people do not complain about motion sickness every time a car, boat, or airplane is mentioned. And to handle the others that complain about people with only one eye not being able to take advantage of this...enough! There are people born, or inflicted, everyday with multiple kinds of disabilities that preclude them from doing numerous tasks, such as driving, flying an airplane, etc. If you get headaches, or have some ocular disability That prevents you from viewing 3-D tv, I'm sorry to hear that, but shut it. Recognize that there are most likely things that you can do that others can't. Imagine if every time you mention one of these things someone chimes in complain that they can't...

      E.g
      A. How was your day?
      B. Well, I was thinking, as I was driving home...
      A. Driving, yeah you mean that thing that makes me throw-up everytime I do it.
      B. Okay, Work was fine. What should we do for dinner?
      A. Chicken sounds good, but we need some peas.
      B. I'll drive to....
      A. Yeah, yeah...you'll DRIVE to the store. I hope you don't throw up, like I do...

      Annoying, isn't it?

    3. Re:W00t! by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      Whether you are joking or not, I wish people constantly complaining of nausea and headaches would just stop. I do not get headaches and nausea from viewing 3-D movies, nor does anyone I know.

      Congratulations! I envy you!

      Yes, it may affect you, but quite complaining.

      Umm... fuck you. :) The first few weeks of Avatar's release, I was excluded because I can't view 3D content. Basically, the studios and the theatres have decided to give me and anyone else who dislikes 3D content the middle finger, all so they can use their fancy new gimmick to wow audiences so they don't notice the shitty plot that underpins their pretty new movie.

      There are people born, or inflicted, everyday with multiple kinds of disabilities that preclude them from doing numerous tasks, such as driving, flying an airplane, etc. If you get headaches, or have some ocular disability That prevents you from viewing 3-D tv, I'm sorry to hear that, but shut it.

      I'm sorry, what? Are you saying blind people should refrain from complaining if a movie or TV studio refuses to broadcast with descriptive video? That deaf people should refrain from complaining because they refuse to broadcast subtitles?

      Seriously, fuck you, buddy.

    4. Re:W00t! by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 1

      Hey, here is an idea: Quit complaining about people complaining.

      A. I went to the amusement park over the weekend with my family.
      B. Ride any good rides?
      A. Yeah, that new rollercoaster they have is rather awesome.
      B. Aw man, I can't do those things, they make me throw up every time.

      Same fucking concept. Now, if person B in this situation annoyed you, then you are a jackass.

      --
      "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
    5. Re:W00t! by ckaminski · · Score: 1

      Sitting in the second row at Jordan's Natick Imax, I nearly puked at the opening scene, where my brain almost couldn't tell which way was up or down in the spaceship. When the background voice said (and I paraphrase) "If you're experiencing nausea, please use one of the space bags", I looked to make sure there was enough room for me to vomit in my popcorn bucket.

      So no, the 3D itself doesn't make me ill - the illusion that it presents my brain kickstarts the general motion sickness I get whenever I'm dehydrated (like I was that day).

      It's not the 3D. It's the illusion of movement while sitting still.

    6. Re:W00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      have you ever been to a movie where they have subtitles in the same language as the audio? or where the audio track describes the video? because i sure havent. and what do you mean can't view 3d content? close one eye and there you go, you're back to 2d. quit complaining

    7. Re:W00t! by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      have you ever been to a movie where they have subtitles in the same language as the audio?

      Educate yourself. There are a a number of options available for movie theatre captioning. Heck, if Rear Window Captioning was being used, you may have never even noticed.

      or where the audio track describes the video?

      Obviously not over the main speakers. But for all you know, some deaf guy in the audience may have been listening to descriptive narration through an earpiece.

      and what do you mean can't view 3d content? close one eye and there you go, you're back to 2d. quit complaining

      Ah, I see, you're just being an asshole for kicks. Nevermind, then.

      BTW, for non-assholes reading, the obvious solution would be for the theatres to provide glasses where both lenses are polarized the same way. At least then you would have the option to enjoy the film in 2D.

    8. Re:W00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and there we go - we're down to the actual issue. I have no problem with allowances being made for those with certain issues with film technologies - I was trying to indicate that these allowances should not come at the expense of continuing innovation and increased enjoyment for the majority of patrons. I was merely countering your original complaint that 3D films shouldnt be allowed as a small minority is sensitive to the product.

    9. Re:W00t! by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      I was merely countering your original complaint that 3D films shouldnt be allowed as a small minority is sensitive to the product.

      Uh... I never once, at any time, said that, did I?

    10. Re:W00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      man 3d movies suck and should be outlawed

      apparently you did >>

    11. Re:W00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I watched Avatar with an eyepatch and I puked all over the place, you insensitive clod!

