Inside the specially designed, perpetually full-capacity demonstration chamber at the Panasonic booth, journalists and civilians alike were treated to one of the most awesome displays of current high-definition 3D video I've ever witnessed. JVC had their own demo up and running (I recall that their U2 concert clip worked well) and Sony was apparently showing off their own version of 3D, but I could never seem to get near the place. Panasonic's demo, however, was truly amazing, offering a series of clips each more impressive than the last.
Yes, we can currently watch a short list of Blu-ray movies in 3D using the HDTVs we already own, with the little cardboard specs included in the box, but the quality is seriously impaired due to limitations in the old anaglyph technology used to deliver this content. The Panasonic system combines high-quality (1080p) digital content with a large, properly calibrated, state-of-the-art plasma display and sophisticated active 3D glasses which fit easily over my own prescription eyewear. No aspect of this particular setup is consumer-available. Yet.
The source content was stored on (and played back from) a standard Blu-ray Disc. In order to keep the signal to both eyes at full HD 1920x1080 resolution, the primary video stream included information for one eye while the secondary video stream (normally used for BonusView PiP commentary) included the information for the other eye. A specially modified Blu-ray Disc player was able to simultaneously pass both 1080p streams to a similarly modified 103-inch Plasma HDTV for display of the combined stream alternating each frame at high speed. Special active (battery-powered) polarized glasses blink each shutter in rapid motion alternating left and right to assure that your brain sees the left side information only in the left eye and the right side information in the right eye. The blinking is so quick as not to be noticeable or headache-inducing, even after fairly extended viewing.
Panasonic is working with several manufacturers, studios and the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) on the development of a 3D standard for Blu-ray and for display devices. No firm date has been set for its adoption, but the BDA has recently confirmed that discussions on a 3D Blu-ray standard are underway.
First up was a promotional reel blending real photography of the Panasonic race car with a computer-generated simulation, I believe. What impressed here was the sense of realism to the vehicle, as if it was right in the room. Next up was the trailer for James Cameron's upcoming science-fiction opus, Avatar, which by its very nature was enthralling, far more so than the QuickTime version that Big Picture Big Sound Editor Chris Boylan, Roving Reporter Greg Robinson and I recently watched together huddled around a small computer monitor. Most memorable of all was a montage from the Olympics (Panasonic is a longtime sponsor of the games), although while some considered the opening ceremonies to be the highpoint, I preferred the hurdles, with their hard geometric lines working wonders with the next-gen depth-of-field. But yes, I did catch myself reaching out to try and touch the streamers and confetti apparently floating in midair. Sometimes I'm such a tourist...
And you can be one too, as Panasonic will be packing up this 3D show and taking it on the road to a city near you. Yes, 3D fans, the "booth" that we were in was actually inside a huge tractor trailer, which is one of three mobile demos that Panasonic will be taking on the road between now and March 2010. A full schedule of the tour will be available soon on Panasonic's 3D web site: www.panasonic.com/3D.
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