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Blu-ray Disc Association Announces Final 3D Specification 2010 International CES LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the “Blu-ray 3DTM” specification. The specification, which represents the work of the leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, will enable the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers’ living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform. “Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. “We believe this demand for 3D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3D experience to the living room.” The “Blu-ray 3D” specification fully leverages the technical advantages of the Blu-ray Disc format to deliver unmatched picture quality as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. Notably, the specification allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby maintaining the industry leading image quality to which Blu-ray Disc viewers are accustomed. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer’s eyes. “From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home,” said Benn Carr, chairman, BDA 3D Task Force. “The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution.” The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world. “In 2009 we saw Blu-ray firmly establish itself as the most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced,” said Matsuda. “We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home. In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment.” The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video. The completed specification will be available shortly and provides individual manufacturers and content providers with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop, announce and bring products to market pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.
Blu-ray DiscTM is the next-generation optical disc format for high definition audio-video and high-capacity data software applications. A single-layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 25 gigabytes of data and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 50 gigabytes of data.
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is responsible for promoting and developing business opportunities for Blu-ray Disc - the next-generation optical disc format for storing high-definition movies, games, photos and other digital content. The BDA has more than 180 members. Its Board of Directors consists of individuals affiliated with the following companies: Apple Inc., Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Hitachi, Ltd., Intel Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Pioneer Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Inc., TDK Corporation, Thomson, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures and Television, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
To schedule a 1:1 briefing with a Blu-ray Disc Association executive during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, please contact the BDA at bluray@corporateadvocates.net The Blu-ray DiscTM name and Blu-ray Disc logo are registered trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Posted by Shane Sturgeon, December 17, 2009 6:40 PM
Reader Commentary Good to see that they're cooperating with SMPTE, which has a project underway (reported here recently) to evaluate and determine the best choices in standards development for 3D. Sony always was a team player. Whoops, nope!! Scratch both those comments. They decided to go their own way (imagine that), and select the most inefficient option for encoding, with a 50% overhead. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with royalties. - Tim... Okay, great, you've got the spelling down tight, but here's a minor detail: what the heck is it? I've always been a high-tech weenie, a devotee of the latest and best in TV technologies, but in reading this announcement I still don't understand what it means to me. I've always dreamed that one day I'd have a 3-D TV. It wasn't too long ago that I rented a 3-D movie and found it was same horrible, unwatchable, colored-lens experience I had in 50's movie theaters. So it was with a mixture of excitement and dread that I read this latest announcement. There were a lot of nice words but it didn't tell me what I wanted to know: (1) I assume you have to wear glasses of some sort, so what is the technology behind them? Is a synchronization of right and left with the TV? Or is it based on polarized light or something else? (2) Do I have to buy a new TV set? I haven't owned a big-screen hi-def TV for that long. Are you telling me it's now obsolete?... After reading many articles on this subject, I've tentatively come to a conclusion as to what they are talking about, although I couldn't find anything explicit, which I find a little weird. Bear in mine I've found no site the explains in explicit enough detail what this is, but here's my best reading- between-the-lines guess. The technology is time sequenced 3-D, which means the left and right image is sequentially sent to your TV set. You must wear glasses that block your left eye when the TV is showing the right etc., synchronized by a signal that tells your headset when to switch. Because this is done very quickly, you get the sensation of seeing in 3D. The PS3 already has this capability and requires you to purchase googles that plug into the PS3. The current PS3 is capable of creating and sequencing the highest resolution picture for both eyes. Here's what I don't know because different sites claim different things. Do you need to buy a special TV that can handle the ra... I am working on an article for this topic and you pretty much have the basics. I did read the suggestion that the 3D push for PS3 gaming in 2011 might be compatible with any display but can't find