  7. Cheap 3D Viewing by FinchWorld · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know of decent suppliers of 3d viewing equipment? Say glasses/monitors? I've found some sites in the US but they aren't cheap (especially with shipping to UK).

    --
    "I may be full of crap about this game, and I may be wrong, and that's fine." -Jack Thompson
    1. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by Abcd1234 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's coming to a TV near you in the next year or so (3D-capable TVs are the new hotness now that HDTVs have becoming commonplace in the market). Samsung, in particular, has announced models that will use RealD technology (ie, the same thing used in movie theatres) to display 3D on your TV using standard circularly polarized glasses. In fact, the technology itself is pretty straight forward, you just need a TV capable of a relatively high frame rate (RealD is 144hz) combined with a polarizing overlay which switches at the same rate.

    2. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by Urza9814 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Have you looked into NVidia's offering? If you've got a good enough monitor (needs 120Hz) and a decent NVidia card already, the glasses are only 200USD, and I'd imagine you could find somewhere in the UK selling them as well. But again, that assumes you already have the graphics card (probably not _too_ expensive) and a 120Hz monitor (more expensive)

    3. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by Eevee · · Score: 1

      It's coming to a TV near you in the next year or so

      Depends on how you define "near". If you mean a store within a hundred miles will have on display, then yes. If you mean inside my house, not only no but hell no. I've got better things to waste my money on than the latest fad electronics. I'm upgrading only when the technology gets cheap and a current set goes bad. By that time--and if the format sticks--then we'll be past the "Oh, look what can be done" stage and onto some worthwhile content.

    4. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by b4dc0d3r · · Score: 1

      Buy a 3D movie DVD, it comes with glasses. You can usually find a few cheap titles - Coraline is worth the investment just for the movie, glasses are a bonus.

      however, Coraline's colors don't match the typical red/cyan anaglyph you'll find, so you'll have to decide which colors you want, and find that movie.

      At that point, you can typically take side-by-side photos or whatever source and anaglyph them into the proper colors with free software.

      Alternatively, go see Avatar with a friend and keep the glasses. Buy some cheap projectors and you'll probably need a grey screen to preserve the polarization, but put the left lens over the left projector, the right lens over the right one, and wear the other pair. Full color 3D. Especially with some of the pocket-sized projectors that cost a couple hundred dollars max, you can get a decent cheap effect. This experiment is currently in progress chez moi, having accomplished the first.

      Next is typing the power and trigger lines of a cheap digicam to create a master/slave, giving me cheap 3D photo/video acquisition. The trick is to use fixed-focus or you'll suffer.

    5. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by Abcd1234 · · Score: 1

      Depends on how you define "near". If you mean a store within a hundred miles will have on display, then yes. If you mean inside my house, not only no but hell no. I've got better things to waste my money on than the latest fad electronics.

      I never said you should buy it. The OP asked where 3D was available. I told him. If you don't want it, bully for you (I don't, either, BTW).

      Frankly, I'm not even sure who you're arguing with...

    6. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by cgenman · · Score: 1

      The technology you're looking for is called "Shutter Glasses". They've been around since the mid 80's (including being an accessory for the Sega Master System).

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_shutter_glasses

      They work by blocking one eye, then the other. It effectively halves your monitor refresh rate, as you have to display each frame twice (120 goes to a normal 60, 60 goes to 30), as well as your overall graphics output.

      Quite frankly, any polarized glasses TV display device really has to be compared against LCD shutter glasses technology in terms of likelyhood of adoption. This technology has been cheap and effective since the 80's, and since the mid 90's has even been completely wireless. Really, the only differences between a polarized TV display and an LCD shutter glasses display are A: the polarized TV display has somewhat lighter glasses with no battery, and B: the LCD display is about one tenth the cost, utilizing reliable existing technology.

      I'm guessing that we'll be at the 3D display technology level sometime, perhaps after we have run through the HDTV adoption course. But it just won't involve glasses. People don't seem to like their media quite that much.

    7. Re:Cheap 3D Viewing by furby076 · · Score: 1

      nVidia has a video card and glasses you can buy that give you 3d on your computer screen. Another option is www.iz3d.com They sell a monitor, with glasses, that let you see 3d. They include that it works on games and include a list of games. I was thinking the iz3d and buying it - but it requires i use both my video ports, which means I have to buy a second video card to run my second monitor. So spending about $600 on that, or buying a drysuit for scuba diving...well I like scuba diving more then playing Warhammer online in 3d :)

      --

      I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
  8. Oh, great by Sockatume · · Score: 4, Funny

    3D handheld shaky-cam shots. My eyes can't wait!

    --
    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  9. Get the tarp by paiute · · Score: 2, Funny

    Great, now every porn flick is going to look like a Gallagher concert.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    1. Re:Get the tarp by Pojut · · Score: 1

      3D hot grits?

  10. Monster Chiller Horror Theatre! by jakedata · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Stewardesses - now in actual 3D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87WgmGHz9U4

    There may also be "other" applications. I'll get back to you on that.

    1. Re:Monster Chiller Horror Theatre! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "There may also be "other" applications. I'll get back to you on that."

      You mean like "Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes"?

  11. $12,000 !!! by frovingslosh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The hype claims "While it's far cheaper than building your own 3D rig, the SRP of US$21,000... ", but that is far from accurate. You can build your own quite decent 3D system with two inexpensive (around $100 bucks each) Canon cameras, some free open source software, and very simple hardware. See http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm for details.

    Plus, adding insult to injury, the article raves about this $12,000 camera working with two inexpensive SDHC memory cards rather than more expensive P2 memory cards. Doesn't the $12,000 price tag rather defeat any savings in memory cards?

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:$12,000 !!! by Pojut · · Score: 1

      Doesn't the $12,000 price tag rather defeat any savings in memory cards?

      I dunno...P2's start around $450+ for the smaller sizes...I would rather spend the money saved elsewhere. Then again, if you are already spending $12,000 on a camera...

    2. Re:$12,000 !!! by Animaether · · Score: 1

      It's not the first, either. Several stereoscopic video systems already exist - although I'm not sure if they do HD, it would surprise me if at least one of them didn't already. In addition, this is a twin lens system. That means that unless it records at twice the frame rate and records LRLRLR or to two separate streams, you'll either lose half the frame rate for each eye, or you lose half the resolution somewhere due to recording of both views onto the same virtual frame (left/right or top/bottom as in HDMI 1.4).

      People who use dSLRs can go google '3d lens in a cap' for existing solutions for stereo photography and - as the summary mentions - video recording if the dSLR supports video recording.

    3. Re:$12,000 !!! by C64 · · Score: 1

      Perhaps I missed something, but the link you supplied to demonstrate why the Panasonic camcorder is overpriced seems to only provides information for 3D still photography, not 3D video. An apples to oranges comparison.

    4. Re:$12,000 !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I'm wondering: What's the target market is for this camera? Is it in preparation for the supposed upcoming 3D TV stuff? It's too pricey for casual users, but it seems to me that if you're trying to do something professional you'd probably better off spending the money on a higher-quality regular camera (and lights and sound... so many indie productions are ruined by poor lighting or sound). Is this just for people who want 3D for very niche purposes, or as a gimmick, or is this price point where you really can't buy any meaningful improvement in visual quality without a huge jump in cost? I used to be into video production in college, but this is above the price range of prosumer cameras where prices were readily available.

    5. Re:$12,000 !!! by TheSync · · Score: 1

      To date, stereoscopic video production has been limited to "rigs" that hold two video cameras.

      The complications of trying to keep two physically seperate lenses and imaging systems properly aligned over a range of zooms and focusing has been incredibly complex.

      Plus, rigs are fragile. If you are on the sidelines of a football game and someone runs into your rig, it could be out of stereoscopic alignment for the rest of he game.

      Thus the existance of unified stereo cameras built from the ground up to be solid, stable, and a supported product from a major manufacturer is a breakthrough.

    6. Re:$12,000 !!! by VisiX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Plus, adding insult to injury, the article raves about this $12,000 camera working with two inexpensive SDHC memory cards rather than more expensive P2 memory cards. Doesn't the $12,000 price tag rather defeat any savings in memory cards?

      I would bet that either the article writer or the target audience are the kind of people that will drive 10 miles across town to save $.02/gal on gas. Cost benefit analysis is much too complicated for most people.

    7. Re:$12,000 !!! by Elwood+P+Dowd · · Score: 2, Informative

      > Doesn't the $12,000 price tag rather defeat any savings in memory cards?

      No. HD video fills up those $500+ P2 memory cards in minutes. They must then be swapped out for the next shot. If you can't afford $80,000 worth of video cards, you will need a person pulling the contents of those video cards onto hard drives full time during the shoot so that they can be reused.

      --

      There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
    8. Re:$12,000 !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well said. $21,000 is a rip off. (And you put this as $12,000 by mistake twice, even in the title - you fool!)

      It's a piece of piss for a company like this to put two camcorders together to make 3D recording, give it a year and 3D camcorders will be well under $200.