anything of substance. While the PS3 might be 3D compatible it was not clear if current PS3 product in the field can be upgraded via software. All my research points to replacing your display but there is a technical argument in my mind, inspired by your post (thanks), that this could be achieved with any display and that would change the 3D market dramatically. But then how would manufacturers be able to start another new 5-10 year highly profitable technology market?... Of course, current TV's must display sequences of pictures fast enough to produce a seamless illusion of motion. The question then would be can the current standard provide the same illusion in one eye when the picture is being upgraded at twice the time interval? This question is complicated by the fact that the other eye is doing the same thing out of sync. This is not just a physics question since it involves understanding how the brain integrates the left and right eyes. As you indicate, I'm a little bit suspicious of contradictory claims of whether one has to replace one's TV. The fact that there is no absolute claim one way or the other makes me suspect that the industry might be trying to have their cake and eat it too.... From what I can figure out the 120hz is based purely on providing two images, 720p or 1080p, at 60 frames. To do that you have to add another 60 frames to create a left/right eye image, hence 120hz. Film is 24 and most content is 24 or 30 frame. A 1080p 60 frame 3D spec would be sought by PC gamers and while it might be nice for future home video capability it doesn't have much benefit now. Sports captured and delivered at 720p is the only exception and 120hz is the only way. Based on that it would appear 3D is stuck with 120hz since sports is typically one of the big market drivers for new product sales. Based on the above, a long term universal 3D standard has to be based on a 120hz refresh capability. Nonetheless, it would appear the active shutter system 3D glasses could function just fine at 60hz for 30 or 24 frame content. Writing that I recall that 24 frames would have to have 2/3 pull down applied so it runs at 30 frames and then recall that 120 hz is the magic refr... I'm still confused. See link: http://www.thedigitalnewsroom.com/en/News/2557/3D_Blu_Ray_detailed_and_Playstation_3_compatible.htm which says: "An important point concerning 3D Blu-Ray is the compatibility with Blu-Ray disc players currently in homes. 3D Blu-Ray will deliver full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, and will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display (LCD, Plasma...) regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image. The specificities enable 2D playback of 3D Blu-Ray disc on the current Blu-Ray players." The phrase "compatible 3D display (LCD, Plasma...) regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image." is a tautology meaning nothing. Perhaps they meant to leave out the first "3D"?... Not to belabor this topic, but, in my opinion, 3D is poised to become a significant advance, and I say that as someone who has managed the development of significant advanced technologies in the past. I now believe the following text accurately portrays the situation: The new published 3D spec will allow for full 1080p content to be displayed in 3D, and it should work on any display (plasma, LCD, etc.) This is in reference to the current PS3 technology (which has just undergone a significant price drop), but, I'm convinced, will be adopted by other manufactures. By the way, I have no connection to Sony. I know that many say that the requirement to wear special glasses removes this technology from the ideal class of products capable of mass marketing, but I predict that this will not be the case, and will only be finally replaced by holographic technology many, many years in the future, mainly because of the very large bandwidth requirements that technology requires. This new... Huh? Your posts on this subject have been consistently suspicious, critical, and negative. Suddenly you're now effusively positive and optimistic. I have just one question... what did you do with hharris? :) - Tim... Based on the above, a long term universal 3D standard has to be based on a 120hz refresh capability. hharris4, everything I have read on this topic points to that refresh rate. While many displays already operate at that or higher it is an internal operation. All video displays accept a maximum 60hz video signal, not 120hz (except for special PC monitors?). This is the reason new 3D displays will be required. All 3D display technologies appear to be based on receiving a 1080p 120hz video signal and it was simply a matter of creating a standard. How they create the stereoscopic output from that signal is what differentiates 3D display technology and there are different methods out there. The active LCD shutter system (glasses) is easily adaptable to nearly all current display technologies and inexpensive in silicon but possibly pricey in IP royalties. As for the PS3, I suspect it will be software upgradeable but they have not actually state... More in Category: Blu-ray
About Shane SturgeonShane Sturgeon is the Co-Publisher and Chief Technologist of HDTV Magazine, an industry publication with HDTV roots going back to 1984, when Dale Cripps founded The HDTV Newsletter. Today, HDTV Magazine is a leading online resource for HDTV news and information and captures the eyes and imaginations of over 3 million visitors annually. Mr. Sturgeon has a background in information technology and has served in various consulting capacities for Fortune 500 companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Verizon Communications, Proctor & Gamble and Nationwide Insurance. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Wright State University. |
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