    9. Re:$12,000 !!! by An+dochasac · · Score: 1

      It isn't that difficult. In 2003 I strapped two nearly identical Sony digital 8 camcorders together. I might have used duct tape but I don't remember it being that refined. I used Final Cut Express on a G3 laptop to merge the inputs into a single Red/Green video. Here are the results. Alignment wasn't perfect and as I said the camcorders weren't even identical, but your eyes can compensate somewhat and fill in the gaps to create an illusion of depth.

    10. Re:$12,000 !!! by Animaether · · Score: 1

      Well, the complications GP notes are ones that are not so easily overcome.

      I use a rig with two cameras, myself - mostly because it affords me exaggerated depth perceptions - or even narrowed - by changing the distance between the two cameras. You can compare this to viewing through big binoculars - even surfaces far away seem to be divided into 'layers' of depth while you can perceive no such depth with the naked eye.
      ( another reason is that I just happened to get the 2nd camera to replace the 1st one as a regular use camera, as the 1st one has developed some issues that make in unreliable in general use, but it works fine for stereo shoots with a remote shutter and all - so it was simply a cheap option )

      Synchronizing the shutters is easy enough - at least to within a few thousandths of a second, these circuits are all the same.

      But zooming is a right pain in the behind.. one of my camera's motors is simply a little bit slower than the other. Thus, I just don't zoom while shooting, leaving any zooming to a post-effect crop+scale. If I need a more extreme zoom I'm pretty much f'ed unless I want to manually match them together in post.

      The same applies to many other processes.. white balance, for example. Both set to the same setting, yet one comes out with a lightly bluer cast - but only in the darker regions. I've been meaning to get a calibration chart so that I can derive a LUT to make one match the other, but - as you do note - the eyes do tend to just blend things together a bit so it's not really a huge issue there.

      But, all in all, a single-camera system with two lenses is superior *except* for the potential loss of resolution/frame rate -and- the lack of freedom in choosing depth perception. As the 3D 'revolution' (the 4th one now in video history, I reckon) is well underway, I'm sure there will be ingenious rigs dealing with just such a thing, using prismas and lenses to even dynamically alter the interocular distance for dramatic effect (similar to how dolly zooms (googe it, reader, if you're unfamiliar with the term - you're likely familiar with the effect) are used).

  12. Not getting it... by Thoreauly+Nuts · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I really just don't understand this whole 3D movie thing. It's about as interesting as VR gloves in the late 90s; a neat idea, but really nothing but an expensive, impractical gimmick.

    I think I'll sit this out until someone invents the Holodeck, or at the very least, makes something that doesn't hurt my eyes or make me wear glasses.

    --
    "Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. " ---Henry David Thoreau
    1. Re:Not getting it... by Khan · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I'm with you there, Nuts. This whole 3-D thing is still mostly a gimmick IMO. Besides, I can get 3D p0rn with tactical sensations anytime. One of the many benefits of being married ;-)

      --

      "Klaatu, verada, necktie!" -Ash

    2. Re:Not getting it... by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 1

      I really just don't understand this whole 3D movie thing. It's about as interesting as VR gloves in the late 90s; a neat idea, but really nothing but an expensive, impractical gimmick.

      I think I'll sit this out until someone invents the Holodeck, or at the very least, makes something that doesn't hurt my eyes or make me wear glasses.

      I have no doubt that this movement is being strongly supported by the TV manufacturers who need to have some new selling point (read: gimmick) now that the whole HD thing has slowed. I'm holding out for Smell-o-Vision. Or stylish goggles.

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
    3. Re:Not getting it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      ... I can get 3D p0rn with tactical sensations anytime. One of the many benefits of being married ;-)

      Clearly, you haven't been married for very long...

    4. Re:Not getting it... by cayenne8 · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      "Besides, I can get 3D p0rn with tactical sensations anytime. One of the many benefits of being married ;-)"

      You can do the same at a bar.....and you don't get tired of having the same old chick every night.

      That and when you get tired of her (or she gets fat), you can upgrade to a better model, and not risk losing half your shit you own.

      :)

      But hey...to each his own!!

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    5. Re:Not getting it... by westlake · · Score: 1

      I really just don't understand this whole 3D movie thing. It's about as interesting as VR gloves in the late 90s

      Avatar grossed $1 billion dollars in eighteen days. Up and Monsters vs Aliens about $300 million each in theatrical release.

      Not so many years back, the geek-in-embryo couldn't see any value in surround-sound.

      It took his dad or grandad quite some time to come around to the idea - and expense - of investing in FM and stereo Hi-Fi.

    6. Re:Not getting it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm holding out for Smell-o-Vision.

      So's the goatse guy...

    7. Re:Not getting it... by zippthorne · · Score: 4, Insightful

      3D adds texture. It's often gimicky, because producers (I assume it's producers) demand excuses to show of "it's 3D!" usually by having something pointy come out of the frame too far (as in, too close for normal people to adjust their eyes to it quickly).

      But it's a perfectly useful tool for adding texture to projects if you avoid the gimmicky "throw stuff at you" tricks. It really does add to the immersion on films where they're not playing "look, it's 3D!" all the time.

      No one calls greek friezes "gimmky" just because they have some relief (although they would if every frieze had a spear sticking way out to remind you). It's just another tool for artists to use to evoke emotion.

      Now, I'd challenge you to watch one of the films where it wasn't just a gimmick, but I'd be hard pressed to actually name one. "Monsters vs. Aliens" wasn't too bad, though.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    8. Re:Not getting it... by jgtg32a · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Which was the part I liked the most about Avatar, the 3D was there but not a gimmick.

    9. Re:Not getting it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3D movies tend to do the cheap coming at you trick because that's what people bizarrely want. All the complaints I've hard about Avatar 3D was that it didn't do this, leaving them disappointed. *shakes head*

      But moving on from movies, this cheesy poking out effect could be pretty good in gaming. Could you imagine something like condemned 2 having a presence in your room? Talk about change of underwear!

    10. Re:Not getting it... by MadCow42 · · Score: 1

      >>Now, I'd challenge you to watch one of the films where it wasn't just a gimmick, but I'd be hard pressed to actually name one. "Monsters vs. Aliens" wasn't too bad, though.

      Avatar in 3D... sure, there were a couple scenes where it was over-used, but by far it was the best use of 3D I've ever seen. I was very skeptical, especially after watching 5 really annoying 3D trailers before the movie (oxymoron...), but it was not distracting in the least.

      MadCow.

      --
      I used to have a sig, but I set it free and it never came back.
    11. Re:Not getting it... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      . It's often gimicky, because producers (I assume it's producers) demand excuses to show of "it's 3D!" usually by having something pointy come out of the frame too far

      And the Wizard of Oz used super-saturated colors for the same reason. But imagine trying to view any movie in black and white now. 3D will be less gimmacky soon as well.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    12. Re:Not getting it... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Which was the part I liked the most about Avatar, the 3D was there but not a gimmick.

      Huh? With the exception of "3D coolness", everyone I know would have skipped the movie. It was like the Wizard of Oz for color, Star Wars for CG and the Matrix for bullet-time: the movie that does a new technology well and frees the rest of the world to use it without having to make the movie about it.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    13. Re:Not getting it... by digitalhermit · · Score: 1

      I really just don't understand this whole 3D movie thing.

      Ok, I get your sentiment, but the same was said about sound and color. 3D, by itself, won't make a good movie. At the worst you'll get something that's a crappy movie with crappy 3D effects. At the middle you'd get something like "The Mind's Eye", except in 3D and even that bar would be raised as the technology trickles down so regular folks can do those effects (e.g., the Terminator liquid metal man can now be done with $2,000 software). And the very best would be an immersive movie with an interesting storyline that completely transports the viewer away. Yeah, you can do the same with 2D, but 3D is just another paintbrush.

    14. Re:Not getting it... by MostAwesomeDude · · Score: 1

      Nightmare Before Christmas was very pleasant as a 3D film, but that's largely because it was originally 2D and the 3D effect was added in later for a re-release.

      --
      ~ C.
    15. Re:Not getting it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, having to wear retarded-looking glasses REALLY doesn't help the whole 3D movement.

    16. Re:Not getting it... by Whorhay · · Score: 1

      You beat me to it!

      The Nightmare Before Christmas was very well done in my opinion. I seem to recall that every scene was noticably 3D and the only one that stood out with objects close to the viewer was near the begining with falling snow flakes.

    17. Re:Not getting it... by DrEasy · · Score: 1

      But imagine if you could combine your tactical sensations (as provided by your wife) with a 3-D goggle that would synchronize the sensations with a visual of Natalie Portman...

      Not sure your wife would improve though!

      (Besides, I'm not implying you'd be better off with Natalie Portman! Or maybe you already ARE Natalie Portman's husband!) :)

      --
      "In our tactical decisions, we are operating contrary to our strategic interest."
    18. Re:Not getting it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      did you see a different Avatar movie than me?

  13. At last! Hollywood remakes, arise! ARISE!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Wax"
    "Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Stewerdesses" [marginally NSFW]
    And, of course, "Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Pancakes".

  14. Next step, Ocular upgrades by Azureflare · · Score: 1

    Now that we have a consumer-grade method of creating 3D footage, I'm waiting for ocular implants so the 3D footage can be streamed directly to my brain!

    I've always thought it would be pretty awesome to have a 3D HUD to life without having any goggles; it would just be built right into my synapses! I suppose the challenges would be streaming the data to the ocular implants; I have a feeling bluetooth wouldn't have enough bandwidth to handle the feeds.

    1. Re:Next step, Ocular upgrades by denis-The-menace · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't
      the MAFIAA would slip in some copy-Protection
      like they did with HDMI

      --
      Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
    2. Re:Next step, Ocular upgrades by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or you could go watch a play.

      (Just kidding. Sort of)

  15. Re:At last! Hollywood remakes, arise! ARISE!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ah, found the third one. Actually it was "Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes".

    "Would you like some more ... PANCAKES?"

  16. Still 3D images from the Victorian Era by geek2k5 · · Score: 1

    It is good to see that the digital video world has caught up with the Victorian era, in which stereo photos were extremely popular.

    Of course, it did take a while before the RealD technology became available, making high quality COLOR 3D video possible. It would be interesting to see someone do a steampunked version of the camera.

    1. Re:Still 3D images from the Victorian Era by dangitman · · Score: 1

      It would be interesting to see someone do a steampunked version of the camera.

      No, there's nothing interesting about "steampunk."

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
  17. It is only a matter of time by Kolie · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Before we receive some epic amateur porn.

  18. Easy by LockeOnLogic · · Score: 1

    Go to Toys R' Us

  19. pr0n by Soiden · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Now, this is perfect for some homemade pr0n videos.

    --
    Minti: What's that huge shuriken in your back?! Kin: It's the instrument of my victory.
  20. Evolutionary, not revolutionary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Panasonic was demonstrating a stereo NTSC camcorder at the NSA (National Stereoscopic Association) convention in Portland in 1987. It used LCD shutter glasses to view the video on a standard NTSC monitor. They were showing video shot at the Viewmaster factory in Portland (since closed).

  21. Amazing HD, Awesome 3D, Cutting Edge Mono Sound! by sexconker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Cameras need better mic options.

  22. video vs. still by frovingslosh · · Score: 1

    The site is focusing on still 3D, but the cameras will do video as well and there is nothing to stop you from taking the two stereo videos and putting together a 3D video, it's not much different than combining 3D still pictures. Pick a supported Canon camera that does HD video any you can get 3D HD (or go cheap for 3D standard video).

    In fact, that the Panasonic uses two separate SDHC memory cards rather tham on card makes me suspect that the Panasonic system is doing pretty much what this much less expensive system is doing; recording each camera to a different card and then putting the 3D images back together later in software.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:video vs. still by frovingslosh · · Score: 1

      Actually, let me correct myself on this. The site goes into a lot of stuff about making sure that the two cameras are in sync while taking still shots. It is not certain that the cameras would be in as precise of sync when doing 3D work. And depending on how your 3D video is displayed you might not even want them in sync (if doing alternate frames for LCD 3D shutter glasses you might want them completely out of sync, but if doing alternate forms of 3D viewing you might want them in sync).

      So a lot of this seems to depend on the target 3D display system. And that may be true for the $12,000 camera also. One thing for sure, if I want to experiment with this, at least before 3D TV is a well established technology with very well defined specs, I'll do it with the much less expensive home brew system.

      --
      I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
  23. So there ya go, get started making your own Avatar by kungfugleek · · Score: 1

    With hookers, and blackjack...

  24. there ya go by roc97007 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    > So there ya go, get started making your own Avatar.

    But with a better plot, please.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    1. Re:there ya go by arachnoprobe · · Score: 1

      > So there ya go, get started making your own Avatar.

      But with a better plot, please.

      Won't be that hard to accomplish. Every story is. Even 2012.

  25. Too close to each other? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

    Did anyone else notice, how the lenses seem too close to each other?

    Looks like everything recorded by that thing will look like a dog’s perspective (eye-distance-wise).

    YOU’RE WINNER! ;)

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    1. Re:Too close to each other? by Aladrin · · Score: 2, Informative

      Look at the size of the handstrap on the side, then use that to judge the size and distance of the lenses. I think you'll find that it's rather large.

      The size of the tripod throws you off, but that's a solid, professional tripod and not some tiny kid's toy.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    2. Re:Too close to each other? by dangitman · · Score: 1

      Looks about right to me. The typical lens separation used for standard stereoscopic photography is around 6-7cm. The rule of thumb is that you separate the lenses approximately 1/30th of the distance from lens to subject. Having them wider exaggerates the 3D effect, at the expense of realism, and also makes it harder for the brain to fuse the images together.

      Ideally, you'd use an adjustable rig - but that's a lot more work, and a lot more bulk and impracticality.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
  26. I would have posted this link instead by WormholeFiend · · Score: 1
  27. Yup. Take what you can get, I guess. by zippthorne · · Score: 1

    Yeah, there won't ever be a good consumer HD video camera as long as they have to be portable. Packing it into that size, you're not going to have enough light-gathering ability without resorting to a small, noisy sensor.

    Your pixels are just over a tenth the size of SD pixels (due to wide-screen aspect), and SD camcorders are already struggling to gather enough photons.

    The solutions are to use wider field of view or larger lenses. That's it, really. The problem is fundamental, not limited to "how accurate the sensor is". You can only count the photons you receive, even a perfect sensor is going to have unappealing measurement uncertainty compared to a perfect sensor with a larger lens system.

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  28. Is 3D really THAT great? by a0schweitzer · · Score: 1

    I have some vision issues (wear glasses, have had surgery, was born cross-eyed, etc). I can't for the life of me remember the exact medical term, but I don't have depth perception like average folks. When the optometrist does the depth-perception test with the little dots, and one is supposed to pop out at you, I see no popping.

    Now, I've watched Avatar (twice - once in non-3D and once in RealD) and thought it was great. I could see the 3D, but it wasn't anything crazy. It really just emphasized the focus point of the camera, and made things appropriately blurry if they were not the thing being focussed on. Trees closer to the camera loooked like they were closer to the camera. But I already knew that, because they're, well, bigger. I guess it added a bit of perspective, but nothing spectacular.

    My question, thus, being: Is 3D really THAT great, that we want 3D TVs and camcorders? Or am I missing out on the full AWESOME of 3D becasue of my vision issues?

    To me 3D still seems really gimmikey and more of a distraction than an actual addition to a film

    1. Re:Is 3D really THAT great? by kalirion · · Score: 1

      3D is really like HD. How much would you be missing out on by watching the ball game (or whatever) on a 50" CRT vs. a 50" HDTV? It's not like you need to see the individual blades of grass to enjoy the game, right?

      That said, it's hard to go back to lower quality once you've upped your standards.

  29. 2038? by mister_playboy · · Score: 1

    I use 64-bit Linux, and my Unix time doesn't roll over until Sunday, December 4, 292,277,026,596, you insensitive clod!

    --
    Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law ::: Love is the law, love under will
  30. Cheap 3D Camera = Next Gen Homemade Pornography by relaxinparadise · · Score: 1
    It's not too hard to imagine a glut of really bad homemade porn with this new camera, but maybe someone will make something interesting out if it.

    Does it/Do they look bigger in 3D?

    1. Re:Cheap 3D Camera = Next Gen Homemade Pornography by PPH · · Score: 1

      They look like you could just reach out and touch them .... for $50.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  31. Cost prohibitive by dazedNconfuzed · · Score: 1

    At some point, yes, our relatives shall bore us with their hours-long videos of their cruise, and leave us with (worse) headaches and intense nausea.

    But at a current price of US$21,000 it won't be soon.

    --
    Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
  32. No 3D TV in the living room by Via_Patrino · · Score: 1

    For a 3D TV to work properly you should use it in a dark room (with dark walls) and preferably with a big screen otherwise you'll get insane headaches.

    That's because otherwise you'll perceive not just the TV flipping but the whole environment around it and your body is not just used to that.

    They should release just 3D glasses with lcd (oled) monitors within the glasses, that would be much cheaper and practical.

    It's also better to expect the 240Hz TVs that are scheduled to release.

    1. Re:No 3D TV in the living room by furby076 · · Score: 1

      [quote]It's also better to expect the 240Hz TVs that are scheduled to release.[/quote] You only need 120hz tvs

      --

      I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
  33. Key Missing Feature by MBoffin · · Score: 0

    It only has one eyepiece! Talk about a huge oversight for a 3D camera! With all the engineering that went into this camera, it's amazing they missed this one.

  34. 3-D won't take off as a serious tech until.... by jameskojiro · · Score: 2, Funny

    3-D won't take off as a serious tech until two way brain computer interfaces are as commonplace as cell phones are today. No one want's to have to deal with 3-D that requires you wear glasses or contact lenses or what not, it would be more easily accepted if you could just stream the data to your visual cortex along with all of the other sensations that "realistic fantasy reality" entails.

    Flittery jittery images in bulky headache producing glasses that appears somewhat 3-D won't compare to simulated optic nerve data being fed by a computer.

    I will wait for the iBrain or the iMind before I go "Full 3-D".

    --
    Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
    1. Re:3-D won't take off as a serious tech until.... by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 1

      No one want's to have to deal with 3-D that requires you wear glasses or contact lenses or what not,

      The expectation is that in roughly 5 years consumer-grade displays will be able to do 3D without the need for any glasses.
      http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/16/hitachi-exhibits-10-inch-glasses-free-3d-display/
      http://hd.engadget.com/2009/05/11/ny-storefront-hosts-the-first-no-glasses-3d-lcd-ad/

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
    2. Re:3-D won't take off as a serious tech until.... by Whorhay · · Score: 1

      Maybe it's because I've worn glasses my whole life but wearing the polarized glasses they hand out at the theatre has never bothered me all that much. I've had a fwe pairs that were poorly constructed and had burrs from the molding but that's about it. I'd far rather wear glasses like that then shell out thousands of dollars more.

      And I don't get how the double layer tv's are supposed to work, won't both of my eyes see the same pictures and so it'll all just be blurry like watching a current 3d movie at the theatre without the polarized glasses?

    3. Re:3-D won't take off as a serious tech until.... by GNious · · Score: 1

      I saw one of these glasses-free 3D screens - I got a headache after ca 3 seconds.
      There is a "sweetspot" right in front of it, where it works (headaches don't show up for at lest 7 seconds!!), but then no-one else can enjoy the video.

      As for the glasses, they all tended to drop-drown - like cheap glasses on a summer-day. I think next time I go see something 3D in the cinemas, I will wear some contacts, instead of my Jags.

  35. Take a picture, step to the left, take another by ishmalius · · Score: 1

    If you are doing still shots or landscape, then that is more than sufficient. I have a collection somewhere of a bunch of stereo pairs I took during a vacation that way. They seem to be as good as any more expensive method. And if the 3d-ness isn't what you had hoped for, then you still have two shots.

  36. Re:yay 3d by furby076 · · Score: 1

    [quote]wheres the 3d porn?[/quote] You mean 3d amateur porn.

    --

    I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
  37. Re:Yup. Take what you can get, I guess. by cgenman · · Score: 1

    Mod Parent Up. I can't tell you the number of "HD" consumer grade camcorders I've seen that output the requisite number of pixels, but they're so noisy and flat with improper color separation that you might as well be grabbing video in 320x240 and upscaling to 1080p. In fact, not seeing what the insides of these camcorders look like, that's what they may very well be doing.

    Most DVD's look amazing on high end TV's, and that's because the original SD signal is so clean and crisp. HD level consumer camcorders don't seem to get anywhere near the visual output level of a professional SD camera. In essence, you're losing potential visual clarity (and a heck of a lot of wasted Hard Drive space) so that you can slap an HD logo on it.

    Digital still cameras seem to have abated on the whole "I have more megapixels than you" war, and now are competing more on actual visual clarity. I can't wait until camcorders achieve the same thing.

  38. PROTIP by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 1

    For the best reading experiance, imagine the post above is responding to a comment about color televisions.

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
  39. Will there be a way to view without glasses? by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

    Glasses are fine in the theater but I don't think this is going to take off at home until we can view stereoscopic content without glasses. As far as I know, this is impossible because it requires each eye to receive a slightly different image. That's the whole point of the glasses, to show one eye something different from the other. Anyone got suggestions as to how it could be done?

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:Will there be a way to view without glasses? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Anyone got suggestions as to how it could be done?

      Maybe you could figure out a way to only deliver a different image to an eye with a monocle. That's only half a pair of glasses...

      Perhaps if you could align a lenticular display with some sort of piezo effect, and combine this with pupil tracking, you could come up with a solution that would work for one person :)

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  40. Re:Amazing HD, Awesome 3D, Cutting Edge Mono Sound by Animaether · · Score: 1

    There's a reason professional cameras have mic in lines - sometimes even two. You can't stuff a little piezo mic into the camera body and then think you're going to get marvellous sound quality; and most people aren't going to care either.

    The people who would use these types of (semi-)professional (3D or otherwise) HD cameras are going to have a boom mic dangling above the people they need to get on track - you could try and stick directional microphones to your camera with duct tape and you still wouldn't get anywhere near the quality.

  41. Basilisk gun? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wonder if you can load Scorpion Stare onto it?

  42. but which one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "radically change the 3D game" ... to which video game are you referring?

  43. 3d + hand shake = two to the power of nausea by pikine · · Score: 1

    What if they made Cloverfield in 3D?

    --
    I once had a signature.
  44. Re:Yup. Take what you can get, I guess. by petermgreen · · Score: 1

    Yeah, there won't ever be a good consumer HD video camera as long as they have to be portable
    Why would a digital camcorder need to be much bigger than a digitial stills camera of similar image quality?

    --
    note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
  45. How do you zoom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shouldn't the parallax be consistent with the zoom level? How is that possible when the distance between the oculars is fixed?